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What the hell is an ‘Aquanautilus’? It’s when you attempt to introduce a dressy version of the Nautilus but actually lay the groundwork for a completely new line of sporty watches.The introduction of the casual sporty ref. 5060A Aquanaut in 1997 was a watershed moment for Patek Philippe. Yet, the story of the Aquanaut really began a year earlier. In 1996, the 20th anniversary of the Nautilus line, Patek released a little known 18k yellow gold variation on the Nautilus of which only a few hundred pieces were produced that year. This ref. 5060J was essentially a dressier version of the mid-size ref. 3800 Nautilus. It featured the same 36 mm case as the ref. 3800 but with the iconic side hinges removed. The 5060J also saw the introduction of lugs and, for the first time, a leather strap. The dressy look of the watch was further enhanced by the incorporation of a glossy black dial with applied Roman numerals and elegant leaf hands.Nowadays, the 5060J is widely considered the first Aquanaut. Yet, it was never called so by Patek Philippe as it was introduced as a Nautilus variant. The first watch to officially be released under the Aquanaut moniker was the steel 5060A, which was released a year later. We guess that unofficially makes the 5060J an ‘Aquanautilus’!This particular 5060J was manufactured in 1996 and retailed in February 1997 according to the accompanying extract of the Patek Philippe archives. We have just had the watch completely serviced by Patek, attested to by corresponding service papers, and have paired it with a brand new black alligator leather Patek strap and an 18k yellow gold Patek deployant clasp.