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 reference 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, the ref. 5060J (‘J’ for jaune, which means yellow in French). 

The 5060J was essentially a dressier version of the mid-size reference 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 even though 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’!

While the steel 5060A was produced for just one year, the 18k gold version continued to be produced until the mid 2000s, with the executions in the latter years bearing the designation 5060SJ. This particular 5060SJ dates back to the early 2000s and comes on a black alligator leather strap with an 18k yellow gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp with the famous Calatrava logo. The watch is in excellent condition and has just undergone a full service at our trusted Patek Philippe service center as attested to by the accompanying service papers.