The Patek Philippe Aquanaut marked the beginning of a new era for the Geneva manufacture. Introduced in 1997 with the launch of the reference 5060A, it represented Patek Philippe's vision of a contemporary luxury sports watch for a new generation of collectors. As Philippe Stern famously remarked, the Aquanaut was created to satisfy clients who desired "the traditional Patek Philippe quality but in a true sports watch."

Just a year later, Patek Philippe introduced the reference 5065A. With its larger 38 mm case, it quickly became the defining first-generation Aquanaut. It was also the first Aquanaut to feature a sapphire crystal caseback, revealing the self-winding Calibre 315 SC.

This example was produced in 1999 and is accompanied by its Extract from the Archives confirming its production year. It features the embossed black dial, inspired by the rounded octagonal shape of the case, with original tritium dial and hands. Early tritium dials such as this are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

What makes this watch particularly interesting is its stainless steel Patek Philippe bracelet. While the Aquanaut is most commonly associated with its Tropical rubber strap, the bracelet gives the watch a different character, more substantial on the wrist while retaining its sporty appearance. It is also a configuration that is seen far less often than the rubber strap. For those who prefer the original sporty look, fitting a Tropical strap remains an easy option.

The watch just came back from a full revision at an official Patek Philippe service center.