Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5066/1A-001
SoldPatek Philippe Aquanaut 5066/1A-001
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The 1990s saw the arrival of smart-casual and business-casual clothing in the workplace. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut—which drew inspiration from the smaller ref. 3800 Nautilus—was launched in 1997 as the quintessential watch for this era: it was suitable for diving and other sporty activities but could be worn equally well in the boardroom.
The Aquanaut bears a striking resemblance to the Nautilus with its porthole-inspired octagonal bezel and with alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes. Nevertheless, it has a uniquely sporty look thanks to the rubber strap and the matching embossed black dial.
The very first Aquanaut, the ref. 5060, was introduced in 1997. Two successor references followed just one year later: the ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5065 and the mid-size ref. 5066.
The mid-size reference 5066 is the true successor to the original Aquanaut as it features the same 36 mm stainless steel case with a black dial, painted hour markers, as well as 18k white gold applied Arabic indices. A cool detail on these early Aquanauts is the placement of the date window on the edge of the dial at the 3 o’clock position. Details like this show how the model was still in early stages of development and give the ref. 5066 a no nonsense prototype-like look.
The majority of Aquanauts on the market come with a rubber strap only, but we’ve managed to find one with the original chunky steel bracelet with highly polished links that resemble the tracks on a tank.
This 5066 dates back to 2000 and is in excellent condition. The watch was just serviced and comes with the corresponding Patek Philippe service papers. Moreover, the watch is accompanied by the original Patek Philippe certificate, tags, and booklets.
Introduction
Patek PhilippePatek Philippe’s mechanical masterpieces are usually made from precious metals but its sporty steel Nautilus and Aquanaut lines have been popular as well since their introduction in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively.AquanautThe Aquanaut was first released in 1996 as a Nautilus variant with lugs. That's right, a Nautilus with lugs. This limited edition ref. 5060J in yellow gold came on a leather strap. Clearly influenced by the Nautilus, it had the same porthole-shape case and similar dimensions as the midsize ref. 3800 Nautilus, but lacked the integrated bracelet and iconic ears on the sides of the case. Its successor, the 5060A introduced in 1997, was the first proper watch to be advertised as an Aquanaut. This stainless steel Aquanaut was the first to be fitted on a durable rubber strap and black embossed dial with the texture matching the strap, giving the impression of continuity like the Nautilus. The 5060J and 5060A were released in limited numbers only, but were soon followed by the 5065A and 5065J ‘Jumbo’ references with a slightly larger (38 mm) case in 1998.
Specifications
- SKU 7133
- Case Dimensions
- Case Material
- Dial
- Glass
- Caliber
- Movement
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Documents
Warranty certificate, booklets and tags, Official service papers from Patek Philippe
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Reference
5066/1A-001
- Year