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In the late '90s, influenced by the clothing style of Bill Gates of Microsoft, a growing number of men started wearing smart-casual and business-casual clothing. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut - that was greatly inspired by the Nautilus - was launched in 1997 and was the perfect watch for this era of fashion: it was suitable for diving and other sporty activities but under a suit you could wear it in the boardroom too.The 5066 (36 mm) was introduced shortly after the release of the 1000-piece limited edition Aquanaut reference 5060. It was launched together with its bigger brother, the 5065 'Jumbo' (38 mm). The Aquanaut was not specifically desinged by Gerald Genta but it defenitely blends in design cues from the Nautilus, which was Genta's greatest achievement for Patek Philippe. The most striking similarities are the porthole-inspired octagonal bezel with alternating satin-brushed and highly-polished finishes and the highly-polished case. Still, the Aquanaut has its own persona thanks to its unique rubber strap and the outrageous glossy, embossed dial that mirrors the texture of the tropic strap. A detail we love is the full Arabic index whereas its successor (reference 5165, 5167) compromise the '3' because of the date aperture. Because of this, the 5066 - with its raw, almost prototype-like design - has become one of our favourite Aquanaut models. Especially, if it comes in such an elegant size! The specimen we can offer you comes on a brown tropic strap, with the Extracts of the Archives dating it back to 1998, service papers and service pouch from Patek Philippe. The watch is in honest condition and has some signs of wear, which makes it the perfect everyday watch for those who aren't too fussed about some scratches.