Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 2005 Reference No: 5065 Movement No: 3'614'054 Case No: 4'302'532 Model Name: Aquanaut Material: Stainless Steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 315 SC, 29 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Rubber Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Patek Philippe concealed double deployant clasp Dimensions: 37mm Width Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 2005 with blue dial and its subsequent sale on 20 December 2005.
Catalogue Essay
Launched in 1997, the Aquanaut was presented as a little brother to the Nautilus – the brand’s first and only other sports watch in its catalogue. A disruptive force, the Aquanaut was the first model in Patek Philippe’s collection to come fitted on a rubber strap, one of several novel features the company hoped would attract a new and younger consumer base.
Initially limited to 1,000 pieces, in gold and stainless steel, the Aquanaut was put into regular production with the official release of the reference 5065, and it then enjoyed a relatively long an uneventful production cycle, with few reference updates made since the original model came out in 1997. But during that time, it has undoubtedly become one of the hottest Patek Philippe wristwatch, together with the Nautilus.
It is therefore extremely exciting to have discovered, like a needle in a haystack, this most probably unique pair of reference 5065 models, created according to our research for an important North American client as part of a set of four Reference 5065s with unique color schemes.
Consigned by the original owner, who purchased the present blue version along with a “prune” colored version as a romantic gesture during a holiday in the USA with her then boyfriend, the watch is a perfect anomaly and a rare example of the extremely exclusive customization program that Patek Philippe offers to a rarified group of clients.
Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.
Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.