Although the Aquanaut is the entry-level Patek Philippe sports watch, it is no longer in the shadow of the Nautilus.
Rubber straps are popular on high-end luxury watches today, but that wasn’t always the case. We largely have the Patek Philippe Aquanaut to thank for that.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Timeline
- 1997: Launch of the Aquanaut with Ref. 5060A (stainless steel) and Ref. 5060J (yellow gold). These models featured a 35.6mm case, a “grenade” dial, and a rubber strap, marking Patek Philippe’s first sports watch with such a strap.
- 1998: Introduction of the “Jumbo” Ref. 5065A with a larger 38mm case and an exhibition sapphire caseback. Alongside this, the first quartz Aquanaut model, Ref. 5064, was released with a smaller 36mm case, powered by the Caliber E23 SC movement.
- 2004: Debut of the Aquanaut Luce collection, designed specifically for women. The line introduced smaller case sizes (29.5mm to 35.6mm) with quartz movements and diamond-set bezels, combining sporty aesthetics with feminine elegance.
- 2007: For its 10th anniversary, Patek Philippe revamped the Aquanaut line with Ref. 5167A, featuring a larger 40mm case and updated design elements. The first-generation quartz models were discontinued.
- 2010: Introduction of the first self-winding mechanical Aquanaut Luce model, Ref. 5068R-001, in rose gold with diamond accents, expanding the Luce collection beyond quartz movements.
- 2011: Launch of the Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5164A, featuring a dual-time zone complication powered by the automatic Caliber 324 S C FUS.
- 2016: Release of the rose gold version of the Travel Time (Ref. 5164R).
- 2017: Celebration of the Aquanaut’s 20th anniversary with two standout models: Ref. 5650G “Advanced Research,” showcasing the Spiromax balance spring, and the Ref. 5168G “Jumbo,” introducing a larger 42.2mm white gold case and an attractive blue dial.
- 2018: Launch of the first Aquanaut Chronograph (Ref. 5968A), featuring a flyback chronograph movement and bold strap color options.
- 2019: The green version of the 5168G debuts.
- 2021: Introduction of diamond-set 38.8mm quartz models like the Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5267/200A and Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5269/200R.
- 2023: The Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar, Ref. 5261R-001, introduced an automatic annual calendar complication in a 39.9mm unisex rose gold case.
- 2024: Release of, arguably, the first “men’s” quartz Patek Philippe, Ref. 5269R Travel Time in rose gold, featuring a dual-time zone display and day/night indicator.
- 2025: The steel bracelet Aquanaut is one of the Patek Philippe models discontinued in 2025. All rubber straps now.
