The Aquanaut may be one of the most important modern luxury sport watches on the market.
The Reference 5060J, launched in 1996 for the 20th anniversary of the Nautilus, was a sort of transitional watch. Borrowing features from the Nautilus but doing away with the famed case “ears” of that porthole-inspired model and adding lugs, it provided the basis for the Reference 5060A in 1997, the first model actually bearing the Aquanaut name. The Aquanaut would go on to form the basis of a full collection of luxury sports watches that provided the entry point into the Patek Philippe catalog.
This piece, a Reference 5167A-001, features a 40mm stainless steel case with a satin-finished bezel, sapphire crystal, a signed screw-down crown and a water resistance rating up to 120 meters. On the dial you'll find all of the signature Aquanaut features present — offered in an ombre anthracite tone that fades to black towards the edges, hobnail texturing, luminous Arabic indices, a matching luminous handset and a date indicator at 3 o’clock.
In excellent condition throughout, this example is fitted to its factory black rubber strap with a signed steel button-deployant clasp. It comes accompanied by its complete original set including inner and outer boxes, leather folio, and Certificate of Origin dated May 2009.
With more presence on the wrist compared to its older siblings, the 5167 remains one of most highly-coveted steel sport watches on the market.
An iconic design from a maison with ultimate pedigree … what more could you ask for?