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 kind of transitional watch. Borrowing features from Genta's 1976 design 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 to bear the Aquanaut name. This model 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 example, a Reference 5066A, features a 36mm stainless steel case with a satin-brushed bezel hood; a sapphire crystal; a signed, screw-down crown; and a sapphire exhibition caseback framing a picture-perfect Patek Philippe Calibre 330 automatic movement.
Shaded in an anthracite grey, the luminous dial features printed Arabic indices, a matching stick handset, a date indicator at 3 o’clock, and the collection's signature embossed design. Outfitted with a textured, taupe rubber strap finished with a steel double-deployant clasp, this demure piece wears like any proper midsize sports watch should — balanced and unobtrusively awesome.
If your preferences lean towards smaller, stainless steel sports watches and you're been aspiring to own your first piece from the 'Holy Trinity,' then this Aquanaut should absolutely be on your radar!