Patek Philippe 5968R Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph 5968R-001

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Is the Patek Philippe AQUANAUT a modern icon? History of Aquanaut

Released in 1997 during the .com bubble, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut was the brand's attempt to expand into new market segments by appealing to a younger, newly affluent clientele. Aquanaut is very similar to Nautilus, so opinions among collectors are divided. The Aquanaut is a youthful luxury sports watch that echoes the Nautilus of 1976, with its simpler case, "tropical" rubber strap and smaller 35.6mm diameter, the Aquanaut is considered the Nautilus Junior. There is some truth to this comparison. However, Aquanaut has a bezel similar to Nautilus, only with rounded edges. The so-called “tropical” rubber strap was also a point of contention, as the Aquanaut was the first Patek Philippe watch to feature such a rubber strap. Since the bracelet cannot be physically integrated with the case, Patek Philippe mapped the tapestry design of the dial onto the rubber, giving the watch a sense of continuity.

In 2007, Patek Philippe presented a modernized version of the Aquanaut at Baselworld. With a larger 40mm case, a contoured strap with a new folding clasp and a new dial, the Aquanaut we know today was born. The Nautilus-inspired Aquanaut DNA is largely untouched; however, the case remains octagonal – just with more fluid lines. Speaking of smoother lines, the tapestry detailing of the dial has been made more discreet. Various other small changes have also been made, such as number dimensions, etc. However, by far the most notable change is the change to the Tropical strap. While the design has changed slightly to reflect the changes made to the dial texture, the real difference is that Patek has integrated as much of it into the case as possible, placing it directly on the case. This makes the Tropical as close as possible to a one-piece rubber strap. Patek Philippe has released three versions of the Aquanaut since 2007, and we think these three are particularly cool. Advanced research, travel time and chronographs.

Aquanaut travel time
Launched in 2012, the Aquanaut Travel Time was the first Aquanaut watch to feature complications. It has a series of practical functions, the most important of which is the display of the second time zone through the skeletonized second hour hand. There are also a pair of apertures on the dial at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock to indicate whether the time displayed is day or night. Since both hands are 12-hour hands, no mental calculations are required, so this creates an extremely functional travel watch. When the wearer is not traveling, the seconds hand can also be hidden under the local time hand to further increase the wear resistance of the watch.


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Advanced Study Program
The Patek Philippe Advanced Research Program was launched after joining the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM). CSEM is a coalition of brands to better understand the use of silicone components in watches. The first Patek Philippe component from the Advanced Research Program was an escape wheel made from a proprietary silica called Silinvar. The benefits of this new material are tenfold. Its increased hardness and smoothness reduce the need for lubricants and parts can be machined to greater precision.

After a 6-year hiatus from their Advanced Research Program, Patek Philippe suddenly brought it to the Aquanaut in 2017 in a limited edition of just 500 pieces. While the return of the Advanced Research Program was a surprise in itself, it was especially surprising to see it in a watch with a round dial that wasn’t an annual or perpetual calendar. It was also the first advanced research watch to innovate with a material other than silicon. This is the "compliance mechanism" for manipulating GMT indications. Pushers at positions 8 and 10 each move the GMT hand up or down by one hour via a flexible steel 'compatibility mechanism' displayed on the semi-skeletonized dial. This mechanism drastically reduces the number of parts required to do the same job, from 37 to 12, which means less friction involved, less need for lubricants and a longer life overall.

The next innovation was the redesign of the Spiromax hairspring. Patek Philippe gave the hairspring a new shape by bending the inside of the hairspring. This creates symmetry between the innermost and outermost curves, so that the balance spring's center of gravity is aligned with the balance wheel. With this relatively small innovation, Patek Philippe was able to increase the stability of the movement and reduce the specification to -1/+2 seconds per day.

Aquanaut Chronograph

Released a year after Advanced Research in 2018, the Aquanaut Chronograph diversifies the entire Aquanaut collection by adding a complication of the same name that many watch enthusiasts seem to love. Powered by the self-winding flyback chronograph movement shared with the 5980 Nautilus, this 60-minute chronograph isn't a groundbreaking piece of engineering, but it's an excellent addition to the Aquanaut collection. It's nice to see that Patek Philippe is happy to continue making stylish watches and filling gaps in its lineup, rather than constantly trying to outdo itself.

So is Aquanaut an icon?

With many high-end stainless steel watches finding themselves placed on higher and higher pedestals by collectors, it's only fair that the Aquanaut will be as revered as it has been in recent years. Granted, it's still a relatively young watch compared to the Nautilus, but it must be said that it has carved out a niche in the market quite effectively. Its sleek design and sleek product make the Aquanaut the ideal timekeeping device. With that in mind, it's safe to say that Aquanaut will be widely sought after for years to come.