Patek Philippe Aquanaut wristwatch, men, provenance documents , ca. 1999, stainless steel, 33 x 36 mm / Men's Patek Philippe Aquanaut wristwatch, reference 5066a-001, automatic movement, glazed back. Black dial with Arab numerals and date at 3 o'clock...

Patek Philippe Aquanaut wristwatch, men, provenance documents , ca. 1999, stainless steel, 33 x 36 mm / Men's Patek Philippe Aquanaut wristwatch, reference 5066a-001, automatic movement, glazed back. Black dial with Arab numerals and date at 3 o'clock. Original black rubber band and deployant type fastener.
The birth of the Aquanaut line is rooted in the economic and cultural climate of the late 90s.
The Aquanaut model was launched in 1997 by Patek Philippe as the first sport model fitted with a rubber band, called the ”tropical”. Initially, it was designed as a part of the Nautilus collection, hence many common elements between the two models.
The specimen presented in this auction was produced in 1999, the official launch year of the Aquanaut model. The watch is considered by many collectors to be the reediting of the initial model, having the same case shape and 36 mm size, with the same features: dial decorated in relief in the guilloché manner, "Tropical" rubber bracelet, 330sc gauge. The model's limited run and its creation process make this watch among the rarest and most coveted luxury items.
The watch is accompanied by the Patek Philippe archive excerpt.