Patek Philippe Aquanaut on Bracelet 5167/1A-001
Debuting in 1997, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut was released to engage with a new kind of clientele - a younger, sportier and trendier watch collector that was newly minted on the back of the dot.com stock market explosion. Released under the same premise as the Nautilus when it was released in 1976 – a trendy watch for a new clientele, the Aquanaut raised suspicions from Patek’s traditional collectors with its position as the first Patek to feature a rubber strap – something collectors saw as a cheap design option at the time. With the ref. 5167A's integrated black rubber strap and black embossed dial, this Aquanaut variant is a smart and trendy option for the collector who wants their timepiece to fly under the radar while still packing a hefty punch of horological history and an iconic design that has since become one of Patek Philippe’s most emblematic offerings. The ref. 5167's sleek black dial features an engraved crosshatch pattern that, when combined with its applied Arabic numerals, gives the Aquanaut a militaristic and rugged appearance. This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information. Thanks to its wonderful automatic movement, the cal. 324 S C, the ref. 5167A is able to come in at just 8.1mm thick and so wears close to the wrist. However, with its rare stainless steel bracelet this example also sports a certain heft on the wrist that its rubber-strapped counterparts can't replicate.