This one-of-a-handful 'Plum Dial' 5065's is one of the most sought-after Aquanauts ever made. This ref. 5065 is one of a set of four special order Aquanauts with colourful dials. The 'Plum" (Also referred got as "Prune dial") is arguably the most enhancing. Only a handful of this variation are known to exist, all with serial numbers that are extremely close to one another. The first time one entered the market, in 2020, Phillips smashed the auction record for a steel aquanaut. (apart from the Prototype that sold a year earlier). This example was sold the subsequent year by Antiquorum; solidifying the value and emphasising the strong demand for special neo-vintage executions. Furthermore, a blue variant has been auctioned by Phillips as well and John Mayer is known to possess a green version. This piece features the iconic embossed dial executed in a lovely burgundy color with painted Super Luminova hour markers, as well as 18k white gold applied Arabic indices. The ref. 5065 features a date window on the edge of the dial at the 3 o’clock position and a straight end rubber strap -with matching colours- especially made for this watch. This ultra-rare grail piece is in amazing condition and comes with an Extract of the Patek Philippe archives confirming the special colour dial and the year it was released. According to the article by 'A Collected Man' it was an order from a North-American client. But why is the Aquanaut -by itself- so groundbreaking? The 1990s saw the arrival of smart-casual and business-casual clothing in the workplace. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut—which drew inspiration from the smaller ref. 3800 Nautilus—was launched in 1997 as the quintessential watch for this era: it was suitable for diving and other sporty activities but could be worn equally well in the boardroom. The Aquanaut bears a striking resemblance to the Nautilus with its porthole-inspired octagonal bezel and with alternating satin-brushed and polished finishes. Nevertheless, it has a uniquely sporty look thanks to the rubber strap and the matching embossed dial. The very first Aquanaut, the ref. 5060 was introduced in 1997, still under the "Nautilus" moniker. Its successor; the 5065 'Jumbo', with its 38 mm sized stainless steel case followed just one year later in 1998.
- extrasExtract From The Archives
- year2005
- reference5065
- modelAquanaut
