Patek Philippe Aquanuat Ref. 5065J - 'Jumbo' Tritium Dial

The first Aquanaut was officially launched in 1997 and paid tribute to its older brother, the Nautilus, by way of its overall sporting appearance, and its bezel shape — and thats about it. Gone were the porthole-style 'ears' and in with more traditional lugs — allowing for a more conventional (and versatile) wearing experience.

Being the 1990s, many of the first References utilized Tritium on their dials for a number of years, extending into the early 2000s, and they are already and will continue to age beautifully in the years to come. Neo-vintage charm at its finest!

The piece that we have here, a Reference 5065J, is a 38mm yellow gold example that comes to us in very strong, seemingly unpolished condition, showing signs of honest wear from age and use with just a few small blemishes present. Inside, this piece retains its desirable Tritium 'hobnail' pattern dial with and its Tritium handset and it remains in seemingly flawless condition and is as attractive as ever. The indices have evenly patinated to an attractive tan color and the dial itself plays with the light, shifting color depending on its environment. It has a signed screw-down yellow gold crown and comes fitted to its black 'hobnail'-patterned rubber strap with its correct yellow gold signed deployant clasp. 

This reference is a favorite for a few of us over here at HQ, and we think, a perfect 'elevated' daily driver that can be worn by virtually anyone and on a wide variety of straps.