interested in getting a PP but have zero knowledge.

[rolex12345]

Hi, been thinking of getting my hand on the Aquanaut but I do not know anything about this brand. is this model a basic entry or? I think the watch with rubber strap looks casual. price wise? a first hand will fetch 60k? thats what i saw in carousell. haha

[Oceanklassik]

Hi, been thinking of getting my hand on the Aquanaut but I do not know anything about this brand. is this model a basic entry or? I think the watch with rubber strap looks casual. price wise? a first hand will fetch 60k? thats what i saw in carousell. haha

I'm surprised you did not know but it is ok. We start somewhere, somehow. Aquanaut is a model name. The brand that it is related to is Patek Philippe ('pee-pee' in short). This is pee-pee's entry level 'sports' model and although it's only made in stainless steel, it's almost selling triple it's retail price of TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS in the grey market.

I'm also not very au fait with this model and hearsay only. Let the more experienced and knowledgeable ones enlighten us...

[rolex12345]

triple the price? means it's gonna be like daytona? can only view from catalog? lol

[Oceanklassik]

triple the price? means it's gonna be like daytona? can only view from catalog? lol

Pardon my lack of knowledge. I think it's about double the retail price for now. You want to view it physically can only be done at some of the grey dealer watch shops I think, and only when they have stock. With the boutiques and ADs, it's highly unlikely they have any for viewing.

[patryklau]

Like Rolex sports models, Patek Philippe's sports watches, namely the Nautilus and the Aquanaut are in high demand and next to impossible to get from an AD without any prior purchasing history. And just like Rolexes, this deficit between supply and demand has seen prices of these two lines skyrocket (Nautilus more so than the Aquanaut).

But since you're interested in the Aquanaut, I'll give you whatever information that I know (not claiming to be an expert though). The design of the Aquanaut was inspired by the much older Nautilus line and the first models came out in 1997. They are the first ever Pateks that came with a rubber strap, giving it an even sportier look vs its older brother. The more recent references from 2007 onwards (starting with the ref 5165a which I recently acquired) transitioned to an 'integrated' sports strap which looks better IMO. Many call it a beginner Patek piece (if you can call any Pateks 'beginner' :/), but I think it has enough personality to stand out in the crowd. The rubber strap is very comfortable on the wrist and the thin profile of the watch makes it perfect for daily wear. Granted, the rubber strap gives it a casual look, I still think it's very handsome on the wrist and I wear it to the office almost every day.

Now on price, if you're looking at a basic time-only Aquanaut in stainless steel (ref 5167a), on the resale market, you'll be looking at anywhere between mid/high 30k to high 40k depending on the age and condition. 50k range you're looking at the yellow gold version (5167r) and 60k and beyond will be the very popular white gold with blue face and rubber strap variant (5168g) and those references with added complications.

Regardless of what model you go for, I would recommend that you get it as a full set with the wooden box and papers (Certificate of Origin preferably). If the COO happens to be lost (Patek will only ever print one COO per watch), the second best thing would be an 'Extract from the Archives' which is provided directly by Patek on request. These will help to determine the authenticity of the watch, and if all else fails, you can always visit the local service center at Wheelock, but I'm unsure if they provide any authentication services.

Last note about the rubber strap - unless you manage to get a BNIB set with the strap uncut, most likely the previous owner(s) would have cut and sized the strap to their wrist. Sizing the strap entails CUTTING the rubber strap, hence it's a destructive process. So if you're not lucky and the previous owner has wrists smaller than yours, you would need to buy a new rubber strap which is around $300 from the service center. The service center staff can resize the strap for you, but since they know the process is destructive, they get really scared to cut it to a perfect fit for your wrist - so what they'll do is leave it longer than required so that they can avoid any blame in case the strap wears too tight. But if you insist, I'm sure they'll oblige you (at your own risk of course). But if you happen to be doing the resizing yourself, just be mindful to do it step by step, always re-wearing the watch to check the fit before cutting more of the rubber off. There are a few videos online that show you how to do it and ways to stagger the lengths of the different straps to get a perfectly centered fit on the wrist - I suggest referring to them before you start adjusting the strap.

Good luck!

[rolex12345]

thank you very much for the appreciated reply!!! this really help alot !!!!

[Shibanban]

Like Rolex sports models, Patek Philippe's sports watches, namely the Nautilus and the Aquanaut are in high demand and next to impossible to get from an AD without any prior purchasing history. And just like Rolexes, this deficit between supply and demand has seen prices of these two lines skyrocket (Nautilus more so than the Aquanaut).

But since you're interested in the Aquanaut, I'll give you whatever information that I know (not claiming to be an expert though). The design of the Aquanaut was inspired by the much older Nautilus line and the first models came out in 1997. They are the first ever Pateks that came with a rubber strap, giving it an even sportier look vs its older brother. The more recent references from 2007 onwards (starting with the ref 5165a which I recently acquired) transitioned to an 'integrated' sports strap which looks better IMO. Many call it a beginner Patek piece (if you can call any Pateks 'beginner' :/), but I think it has enough personality to stand out in the crowd. The rubber strap is very comfortable on the wrist and the thin profile of the watch makes it perfect for daily wear. Granted, the rubber strap gives it a casual look, I still think it's very handsome on the wrist and I wear it to the office almost every day.

Now on price, if you're looking at a basic time-only Aquanaut in stainless steel (ref 5167a), on the resale market, you'll be looking at anywhere between mid/high 30k to high 40k depending on the age and condition. 50k range you're looking at the yellow gold version (5167r) and 60k and beyond will be the very popular white gold with blue face and rubber strap variant (5168g) and those references with added complications.

Regardless of what model you go for, I would recommend that you get it as a full set with the wooden box and papers (Certificate of Origin preferably). If the COO happens to be lost (Patek will only ever print one COO per watch), the second best thing would be an 'Extract from the Archives' which is provided directly by Patek on request. These will help to determine the authenticity of the watch, and if all else fails, you can always visit the local service center at Wheelock, but I'm unsure if they provide any authentication services.

Last note about the rubber strap - unless you manage to get a BNIB set with the strap uncut, most likely the previous owner(s) would have cut and sized the strap to their wrist. Sizing the strap entails CUTTING the rubber strap, hence it's a destructive process. So if you're not lucky and the previous owner has wrists smaller than yours, you would need to buy a new rubber strap which is around $300 from the service center. The service center staff can resize the strap for you, but since they know the process is destructive, they get really scared to cut it to a perfect fit for your wrist - so what they'll do is leave it longer than required so that they can avoid any blame in case the strap wears too tight. But if you insist, I'm sure they'll oblige you (at your own risk of course). But if you happen to be doing the resizing yourself, just be mindful to do it step by step, always re-wearing the watch to check the fit before cutting more of the rubber off. There are a few videos online that show you how to do it and ways to stagger the lengths of the different straps to get a perfectly centered fit on the wrist - I suggest referring to them before you start adjusting the strap.

Good luck!

very useful info, thank u for sharing

[rolex12345]

just went to Cortina to put 'wish list', no harm doing that since no deposit is needed and just go with the flow even when he say maybe 4-5 yrs waiting time.. haha..