Gold Souk, Deira
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Chronograph, reference 5968A-001

Patek Philippe

Aquanaut Chronograph

Ref. 5968A-001

On requestSourced to order

Message on WhatsApp
Case42.2mm steel
DialBlack embossed
MovementCH 28-520 C
ComplicationChronograph
StrapComposite

The Aquanaut is the Nautilus’s younger sibling of 1997, a rounded octagon on the Tropical composite strap that made Patek casual without making it common. It has grown from entry point to waiting list in a generation.

The 5968A adds chronograph pushers and a bold orange sweep hand to the Aquanaut's sporty DNA.

Fun fact: The Aquanaut arrived in 1997 for buyers who found the Nautilus too formal, with a tropical strap moulded to resist salt water and UV. The embossed dial pattern is meant to echo a ship's deck grating.

The reference in depth

The Aquanaut that took a chronograph

Why this one matters

The Aquanaut arrived in 1997 with ref 5060, a younger and less formal companion to the Nautilus: the same rounded octagonal bezel, and an embossed dial pattern picked up from the composite strap. For its first decade and a half the line stayed plain, time and date, until the Travel Time ref 5164A arrived in 2011.

The 5968A added a chronograph in 2018, the first in the line. At 42.2mm it matches the largest case an Aquanaut has worn, the 5168G Jumbo of 2017. The calibre was not new, since Patek had run the same chronograph in the Nautilus 5980 from 2006, but the orange accents and the black and orange composite straps gave the watch a character of its own. It replaced nothing, and the white gold 5968G-001 and 5968G-010 joined it in 2019 rather than replacing it.

The movement

The CH 28-520 C is Patek's own self-winding chronograph: column wheel control, vertical disc clutch, and a flyback that lets you reset and restart with one press while the watch is running. It turns at 4Hz on a Gyromax balance and Spiromax spring, winds through a 21k gold central rotor, and holds 45 to 55 hours. Timing is read on the central hand and a single 60 minute counter at 6, which keeps a large dial calm.

On the wrist

At 42.2mm across and 11.9mm thick, the case is large for the line, and the wide bezel makes it read bigger still. Patek catalogues the dial as sunburst charcoal grey with a black gradient rim, though in most light it simply reads black. The composite strap and folding clasp carry the weight without pressure points, so the watch wears flatter than the numbers suggest.

Questions we are asked about this reference

Can I swim with it?

Patek rates the 5968A at 30m, which covers rain and hand washing rather than the pool or the sea. Figures published elsewhere differ, so we confirm the rating against Patek's current spec sheet before advising on it. Either way it is built as a sports design rather than a water watch.

What does flyback mean in practice?

With the chronograph running, one press of the reset pusher zeroes and restarts it in a single action. It suits repeated timing, and it is easier on the mechanism than stopping, resetting and starting in three steps.

How does it compare with the Nautilus 5980?

They share the same chronograph calibre family. The 5980 is the dressier of the two on its bracelet; the 5968 is on a composite strap, larger, and less formal in the way it wears.

The collection

Aquanaut

Patek's 1997 sports watch, softer edged than the Nautilus and made for a strap

The Aquanaut made its debut in 1997 as the more casual companion to the Nautilus, keeping the rounded octagonal bezel but dropping the ears and usually sitting on a strap rather than a bracelet. The dial carries an embossed checkerboard pattern that runs on into the composite strap, which Patek describes as resistant to wear, salt water and UV radiation. Cases are steel, white gold or rose gold, worked in contrasting polished and satin finishes, with applied numerals and luminescent coating on most dials. Aquanaut Luce arrived in 2004 as the smaller, diamond set half of the family, and the complications now include travel time, a flyback chronograph, an annual calendar with moon phases and a minute repeater.

Sizes in the family

35.6mm to 42.2mm, with the main automatic references around 40mm

Who it suits

Suits a buyer who wants a Patek for daytime and warm weather, on a strap built to take sun and salt water.

See every Aquanaut we have

You may also like

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time (Black embossed Dial), reference 5164A, at Yousef Watch Patek PhilippeAquanaut Travel Time (Black embossed Dial)Ref. 5164A · On request Patek Philippe Nautilus (White Dial), reference 5980/1A-019, at Yousef Watch Patek PhilippeNautilus (White Dial)Ref. 5980/1A-019 · On request Patek Philippe Nautilus (Blue embossed Dial), reference 5711/1A-001, at Yousef Watch Patek PhilippeNautilus (Blue embossed Dial)Ref. 5711/1A-001 · On request Patek Philippe Nautilus, reference 5811/1G-001, at Yousef Watch Patek PhilippeNautilusRef. 5811/1G-001 · On request