Debuting in 1997, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut was released to engage with a newly minted clientele with money in their pocket during the stock market explosion. Released under the same premise as the Nautilus when it was released in 1976, the Aquanaut was a trendy watch that broke from traditional Patek Philippe aesthetic stylings. Featuring a first for Patek with its composite strap, the Aquanaut needed to be delicately launched. So it was first released as a limited-edition offering of 1000 pieces with the ref. 5060A. Thanks to its success, in 1998, the year following, Patek launched a slew of new variants of the Aquanaut, one of them being the ref. 4960A, which is what we have here. Featuring a smaller 29.5mm stainless steel case and a quartz movement, the ref. 4960A is aesthetically similar to its predecessor, but shrunken down to appeal to women as a stylish sports watch. Boasting the same dial design and case shape as its larger models, the ref. 4960A’s only distinguishable difference is its smaller size, which enabled women to embrace the watch and Patek’s efforts to embrace a new style of watch.

Watch is in very good overall condition. Case show some moderate surface wear, with scratches visible along the bezel and case sides. The crystal has some marks visible along the surface and edge. Original tritium dial and hands have aged to a nice yellow tone. Rubber strap fits a 6 3/4" wrist. The clasp has some surface scratches visible.

A maverick amongst Patek Philippe's rather conservatively styled timepieces, the Aquanaut youthened the brand's catalog with its composite strap, sleek aesthetic and robust Nautilus-inspired stainless steel construction.