What Sealed The Deal – Andrio’s Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5167A-001

Andrew McUtchen

We were the stars of the show at the first ever Time+Tide event in Brisbane a few weeks back. That is, until Andrio turned up with his Patek Philippe Aquanaut. This watch has a way of winning the day, whenever it gets revealed from under a cuff.  

I started my watch collections with Panerai. Big watches. I had 24 Panerais at one point in my life. Then I had a mass consolidation, and realised I was more around 40, a smaller size.

When I tried on the Aquanaut it sat really well. It’s really well done. At certain angles, the dial gives you a different effect. It could be a matt black. It could be a silvery effect. It’s quite nice. I also had the Ref. 5065 in the past which is the predecessor of this, but the size of this one is quite perfect. The rubber strap is a big part of why I love it. You can wear it every day. Go to the beach. Overall it’s an excellent everyday watch.

The clasp is another great thing. I like watches with clasps, they just feel safer and more secure. When I picked it up, I had a choice of this or a 5164, Dual Time. But the case was a bit thick for me. I decided to go with this one. I was also offered the reference 5980. I said no. That’s the one that got away! Again the size, I found it too thick. But if I do get it, it’s purely for collection. The price point is now very high.

I wear the Aquanaut during the weekend obviously, but I find I’m wearing it more and more. Not enough, though. It never feels enough! I really think I could wear this watch every single day. It’s a simple watch, but it’s all I need.