Released in 1997, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5066 was the very first wristwatch from the manufacturer to be fitted with a rubber strap. Introduced as a limited edition of 1,000 pieces at first, it bears much inspiration from the Nautilus, the Aquanaut ref. 5066 is fitted with a similar, rounded-octagonal bezel with a finely executed 36mm diameter three-piece waterproof case. Powered by the in-house caliber 330 SC as used in the references’ earliest models, later examples like the present lot were fitted with sapphire casebacks to display the fine self-winding caliber featuring a solid gold rotor.

The present example from 2005 has an extraordinary and hardly ever seen caseback inscription on its outer rim – boldly engraved “Tiffany & Co.” Retailer signatures are usually found on dials, and in this instance may have been a special execution for this uncommon model. Research indicates there is one other similar caseback engraving example that appeared at auction, a World Time reference 5110P which was sold in 2010.

The present watch is in lovely original condition, and is a wonderful, stainless-steel sports watch with a contemporary feel. Accompanied by a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming its production in 2005, with its Tiffany-signed caseback, it’s an extraordinarily interesting example of a highly desirable Aquanaut model.