Patek Philippe still makes the Aquanaut, but a steel one is very hard to buy new. Authorised retailers offer their small allocation to clients with years of purchase history, so a first-time buyer rarely gets one at the list price of about US$27,300 for the 5167A. The realistic routes are to build that relationship over time, to buy pre-owned at roughly two to three times list, or to have a specialist source the watch for you.
This guide covers what is in the collection today, why the steel models are so scarce, each of the three routes and what the main references cost in October 2026.
Does Patek Philippe still make the Aquanaut?
Yes. The Aquanaut has been a Patek Philippe collection since 1997, when the first reference, the 5060A, appeared: a steel case with the rounded octagonal bezel of the Nautilus, an embossed dial and a strap in a new “tropical” composite that resists salt water and sunlight. The current models keep that recipe.
The collection Patek Philippe lists in October 2026:
- Aquanaut 5167A, the steel time-and-date model on the black composite strap: 40.8 mm across, 8.1 mm thick, self-winding calibre 26-330 S C. Patek Philippe rates it water-resistant to 30 metres. There is also a rose-gold version, the 5167R.
- Aquanaut 5168G, the larger 42.2 mm white-gold model, with a blue or khaki-green dial.
- Aquanaut Chronograph 5968, a flyback chronograph in steel (5968A), white gold (5968G) and rose gold (5968R).
- Aquanaut Travel Time 5164, with local and home time, now in white gold (5164G) and rose gold (5164R).
- Aquanaut Annual Calendar 5261R, with moon phases, in rose gold.
- Aquanaut Luce, the smaller and often gem-set line, including the steel 5267/200A and the rose-gold Travel Time 5269R.
Two steel favourites have left the catalogue. The 5167/1A, the 5167 on a steel bracelet, was discontinued in 2025, and the steel Travel Time 5164A in 2024. Both are now found only pre-owned.
How hard is it to get a Patek Aquanaut at retail?
For a steel Aquanaut, and for a new client, very hard. Patek Philippe makes far fewer steel sports watches than people ask for, and each authorised retailer receives only a few. Retailers keep a list of interested clients rather than a first-come queue, and they choose who to offer each watch to, almost always someone who has bought from them before, often several pieces across the brand.
That is why “how long does it take to get a Patek Aquanaut” has no fixed answer, and why many collectors buy Patek Philippe without a waiting list on the private market instead. Buyers commonly report waits of several years for a steel 5167A or 5968A, and some are never offered one. The gold references and the Aquanaut Luce go through the same allocation; even the small steel Luce trades at about three times its list price.
If you want to try the retail route:
- Choose one retailer and stay with it. Allocation follows the relationship, so spreading enquiries across several boutiques rarely helps.
- Buy what you would buy anyway. A Calatrava, a Complications piece or jewellery from the same retailer builds history. Buying watches you do not want, to unlock one you do, is expensive and still not a promise.
- Be clear that you will wear it. Retailers avoid clients they think will resell, and some ask buyers not to sell within a set period.
How to buy an Aquanaut without the wait
Pre-owned and unworn watches
The secondary market is where most Aquanauts change hands. Large pre-owned dealers, specialist retailers and the auction houses, Phillips and Sotheby’s among them, all sell them, and an unworn piece with a recent date on its certificate is usually available if you accept the premium.
What to check before you pay:
- Papers. The Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin should carry the same movement and case numbers as the watch.
- The strap and clasp. The composite strap wears and is often replaced; a genuine Patek strap and the original fold-over clasp matter to value.
- Service history. A service at Patek Philippe itself, with the paperwork, is worth more than an unrecorded one.
- The seller. Buy from someone who will stand behind the watch, and agree the return terms before you transfer money.
Through a sourcing specialist
The third route is to have someone find the watch for you. Through our watch sourcing service, you tell us the reference, the dial and the condition you want; we look across private collectors, dealers and our own network, and come back with a specific watch. Its condition, papers and price are set out in writing before you decide, and it suits discontinued references such as the 5167/1A as well as current ones. Our guide to luxury watch sourcing explains how a search runs from start to finish.
How much does a Patek Philippe Aquanaut cost?
US list prices against pre-owned prices in October 2026, rounded:
| Reference | US list price | Pre-owned, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5167A, steel | about $27,300 | about $62,000–70,000 |
| 5167/1A, steel bracelet | discontinued 2025 | from about $72,000 |
| 5267/200A Luce, steel | about $24,600 | about $75,000–86,000 |
| 5168G, white gold | about $57,900 | about $93,000 |
| 5968A chronograph, steel | about $61,800 | about $136,000–165,000 |
| 5164A Travel Time, steel | discontinued 2024 | about $105,000–113,000 |
List prices differ by country; in Switzerland the 5167A is CHF 21,800. Pre-owned figures move with condition, papers and demand, and the high end of each range is usually an asking price for an unworn watch. Sources: Patek Philippe, WatchCharts and Wristcheck, October 2026.
Which Aquanaut should you buy?
- For one watch to wear every day: the 5167A. It is thin, light on the strap and the reference most people mean by “an Aquanaut”.
- For a larger wrist or a quieter metal: the 5168G in white gold, at 42.2 mm.
- For a complication: the 5968A flyback chronograph, or the 5164G Travel Time if you cross time zones often.
- For a bracelet: look at the Nautilus instead. The steel Nautilus 5711/1A-014 with its olive-green dial, the Nautilus 5990/1A Travel Time Chronograph and its rose-gold twin the 5990/1R, and the rose-gold Nautilus 5980/1R chronograph are the references clients ask us for most. The full range is in our Patek Philippe collections guide.
Paying for an Aquanaut
Bank transfer in any major currency; crypto also accepted. If you would like to settle in Bitcoin or a stablecoin, how to buy a Patek Philippe with Bitcoin explains how the price, the network and the timing are agreed before anything is sent.