AQUANAUT ADVANCED RESEARCH MODEL, REF. 5650G, CIRCA 2017

Few people have seen or are even aware of the existence of this exceptional Advanced Research Aquanaut, one of the great Patek Philippe modern sports watch rarities, the present watch is only the sixth example to be offered at auction in the five years since its launch.
Released in 2017, the sporty and elegant Aquanaut Travel Time reference 5650G is unlike all previous Patek Philippe Advanced Research models. Made in a limited edition of 500 pieces, its purpose is to showcase two important horological innovations - the new flexible mechanism used to set the second time zone that operates without conventional pivots and the ‘Spiromax’ balance spring made of ‘Silinvar’. This Aquanaut Travel Time reference 5056G is the first wristwatch to feature both these important state-of-the-art technical advances. The steel flexible mechanism for adjusting the GMT hand forwards or backwards, called “compliant” by Patek Philippe, uses a frictionless and lubrication-free system of integral leaf springs that are reduces the number of components needed compared to Patek’s traditional GMT mechanism from 37 to 12. With the use of the revolutionary Silinvar Spiromax spring (updated with a new inner terminal curve for 2017), Patek Philippe has ventured one step closer to perfection - the spring is isochronous regardless of temperature, movement orientation or magnetic presence and provides an exceptional rate of -1/+2 seconds maximum daily rate deviation.