PATEK PHILIPPE AQUANAUT TRAVEL TIME 5164A (DISCONTINUED) 26 330 SC

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A — what was lost in February 2024

One of the most influential Patek Philippe sport watches of the 21st century vanished from the brand’s website in February 2024. The 5164A — the stainless steel Aquanaut Travel Time introduced in 2011 — was discontinued after 13 years of production, replaced at Watches & Wonders 2024 by the 5164G in white gold. The steel Travel Time Aquanaut is gone. After 13 years on the market, the Aquanaut Travel Time in stainless steel was discontinued and replaced with the white gold version featuring a blue-gray opaline dial — the 5164G.

The 5164A had a cultural cache that counted scores of legendary watch collectors among its ownership ranks. It was the accessible — relatively speaking — steel sports complication from Patek Philippe: the watch that combined the casual Aquanaut identity with a genuinely useful dual time zone function, in a steel case that could be worn in the water, in a meeting, and everywhere between. The door to a steel Travel Time Aquanaut is now permanently closed.

This 2022 example was originally sold by an Australian Patek Philippe boutique — it is local Australian stock from an authorised channel, not a parallel import.

Four end-of-line collector details — why this configuration specifically

The 5164A was produced across multiple generations between 2011 and 2024. Not every 5164A is equal to a collector who understands what changed during that production run. This 2022 example carries four specific end-of-line details that define the final and most desirable configuration of the reference:

i. Calibre 26-330 SC FUS — with hacking seconds

The latest generation 5164A examples are equipped with the Calibre 26-330 SC FUS, launched in 2019 as an update to the original 324 SC FUS. The 26-330 introduces a Spiromax silicon balance spring and Gyromax balance — the same technology found in Patek’s top complications — and critically, adds hacking seconds: the ability to stop the sweep seconds hand by pulling the crown, enabling precise time-setting to the second.

The original Calibre 324 SC FUS did not hack. This is the detail collectors refer to when they say a 5164A is a “new movement” piece. A 2022 5164A with the 26-330 is the movement update that Patek introduced mid-production and which separates late examples from early ones. For a buyer who intends to synchronise their watch to the second — or who simply recognises what the Spiromax silicon hairspring adds in terms of magnetic resistance — the 26-330 is the correct specification.

ii. Discontinued in steel — no replacement

While many Patek fans mourned the discontinuation of the 5164A in stainless steel earlier this year, the new white gold reference — a first for this model — fills its place. The 5164A in steel is gone, and will likely not return. The dual time zone Travel Time Aquanaut is now made only in white gold (5164G) and rose gold (5164R). For buyers who want the steel configuration — the lighter, more casual, water-resistant, sport-appropriate form — the secondary market is the only option, and the supply of late-production examples like this 2022 piece is finite and diminishing.

iii. New-style deployant clasp with Patek Philippe logo

The new-style Aquanaut deployant clasp — featuring the Patek Philippe logo engraved on the inner face — was introduced in the final production years of the 5164A. Earlier 5164A examples carry the older clasp without the logo engraving. The new clasp is a collector-noted end-of-line detail: a refinement that Patek applied to the final generation before discontinuation, and that distinguishes a late example from earlier production. This 2022 example carries the new-style clasp.

iv. Factory stickers on the clasp — preserved from new

Factory stickers remain on the clasp of this example. This is the most immediate and hardest-to-fake proof of a genuinely like-new watch: the clasp stickers are the first item to be removed in daily wear and are absent from the overwhelming majority of secondary market Aquanauts.

The watch — full specification

• Reference: 5164A-001
• Year: 2022
• Production status: Discontinued February 2024 — replaced by 5164G in white gold
• Provenance: Australian boutique stock, originally sold through a Patek Philippe authorised boutique in Australia
• Case: 40.8mm × 10.2mm, stainless steel, brushed and polished, screw-down crown, sapphire exhibition caseback
• Bezel: Stainless steel, rounded octagonal — the Aquanaut signature
• Dial: Black embossed composite pattern, gold applied Arabic numerals, luminescent hour markers; local hour, minute, and sweep seconds hands; skeletal local hour hand indicates second time zone; day/night apertures for local and home time; date at 6 o’clock (local time)
• Travel Time function: Second time zone (home time) displayed via skeletonised hour hand; pushers on left of case to advance or retard local hour hand in one-hour increments without stopping the movement
• Crystal: Sapphire front and exhibition sapphire caseback; 22k gold rotor visible through caseback
• Water resistance: 120m / 12 bar
• Strap: Black composite rubber, embossed Aquanaut pattern — matching dial texture
• Clasp: New-style Patek Philippe deployant fold-over clasp with Patek logo — factory stickers intact
• Movement: Calibre 26-330 SC FUS — self-winding, 29 jewels, Spiromax silicon balance spring, Gyromax balance, hacking seconds
• Power reserve: 35–45 hours
• Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
• Certification: Patek Philippe Seal — stricter than COSC, applied to the complete cased watch
• Condition: Mint, unpolished, factory-finish surfaces throughout
• Set: Full — Patek Philippe presentation box, inner box, papers, serial hang tag, documentation

Condition

Mint and unpolished. The steel case and bezel retain the original factory finishing. The new-style deployant clasp carries factory stickers. The serial hang tag is intact. This is a late-production 5164A in the finest form available on the secondary market.

The Aquanaut Travel Time complication — how it works

The Travel Time function allows the wearer to track two time zones simultaneously. The local time is displayed by the central hour and minute hands in the conventional manner. The home time is indicated by a separate skeletal (open-worked) hour hand on the same dial — visible through the local time hand rather than on a subdial — allowing both zones to be read at a glance. Two pusher crowns on the left side of the case advance and retard the local hour hand in one-hour increments, without stopping the movement or affecting the home time. Two apertures at 12 o’clock display AM/PM for each time zone independently. The date at 6 o’clock tracks local time.

This is a genuinely practical dual-time complication — not a 24-hour disc read against a bezel, but two independent, simultaneously legible hour hands on the same dial — and it is implemented with the clarity and dial balance that Patek Philippe brings to every complication.

Buying from Calibre24

Calibre24 is a Perth-based dealer specialising in pre-owned Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Richard Mille. Every piece is authenticated in-house before listing. This 5164A-001 ships fully insured to any address in Australia. Viewings by appointment in Perth. Trade-in and consignment available.

All photos are from the actual watch for sale and form part of the description and condition disclosure. We capture and showcase high resolution photos to indicate the true condition of the watch and will be very happy to provide additional photos and/or video to our customers. The watch serial number and/or certificate date are redacted from the photos, as applicable, due to security and privacy reasons. These serials and dates, obviously, remain intact and untouched on the actual timepiece and the paperwork.

FAQs

Is this Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A available in Australia? Yes. This 2022 Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A-001 is held in Australian local stock in Perth by Calibre24 — originally sold by a Patek Philippe authorised boutique in Australia. It ships fully insured across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide. Viewings by appointment in Perth.

Why was the Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5164A discontinued? Patek Philippe discontinued the 5164A in stainless steel in February 2024, removing it from the Patek website without advance notice — as is Patek’s custom. The steel Travel Time Aquanaut was replaced at Watches & Wonders 2024 by the 5164G, the first white gold version of the Travel Time Aquanaut, with a blue-gray opaline dial. The 5164A had been produced since 2011 — 13 years — making it one of the longest-running references in the modern Patek Philippe catalogue. The steel configuration will not return. Travel Time Aquanauts are now produced only in rose gold (5164R) and white gold (5164G).

What is the difference between the Calibre 324 SC FUS and the Calibre 26-330 SC FUS in the Patek Aquanaut 5164A? The original 5164A examples used the Calibre 324 SC FUS. From 2019 onward, Patek updated the movement to the Calibre 26-330 SC FUS. The 26-330 introduced two meaningful improvements: a Spiromax silicon balance spring — the same non-magnetic, thermally stable silicon hairspring used in Patek’s top grand complications — and hacking seconds, meaning the sweep seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled, allowing precise time-setting to the second. The earlier 324 SC FUS does not hack. A 2022 5164A carries the 26-330, which is the correct movement for the final and most refined production of this reference.

What is the new-style clasp on the Patek Philippe 5164A and why does it matter? In the final production years of the 5164A, Patek Philippe updated the Aquanaut deployant fold-over clasp to include the Patek Philippe logo engraved on the inner face — the new-style clasp. Earlier 5164A examples carry the older clasp without this logo detail. The new-style clasp is an end-of-line refinement applied to the final generation of the steel 5164A, and its presence on a 2022 example confirms late production. For collectors tracking the production evolution of the reference, this is one of the key distinguishing details of a final-generation piece.

What is the Aquanaut Travel Time complication in the Patek 5164A? The Travel Time function displays two time zones on a single dial using two independent hour hands. Local time is shown by the standard hour and minute hands. Home time is shown by a separate open-worked (skeletal) hour hand, reading against the same dial without requiring a subdial. Two pushers on the left case allow the local hour hand to be advanced or retarded in one-hour increments without stopping the movement. Two apertures at 12 o’clock display AM/PM indicators for each time zone independently. The date at 6 o’clock tracks local time. This is a practical, intuitive dual-time implementation — one of the more user-friendly travel complications in high watchmaking.

What does “Australian boutique stock” mean for this 5164A? This 5164A-001 was originally sold by an authorised Patek Philippe boutique in Australia — it is not a parallel import and not a foreign purchase resold in Australia. Australian boutique stock carries the Patek Philippe international warranty as issued in Australia, and confirms the watch entered the local market through the correct authorised channel. For buyers who are concerned about provenance, warranty status, and import chain, this is the clearest possible confirmation.

What replaced the Patek Philippe 5164A? The 5164A in stainless steel was replaced by the 5164G-001 in 18k white gold, introduced at Watches & Wonders 2024. The 5164G has a blue-gray opaline dial. The Calibre 26-330 SC FUS movement carries over. There is no steel successor — for buyers who specifically want the stainless steel Travel Time Aquanaut, the secondary market is now the only source.

Does this Patek Philippe Aquanaut come with box and papers? Yes — complete full set with original Patek Philippe presentation box, inner box, papers, and documentation. Serial hang tag intact.

Can I sell or trade in my Patek Philippe? Yes. Calibre24 buys and takes consignment on Patek Philippe and other high-end references. Contact us for a current valuation.