While the Nautilus came out in 1976 — the Aquanaut followed in 1997 as Patek Philippe’s second sports watch.
Today, Patek Philippe announced two new Aquanaut Chronograph references, which marks the first time this model has been offered in 18K white gold 5968G. Available with either a midnight blue or khaki green dial, each Aquanaut is paired with a color-matched rubber strap with a checkerboard pattern that echoes the motif on the dial.
The dials are constructed from brass and the blue version is embossed and has a sunburst decoration and PVD coating with a blue to black shading (Ref. 5968G-001). The khaki green reference is embossed with the same pattern and is varnished in khaki green (Ref. 5968G-010). Applied 18K hour markers are surrounded by white transferred chapter ring for minutes and seconds.
Patek Philippe automatic caliber CH 28-520 C beats at 4Hz, has a free-sprung Gyromax® balance wheel and Spiromax® (in Silinvar®) balance spring. The movement measures 30 mm in diameter by 6.63 mm in thickness and consists of 308 total components, including 32 jewels. A center-mounted 21K unidirectional winding rotor automatically winds the watch to its maximum power reserve of 55-hours.
One of the nice features is that 60-minute chronograph counter at 6 o’clock, which has an arrow-shaped hand in white lacquered steel, which works in unison with the white lacquered steel arrow-shaped center-mounted chronograph center seconds hand. There’s no standard center or small seconds indication. Two center-mounted pencil-shaped hands — in white gold with luminous paint — display the hours and minutes, while the date is indicated in an aperture at 3 o’clock. There’s a rapid date corrector on the case flank at 8’c’clock that requires the included black wood and 18K white gold stylus tool (or a toothpick) to operate.
Flat pill-shaped pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock operate the chronograph, with the upper button handling start and stop functions, and the lower button controlling the reset to zero and flyback functions.
The 18K white gold case measures 42.2 mm in diameter by 50.1 mm lug-to-lug, with a thickness of just 11.9 mm, and the lug width is 22 mm. Water resistance is rated to 120 meters.
Retail is $69,194.
