THE CELEBRITY favorite Patek Philippe Aquanaut (the two living members of the Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, have been photographed wearing them) is getting a retouch.
Last week, Patek Philippe unveiled the retouched Aquanaut and its made-up sister, the Aquanaut Luce. Both are based on the 1976 Nautilus (also a celebrity favorite — Victoria Beckham and Robert Downey, Jr. have been spotted with models from the family). The 1976 Nautilus became the basis for the 1997 Aquanaut, which is, “the first sports model designed by the manufacture,” said the brand during a May 27 press conference introducing the models.
The brand — known for its long history starting in 1839, as well as creating the first modern wristwatch (commissioned by a Hungarian countess) — created the 1997 Nautilus in a move to attract new and younger customers. In turn, the Aquanaut Luce was designed for a younger woman in mind in 2004, featuring a diamond-encrusted bezel.
The dressed-up Aquanaut Luce is reintroduced as a new generation of quartz-powered models in steel and a self-winding model in rose gold that together will take over from the previous models.
Patek Philippe is giving fresh allure to this flagship model of modern sporty chic by endowing it with an enlarged diameter of 38.8 mm (from a previous 35.6 mm) and an integrated strap whose contours follow the curvature of the case and the lugs. From now on a new, larger case and an integrated strap will equip every Aquanaut Luce (except the Haute Joaillerie models).
The new Aquanaut Luce Reference 5267/200A comes with matching dial and strap in a choice of three colors: black, matte white, and khaki green. It will come with white-gold applied Arabic numerals and white-gold baton-style hands with luminescent coating; but the matte white model will come with black numerals. The steel case is adorned with a polished finish on the flat surfaces and a satin-brushed finish on the flanks. Water-resistant to 120 meters, notably thanks to its screw-down crown, it houses a Patek Philippe caliber E 23-250 S C quartz movement. The bezel has polished beveled edges and is lit by a circle of 48 round-cut Top Wesselton Pure diamonds. The integrated strap, made of an ultra-resistant composite material, features a patented fold-over clasp secured by four independent catches.
The new Aquanaut Luce References 5267/200A replace all the previous Reference 5067 models — meaning you’ll have to stock up on the 5067, which will soon become a coveted collector’s item.
Another model from the Aquanaut Luce family (5268/200R-001) sees a rose-gold model with a chocolate brown dial and strap (first seen in 2010). Its new version will also be enlarged to 38.8mm in diameter from a previous 35.66mm. The rose-gold case, water-resistant to 120 meters, contrasts the polished finish on its flat surfaces with a satin-brushed finish on the flanks. The rounded octagonal bezel has a polished beveled edge and sparkles with 48 Top Wesselton Pure diamonds. A dial in matte white with the embossed Aquanaut motif forms a backdrop to rose-gold applied Arabic numerals and rose-gold baton-style hour and minute hands with a luminescent coating. A slender rose-gilt sweep-seconds hand completes the time display, while the date appears in an aperture at 3 o’clock.
This piece is powered by the caliber 26-330 S C self-winding movement. This one has the presence of a stop-seconds device, which stops the balance when the crown is pulled out, and thus enables the user to set the time to the second. A sapphire-crystal back reveals the movement’s architecture and flawless hand-finish. The watch is worn on an integrated matt-white strap made of an ultra-resistant composite material with a patented fold-over clasp secured by four independent catches.
The new Aquanaut Luce Reference 5268/200R-001 replaces the two previous 5068 references in the collection. — JL Garcia