One & Done: Chapter Fifteen - Patek Philippe

Foreword

Welcome and welcome back! If you're new here, I'm exploring the 20 best-selling watch brands of 2022 (as seen on GQ Australia) and answering the question: If I could only have one watch from this brand FOREVER, which would I pick?

Today we are looking at Patek Philippe, but if you want to see my previous article where I covered Richard Mille, follow #defsoneanddone or click the link here!

#6: Patek Philippe – Aquanaut

The watch world has forever been enamoured by the so-called ‘holy trinity’ of horology – the three brands that exemplify themselves in terms of experience through heritage, detail in design and unforgivingly precise craftsmanship and engineering. Arguably the most celebrated of this mythical triumvirate is none other than Patek Philippe, who has remained at the top of the mountain in terms of watchmaking reputation.

Of course, it is challenging to mention Patek without also mentioning the Nautilus, which is objectively the brand’s most astronomical success to date, but personally, it’s incredibly difficult for me to get behind.

It’s an absolute icon, for sure, but it confuses me on a level that’s difficult for me to comprehend. It just doesn’t seem to conform to a solid genre of design – which may add to its beauty for some, but the rounded yet geometric nature of the Nautilus, while iconic, feels like a product of its time.

And seriously, I am not that wild for the Nautilus ‘ears.’ It just seems unnecessary. As I said before, though, iconic – though being the first to do something doesn’t necessarily make it good. For example - no one seems to be proud of having a disease named after themselves.

In 1997, Patek Philippe seemed to share this sentiment. They needed a hip, new timepiece to appeal to the younger crowd whilst retaining semblance of their heritage and established position – they needed ‘just the right amount of goofy.’ And with the release of the Aquanaut, they got just that. Playing second fiddle to the well-established Nautilus is no easy feat, but this cool little brother had a few tricks of their own.

I am a little brother myself, and I think I’m pretty cool. Or is that just the Little Brother Syndrome talking?

The 40mm wide, 8mm thick Aquanaut did away with much of the confusing geometry of the original (I’m looking at you, Nautilus ears) whilst keeping the rounded octagonal case available in both stainless steel and precious metals. However, it did end up trading away the straight lines on the dial for an embossed, gridded design, which to me almost resembles a chocolate bar.

Continuing this design trend is the similarly embossed tropical strap, where in my opinion the Aquanaut truly begins to shine. Taking a page from the Book of Hublot, Patek made the groundbreaking decision to adorn the Aquanaut with a rubber strap, shying away from the safer, luxurious preconceptions of metal and leather.

How does it make you feel? Patek Philippe stole an idea that Hublot invented! It’s settled, then: Hublot > Patek Philippe - end of discussion.

Though panned as a terrible idea at first, it lent the Aquanaut a unique character and aesthetic – a luxury sports watch built for the rigours of everyday use. And it was built for everyday use – the rubber strap, made of a new composite, is ultra-resistant to wear. Be it long walks on the beach or wine-laden tuxedo dinners, the rubber strap, solid build and 120m of water resistance meant that this modern upstart could take on virtually anything.

So while the Nautilus will always hold the spotlight for the Patek Philipp-inos out there, it still remains a highly unconventional design that feels like an icon from a less relevant era. However, in the shadow of the 90s counter-culture, the Aquanaut establishes itself as a modern-day timepiece that is both youthful and versatile, keeping the spirit of the Nautilus whilst keeping with the times.

Took me a while to post this one because, to be honest, it's not as good as my RM one. But we all gotta practice somehow! Next up is Longines!