Patek Philippe Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph
It’s the year of rose gold for the Aquanaut. Patek has introduced a trio of new models for the Aquanaut, all in rose gold: an Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph , and for good measure, an Aquanaut with 48 diamonds on the bezel.
First up is the Aquanaut Chronograph 5968R to the collection. Here, the rose gold case measures 42.2mm by 11.9mm, and a composite brown strap matches the brown dial. The 5968R takes the familiar form of the Aquanaut chronograph and renders it in rose gold.
That means the 42mm case has 120 meters of water resistance, and the brown dial has a sunburst effect that ends in a black rim towards the dial’s edge. Through the sapphire caseback, you can see Patek’s self-winding flyback chronograph CH 28-520 C. It powers the central chronograph hand and the Aquanaut’s signature 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock. It’s a column wheel movement with a vertical disk clutch. MSRP is CHF 64,000.
Just a couple of millimeters smaller, Patek has added the new Aquanaut Luce reference 5261R. It’s an annual calendar – a complete day, date, and month calendar that needs just one manual correction (at the end of February).
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph rose gold case measure 39.9mm by 10.9mm in thickness, and it’ll come on the well-known Aquanaut composite strap in a blue-grey that matches the dial. Of note, Patek’s introducing a new movement in the 5261R, the 26-330 S QA LU. It’s based on the 26-330 S C Patek introduced in 2019 (and used in the last generation of the 5711 and this year’s 6007G release, among others). MSRP on the new Aquanaut Luce will be CHF 52,000.
Alongside the 5261R, Patek has added the 5268/200R to its Aquanaut lineup – a 38.8mm Aquanaut with 38 diamonds on the bezel. This one’ll set you back CHF 45,500. That means the 42mm case has 120 meters of water resistance, and the brown dial has a sunburst effect that ends in a black rim towards the dial’s edge.
Through the sapphire caseback, you can see Patek’s self-winding flyback chronograph CH 28-520 C. It powers the central chronograph hand and the Aquanaut’s signature 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock. It’s a column wheel movement with a vertical disk clutch. MSRP is CHF 64,000.
Since Patek launched the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Flyback Chronograph in steel in 2018 (as the 5968A), we could’ve assumed it’d make it’s way into rose gold, and probably in something that looked kind of like the 5968R we see her now. It’s got the brown dial we’ve seen in other rose gold Pateks (hello there, 5167R), and the matching brown strap is a delightful chocolate bar. It joins the steel 5968A and a pair of white gold 5968G models as Patek continues to fill out its collection of Aquanaut chronographs.
While we might’ve known something like the 5968R was coming eventually, I’m not sure many people expected the Aquanaut Luce, and I think that makes it even better. It’s in a 40mm Aquanaut case, which Patek refers to as its ladies’ line.
The last few years, Patek’s added the Travel Time 5269R and the “Rainbow” chronograph 5968R, and now Patek’s adding a sportier, non-gemset watch to its lineup of smaller Aquanauts. And I might just love it.
Patek only introduced the annual calendar in the 1990s as a practical (and cheaper) alternative to more complex calendars, so it’s a natural fit for a smaller Aquanaut. Instead of the brown seen in the chronograph, the dial is a soft blue-grey that’s a monotone across the entire dial. There’s a composite strap to match. Patek’s put the moonphase under 12 o’clock, and the month and day sit at 9 and 3 o’clock, respectively.
