Straying from their familiar luxurious and expensive price range, Patek Philippe has just revealed their Patek Phillippe Aquanaut Jumbo White Gold 5168G at Baselworld 2019. The piece plays a pleasant homage to the Aquanaut Ref. 5060A, which was revealed at Baselworld 1997. This Aquanaut was a sporty, subtle, and untraditionally bold piece on behalf of Patek Phillie that would go on to push the frontier of Patek Phillipe’s more contemporary and approachable designs. Most importantly, the Patek Phillipe Aquanaut was an appealing entry point for a younger generation not quite prepared to spend six figures on a timepiece.
A similar, 20th-anniversary celebratory watch was released in 2017 in the form of a Jumbo interpretation of its predecessor. An increased 2mm diameter was added, as well as a striking blue dial and strap. The white-gold casing paired with the deep blues certainly caused a stir in 2017, and it seems that the khaki green version is about to do exactly the same thing in 2019.
Mechanically-speaking, the Patek Phillippe Aquanaut Jumbo White Gold 5168G is an exact replica of its blue brother. It’s a three-handed movement, with a calibre 324 boasting 35-45 hours of power reserve. This is all visible on the reverse of the piece, with a pleasant inscription of the Patek Philippe displayed through the transparent glass.
As hinted before, the dial is 42.2mm across, which is a particularly imposing Patek size – especially for an Aquanaut. There’s no stainless steel variation with this release, so the 18k white-gold will come standard. This luxurious metal isn’t too snobbish though, as the khaki undeniably provides a militaristic – even rugged – method of rocking a Patek Philippe. The dial is practically bare, with a simple day-date at 3 o’clock and the words of the watchmaker under the 12. Apart from this 3 o’clock spot, the face displays your standard easy-to-read Arabic numbering.
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo White Gold 5168G isn’t flashy – but maybe that is its greatest selling point. It’s an accessible contemporary timepiece on behalf of one of the Swiss watchmaking’s finest companies that comes in a very compelling white-gold/khaki green colour scheme (which is only one-upped by the opulent red edition for Singapore residents only). This release just adds to Patek Philippe’s stacked horological legacy.
The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo White Gold 5168G will be available at a €35,710 pricepoint.
