It’s tough being in competition with a watch that comes from your own stable, yet that’s exactly the position that the Aquanaut finds itself. Considered by some to stand in the shadow of the Nautilus the Aquanaut has chosen its 20th birthday to demand its time in the sun.

Utilising two of the key innovations designed by Patek Phillippe’s Advance Research team, the Aquanaut boasts a new balance spring with vastly improved time-keeping precision and flexible mechanisms which reduce the number of parts required and so delivering a thinner watch.

Also, released in April 2017, the Aquanaut Ref 5168G is the first men’s Aquanaut watch in white gold.

Launched in 1997, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut was designed to bridge the gap between a technical, sports watch and an elegant timepiece that you can wear with evening dress. The Aquanaut is contemporary in design with a rounded octagonal shape that sets it aside from other watches. The texture of the strap is captured in the dial’s surface while the Aquanaut’s casual elegance is highlighted by a screw-down crown that gives extra protection when worn by sporting people.