Recently, Patek Philippe's factory has been prolific in producing high-jewellery sports watches, boasting everything from precious gems, to a vibrant range of colour schemes, and sophisticated stone-setting techniques. A notable release at Watches and Wonders 2024 is the Aquanaut Luce Haute Joaillerie, a watch that captured the attention of many with an extraordinary blend of diamonds and blue sapphires covering nearly every surface.
The 38.8mm diameter and 9.1mm thick white gold case of the Aquanaut Luce ref. 5268 is strikingly adorned with a bezel set with 40 baguette-cut sapphires arranged in a gradient from light to dark blue. The lugs are enhanced with 8 baguette-cut diamonds. Despite its dazzling appearance, this version of the Aquanaut offers water resistance only up to 30 meters, making it more suited for social gatherings than aquatic activities.
The Aquanaut's recognizable checkered dial pattern is retained in this high-jewelry iteration, reimagined with 20 baguette sapphires and 20 baguette diamonds. Surrounding this central motif is an hour ring that features brilliant-cut diamonds set using the snow-setting technique. This method involves placing diamonds of varying sizes closely together to create a seamless sparkling effect. Additionally, the watch utilizes 12 baguette sapphires as hour markers and includes 10 baguette diamonds on the white gold fold-over clasp.
Consistent with Aquanaut models, this sapphire and diamond-studded watch comes with a dark blue composite strap that features a checkered embossing, complementing the blue gemstones. The sweep seconds hand, in blue, along with the luminous hour and minute hands, add a functional yet stylish touch. The watch houses the Caliber 26‑330 S automatic movement, which provides a 45-hour power reserve and operates at a frequency of 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz). The movement's intricacies and its 21k gold central rotor are visible through the sapphire case back.
In total, the Aquanaut Luce ref. 5268/461G-001 is set with 72 baguette-cut sapphires totalling 5.29 carats, 38 baguette-cut diamonds totalling 2.03 carats, and 160 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 0.71 carats.
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