Patek Philippe brought a selection of interesting and beautiful new references to Watches & Wonders this year, including a new 5164 and 5980 in white gold, both of which lean into light blue colorways, but there was another watch that caught my eye and made a stronger impression on me, and that was a new Aquanaut reference 5269. This is the kind of personality I like seeing from Patek, and it’s a trend they started last year with the 5261R-001, which uses the big grenade dial texture, and isn’t afraid to get a little funky with some of the design decisions.
I’m not quite classy enough to be a true Patek aficionado, but there are plenty of references that come across my radar which stop me in my tracks. Many of them are best appreciated from afar, as these aren’t exactly watches that beg to be worn day in and day out. There is an obvious formality to Patek Philippe references that cut against my own preferences, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t put one through its paces, given the chance. Particularly the Nautilus and Aquanaut families, with the 5164 in steel (no longer produced) is a long-time favorite, and the vaunted 5711 in steel (also no longer in production) is fabulous on wrist, but these days, it’s a pair of precious metal references in the Aquanaut collection that have peaked my interest.
Last year, the 5261R immediately stood out to me in the Patek Philippe booth at Watches & Wonders thanks to its quirky layout and colorway, as well as for using the old school grenade pattern on the dial, something that was introduced with the collection in 1997 and the reference 5060. The modern 5165 and now 5167 references have since refined the pattern, but have lost a bit of that personality in the process.
This year, Patek once again has returned to this colorway and dial pattern with the 5269, and what’s more, it uses a quartz powered movement providing dual time functionality. This is a watch with no shortage of character, and it gets a bit weirder the closer you look. This reference is the first Aquanaut to remove the date complication without also featuring gem settings in the dial or bezel. This watch is something of a 5164 Lite, as it gets a similar dual time functionality, but without the pushers or date display at 6 o’clock. This reads as a time-only three-hander watch much of the time.
The first hint that there’s something else going on here is the conspicuous “home” label at the bottom of the dial, pushing the 6 o’clock hour marker ever so slightly out of alignment. Below it sits a day/nite aperture for the very inconspicuous white hour hand, which can be hidden behind the local time hour hand, and makes a lap every 12 hours (hence the day/night indicaction). Adjustments are all made via the crown, keeping the rose gold 38.8mm case distraction free. That case, by the way, measures a mere 8.7mm in thickness thanks to the use of Patek’s quartz caliber E 23‑250 S FUS 24H inside.
It all adds up to a perfectly fun, perfectly weird experience from Patek that is the kind of thing I truly appreciate seeing from the brand. The colors and the dial texture work amazingly well with one another, and my only hope is that 1) these watches are readily available to new purchasers, and 2) we see this execution in more metals, particularly steel. I’m not holding my breath for either of those things, but it’s sad to see the 5261 from last year trading for 2.5x its retail price in the open market, and I dearly hope it’s not the same story for the 5269 seen here.
The 5269 is priced at $35,350 and is available this summer at Patek Philippe boutiques and ADs. Patek Philippe