With the Lunar New Year just over and Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s an ideal time to consider a precious Patek Philippe watch with a passionate flavour.
The gifting season may be over for some, but there are two other important dates in the 2025 calendar right now: the Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day. And like Christmas, the colour theme of these holidays runs red. These watches are emblematic of the passion that every collector has for Patek Philippe’s timepieces.
Sporting Elegance
The Patek Philippe Ref. 7968/300R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” is the first self-winding Patek Philippe ladies’ chronograph for the line.
The Aquanaut Luce line added its first self-winding chronograph model just three years ago, even though the gemset series has been around for over two decades. The timing is perfect: smaller-sized luxury sports models, and gemset timepieces have become mainstream. A reliable and precise chronograph suits the active and casually elegant collector of today, and the Ref. 7968/300R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” chronograph serves up enough ‘Luce’ even for a special gala or event.
The dial of the Patek Philippe Ref. 7968/300R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” is particularly stunning pristine white mother-of-pearl that is carefully engraved to replicate the Aquanaut dial pattern along with an aperture to add the chronograph’s counter.
A number of different crafts are applied to create this watch, ranging from engraving on mother-of-pearl to invisible gemsetting as well as gemsetting on mother-of-pearl, and case polishing on all sides, including chamfers. The rainbow setting is a task that requires careful planning and gem selection to create a fluid and seamless look. Adding an additional row of baguette-cut diamonds within the row of multicoloured sapphires creates the illusion of a larger dial. It gives the highly compact watch, which measures just 39.9mm across, appear less cluttered even with the dual set of Arabic numeral and baguette-cut multicoloured sapphires on the dial.
The self-winding Patek Philippe Caliber CH 28-520 flyback chronograph can be seen through the case back of the Ref. 7968/300R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” chronograph.
The integrated Caliber CH 28-520 flyback chronograph is equipped with the Ref. 7968/300R-001, and that means that it can continually run without really affecting timekeeping precision. This allows the user to operate the chronograph almost as if it was a three-hand watch, with a central chronograph seconds functioning as a running seconds hand. The 60-minute elapsed minutes counter can also be read as a running minutes hand or to ensure you stay on your schedule. In a red composite strap with a fold-over clasp, it’s a vivacious watch for the season. But if the fiery red feels too audacious, two additional composite strap options in matte white or beige are also available.
A Passion for High Complications
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5271/12P-010 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph with graduated red lacquered dial and baguette-cut rubies set on the bezel, lugs, and clasp.
For collectors with a passion for high complication watchmaking, the Patek Philippe Ref. 5271/12P-010 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph symbolises an auspicious start to 2025. The gemset watch, with baguette-cut rubies on the bezel and flared spider lugs that emphasise its perfectly balanced proportions. The platinum case also features a brilliant-cut diamond at the bottom of the case, with faceted indexes and hands enhancing the geometric lines of its design.
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5271/12P-010 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is coated with multiple layers of lacquer and carefully blending into a black gradient rim. The vignette effect improves the legibility of the indicators on the dial.
What is equally striking as the gemset case is the velvety smooth, richly coloured dial. Layer upon layer of red lacquer is applied on the dial, and blended with black lacquer that’s applied around the edges to create a graduation that’s brightest at the centre. The black gradient rim makes the polished, faceted hour indexes stand out, while the chronograph, running seconds, and calendar counters and windows draw greater focus nearer to the centre. At the stroke of midnight, the calendar indicators all jump instantly.
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5271/12P-010 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is equipped with the CH 29-535 PS Q which features a classic chronograph with horizontal coupling.
The watch is powered by the CH 29-535 PS Q which features a classic chronograph with horizontal coupling, with a perpetual calendar module. Thanks to six innovations for the instantaneous calendar as well as the suspension system for the chronograph, the operation is buttery smooth, with no bounce of the chronograph seconds hand when it leaps back to ‘0’. It is magnificent to observe the operation of the laterally coupled chronograph via the case back; flip to the front and the dial and gemset case are equally alluring.
Artistic Mastery
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5260/1455R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” Minute Repeater Haute Joaillerie is a fully gemset watch and houses the first Grand Complication for the line.
Rarely do we see sports timepieces with chiming complications such as minute repeaters. Equally rare are luxury sports watches featuring high jewellery gemsetting. But a sports watch that features both is practically a unicorn of the industry. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5260/1455R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” Minute Repeater Haute Joaillerie is truly a spectacular creation, with a plethora of baguette-cut multicoloured sapphires and diamonds set on almost every available surface of the watch, from the dial to the bezel, sliding pusher, lugs, bracelet links, and even the hands of the watch. In fact, the only exposed surface is the crown, stamped with the Calatrava cross logo of the brand.
The crown of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5260/1455R-001 Aquanaut Luce “Rainbow” Minute Repeater Haute Joaillerie is stamped with Patek Philippe’s Calatrava cross logo, while every area of the case around it is set in baguette-cut multicoloured sapphires and diamonds.
The gemsetting work in this timepiece is extraordinary due to the need to select, cut, and place each stone in exact position. Even more challenging is how the rainbow gradient is arranged across the entire bracelet, the bezel, and the case sides. The choice of stone colours is perfectly aligned on the front as well as the sides. It’s as if a cascade of rainbow gemstones is pouring out from the centre of the dial. On the bezel, an outer ring of baguette-cut diamonds separates the inner ring of multicoloured sapphires, which encircles the diamond-paved dial. The diamond-set hour ring also has a rainbow of 12 multicoloured sapphires indicating the hours.
The Patek Philippe Caliber R27 self-winding minute repeater is an extraordinary movement with its micro-rotor, flying governor, hammers and gongs visible through the case back.
Powering the watch is of course Patek Philippe’s iconic Caliber R27, a minute repeater which is self-winding. Every minute repeater produced by Patek Philippe is carefully tuned to offer an expansive sound, and is personally approved by Mr Thierry Stern before it leaves the manufacture. Even more impressive is the timekeeping it maintains, with a precision of +/-1 second a day. Truly this watch requires no notes; it is a grail watch that should be on everyone’s list.
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