Patek Philippe Aquanaut is a strange watch. The watchmaker describes Aquanaut as a “dress sports” collection – but there are seemingly few dressy characteristics. The timepieces display a clear unified sports character, and, carrying a powerful movement (caliber 324, 29 jewels) in a rounded octagonal case, lack any obvious fashionable elements. A closer look at the Aquanaut reveals another strange thing: the collection offers absolutely no complications (besides the date); instead, it opts in the women's line for diamond decoration, setting the wide bezels with dozens of stones. Only after examining Aquanaut Ladies – a much richer collection with colored models and a separate line, Aquanaut Luce – the concept behind the entire collection becomes clear.

Patek Philippe make Aquanaut their own statement in fashion. The collection doesn't conform, but takes an independent route of defining a new set of dressy qualities; this makes perfect sense to Patek Philippe – and that's saying a lot. The watchmaker uses its name and the leverage that comes with it to alter our perception of what is fashionable: the rough spheric guilloche, the complementing composite strap, and, most notably, the rounded octagonal bezel don't impress as dressy... but that's all a matter of perception. Perceptions can be changed – they should be changed – and that's exactly what Patek Philippe did in Aquanaut. This collection treads on a new territory, and takes some risks.

Aquanaut includes several simple but useful functions. A central seconds hands removes the need for a seconds subdial, contributing to overall unity of composition. Fat, candle-shaped hour and minutes hands combined with the expressed Arabic numerals improve legibility. Thin indices mark the minutes for more precise time keeping and reading. Aquanaut watches are water resistant up to 120 meters; the high-tech composite strap was rendered hypoallergenic. All cases have been cast out of stainless steel. Aquanaut Luce (the ladies line) incorporates color that restates Patek Philippe's statement of fashion: Pure White, Mysterious Black and Honey Beige reveal the true intention of Aquanaut.