Patek Philippe Aquanaut on Stars

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut was introduced in 1997 as the bolder sports watch of the Genevan watchmaking giant. Taking after the iconic Nautilus, the casual sporty appeal of the Aquanaut attracted a younger audience and announced Patek’s leap into the modern sports watch market. Today, the Aquanaut is a staple of every discerning watch collector, including heavyweights in sports and entertainment. These are the men who wear the Patek Philippe Aquanaut.

Tom Holland

Tom Holland has an extensive collection of watches from Rolex, Cartier, Tag Heuer, and Piaget. Nowadays, he’s been wearing Patek Philippe watches; and he could not have made a better choice with the increasingly rare Aquanaut.

He keeps two models in his watch box, including the ref. 5168G with a white gold finish, an embossed tropical rubber strap, and a cool khaki-green colorway that insinuates an active outdoor lifestyle. One of the largest models in the Aquanaut family, it also boasts a larger diameter of 42.2mm but with a slim case height of 8.25mm. The ref. 5968, pictured above, offers a similar look but with a chronograph function.

Tom also has the ref. 5167R, which takes after the white gold model in terms of layout but with a sultry combination of rose-gold case and chocolate-brown dial. He has worn the latter during the press tour for The Spiderman: Far From Home movie in 2019. Photos from GQ Magazine on Twitter

Drake

For those who like their watches bold yet still elegant, the Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968A may be the perfect choice – just ask singer Drake. Released in 2018, this model was the first chronograph iteration of the popular timepiece since its introduction in 1997, spruced up with a black dial and a choice of either radiant orange or classic black composite rubber straps.

Instead of the traditional three chronograph displays, the ref. 5968A only features one sub-dial for the 60-minute counter. Meanwhile, touches of orange on the seconds hand, the sub-counter hand, and the seconds track on the periphery of the dial also offer a bright pop of color and a trendier style. Drake apparently got his ref. 5968A from his longtime jeweler and friend, Dave Bling. Photos from Patek Philippe and GQ Magazine on Twitter

Romeo Beckham

Romeo Beckham, the second eldest child of David and Victoria Beckham, is known for having good taste in timepieces for his young age. With interesting Rolex, Richard Mille, and Jacob & Co. pieces in his collection, he is clearly set on becoming a watch connoisseur – just like his parents. He is most often spotted with the Aquanaut Travel Time ref. 5164, which pairs a stainless steel construction with a dual timezone complication.

Aside from its porthole-like shape, this watch is distinguished by its black embossed dial with Arabic numerals, a skeleton hand that signals the “home” time, and a solid hand that indicates local time. A hard-wearing composite strap that is resistant to salt water and UV radiation completes the look. Photo from Romeo Beckham on Instagram

Paul McCartney, James Corden, and John Mayer

The Aquanaut celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2007 with an all-new reference – the 5167A. This watch introduced striking novelties: it came in a 40.8mm rounded octagon case, which is bigger than the original 36mm from 1997, and featured a dial that excised the number three in favor of a more centered date window. Moreover, it was the first Patek to sport a rubber strap, complete with the brand’s Calatrava logo on the deployant clasp.

Yet, the ref. 5167A remained a charming nod to the past with its black embossed “grenade” dial with a checkerboard pattern, sapphire crystal caseback, 120-meter water resistance, and bold hour markers sporting a milky white hue. Powering the watch is the self-winding Caliber 324 SC, which offers 40 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

Musicians Paul McCartney and John Mayer, as well as English comedian James Corden, are loyal fans of this iconic timepiece. Photos from Paul McCartney and John Mayer on Instagram, and British GQ on Twitter