Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968

In addition to its attractive appearance, this timepiece packs quite a punch internally. With this watch, Patek Philippe added a new complication to its lineup of ladies' watches - a useful chronograph complication. This spectacular wristwatch comes in a 39.9mm case, a mid-range size that works perfectly for female and male lovers of the Patek Philippe brand.

History and Overview of the Patek Philippe 7968

The Patek Philippe has a long and interesting history with ladies' watches. The watchmaker has been creating timepieces specifically for women since as far back as the 19th century. One of the earliest ladies' wristwatches of the modern era was made by Patek Philippe. This watch was sold to the Hungarian Countess Koscowicz in 1868.

Keeping with this tradition, Patek has continually invested in creating ladies' watches that are just as spectacular and technologically advanced as the masculine variants. In recent years, the Luce Collection has been Patek’s muse for revolutionizing the feminine watch niche. This subcategory of the Aquanaut collection was launched in 2004 as a dedicated line for ladies' timepieces.

Using the Aquanaut Luce as its platform, Patek has introduced a wide range of materials, gems, and colors for its line of ladies' watches, creating several unique timepieces for women in the process. In recent years, Patek has been working on reversing the popular trend of making ladies' watches small, quartz-powered, and without real complications.

In 2010, the watchmaker launched the first Aquanaut Luce Automatic. About a decade later (2021), the Ref. 5268/200R was released. It was a significantly larger version of the watchmaker’s automatic ladies' timepiece with a case size of 38.8mm. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968 would eventually debut about a year later in an even bigger 39.9mm case.

To make this self-winding timepiece even more spectacular, the Swiss watch manufacturer added a chronograph functionality. The Patek Philippe 7968 is Patek’s very first self-winding ladies’ chronograph.

Features

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968 is a culmination of Patek Philippe’s attempt to create serious feminine wristwatches. More than just a flashy gem-set Aquanaut, this watch is also sophisticated internally and is designed to be universally appealing.

Chronograph Function

The Aquanaut Luce Ref 7968 is powered by a serious horological movement. Unlike most models in the Aquanaut ladies' collection with Quartz movement, this timepiece runs on the Caliber CH 28-520 movement, a self-winding chronograph.

This is the first time Patek uses this movement in an Aquanaut Luce timepiece. However, the Caliber CH 28-520 is not new, as it has been used in several other larger Aquanaut men’s watches. It beats at a frequency of 28,800 VPH (4 Hz) and offers a 50 to 55-hour power reserve.

The Aquanaut 7968 has a central flyback chronograph with a single sundial and 60-minute counter displayed at the 6 o’clock. This sweep chronograph hands can also be used as constantly running seconds hands.

The chronograph format is traditional, which makes it quite easy to use. There’s a chronograph start and stop pusher at the 2 o'clock position. You can also use the pusher near the 4 o'clock mark to initiate the flyback function, which starts a new measurement even if the chronograph hand is already used to time another event or as a constantly running seconds hand.

Dial and Strap

The dial and the strap are two essential features that make this timepiece more interesting. The Patek Philippe 7968 comes originally fitted with a bright red composite strap decorated with the Aquanaut’s iconic grenade pattern.

The strap is secured with a patented fold-over clasp with ten 0.36 ct diamonds adorning it. Patek also includes two extra straps: a discrete matte beige color and an elegant white strap with the same grenade pattern.

This pattern is carried over into the dial, as with all Aquanaut watches. However, what makes this dial really interesting is the fact that it is made out of mother pearl and crafted directly into the grenade pattern to add sparkle and visual interest to the dial.

Although the watch has a chronograph feature, the dial is still clean and uncluttered because Patek used a single sundial for this function. The numerals are printed in gold set Arabic numerals. In addition to this, Patek 7968 also has baguette-cut multi-colored sapphires behind the regular numerals. In between these hour markers are the gold-applied minute markers that make the dial even more flamboyant. The watch hands are in rose gold and covered in a luminous coat, which makes them legible even in the dark.

Case

The Patek Philippe 7968 comes in a 39.9mm rose gold case.  This case size makes it one of the largest watches in the Aquanaut Luce ladies' collection. The slightly larger size brings this watch closer to the gender-neutral, unisex category. However, it is primarily made for women, as evidenced by its bejeweled appearance. Since this is an Aquanaut Rainbow timepiece, the case is a splash of colors consisting of yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue sapphires.

The wide octagonal bezel of this wristwatch is covered in two tiers of gemstones. On the inner tier, it has 40 baguette-cut diamonds, 2.05 cts each. Similarly, the outer tier has colorful rainbow pattern sapphires. There are 40 colored sapphires here, each being 2.31 cts. Due to the multicolored bezel, this timepiece is commonly compared to the Rainbow Daytona, which has a similar colorful appearance. However, the gems in the Rolex timepiece are limited to one row and are brighter and more colorful.

The Patek Philippe 7968 has baguette-cut stones arranged with an invisible setting technique. This means they have been set on invisible metal rails when observed from the outside of the case.

Celebrities Flaunting Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968

This beautiful rainbow timepiece has caught the attention of several famous people. Thanks to its universal appeal, this timepiece has been seen on the wrists of several male and female celebrities, athletes, and other notable individuals. Some celebrities that have been spotted wearing the Patek Philippe 7968 include:

• Kris Jenner - American media personality and socialite and Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kris Jenner was seen attending an event wearing an Aquanaut 7968 with the instantly recognizable red strap.
• Corey Gamble - Business executive and talent manager Corey Gamble is also famous for being the boyfriend of reality television star Kris Jenner. Corey was once seen with an Aquanaut Luce 'Rainbow' 7968/300R, similar to Kris’ watch. It’s hard to tell if it’s the same watch or if he got his own. However, considering Corey’s high-profile, sophisticated style, the Aquanaut Luce is probably part of his collection.
• Kevin O'Leary - Canadian businessman and TV personality popularly known as the Maple Man, is on the list of celebrities who own a Patek Aquanaut Luce Rainbow. As an avid watch collector, O’Leary love for watches with red bracelets is public knowledge, which is why having an Aquanaut 7968 in his collection isn’t a surprise to anyone.
• Crown Prince of Johor, Malaysia - Tunku Ismail Idris is the Crown Prince of Johor, a state in southern Malaysia. Like all Royals, the crown prince loves high-end fashion, and the Aquanaut 7968 is only one of several exotic watches in his collections. He’s even had customized creations from some of the most popular watchmakers made for him.

In addition to these high-profile individuals, other celebrities seen with the Patek Philippe 7968 at some point in the past include football star Lionel Messi, Saudi entrepreneur Abdul Al-Romaizan, and Malaysian actor Michelle Yeoh.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968 Price

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut 7968 currently retails for about $212,750. However, prices on the secondary market can get as high as $379,000 to $662,000. This is a pricey watch, especially when you compare the cost to other Aquanaut Luce models.

However, such a high price tag for this timepiece is understandable. It is powered by an automatic movement instead of quartz like most others and comes with a chronograph function, one of the most sought-after complications in the horological world.

Conclusion

Avi & Co. is one of only a very few luxury watch retailers that have the Patek Philippe 7968 in stock. This exquisite timepiece perfectly suits dynamic modern women. However, it is also versatile enough to be worn by men who don’t mind a little bling on their wrists. Its meticulously set rainbow-colored gems add a splash of vibrant color to this timepiece, which makes it such an attractive piece of jewelry. Add that to an exceptionally robust automatic chronograph movement, and you will have one of the most impressive watches in the Aquanaut Luce lineup.