The Aquanaut that was taken apart on purpose

A Patek Philippe Aquanaut arrives at a workshop in Geneva. It leaves with its movement cut open, bevelled by hand and finished in green. The work was done at the owner’s request, by a workshop that holds no authorisation from Patek Philippe and does not claim any.

A 5167A rebuilt around green

The base is a 5167A, the steel three-hand Aquanaut. By the workshop’s own description, the commission changes four areas:

• Calibre: the 324 was wire-cut open, skeletonised, bevelled and circled by hand. Its plate was satin-finished and given the Eternal Green PVD treatment.
• Dial: the original was replaced by an openworked brass dial, bevelled and hand-circled, layered in white gold and finished in the same green treatment.
• Balance bridge and rotor: a new steel bridge was mirror-polished by hand; the gold rotor was cut and openworked by hand.
• Strap and hands: Rubber B developed the strap around a titanium insert. The hands carry a yellow-gold treatment, satin on top and diamond-polished on the facets.

In one of our frames those hands sit warm against a cold green movement. In two others the whole openwork reads gold rather than green. We read the difference as warm light across polished and satin surfaces.

The green runs darker than the name suggests. The strap is a matte olive, close to military, and the treatment on the movement is dark enough that at arm’s length the watch reads as an Aquanaut on a green strap. The openwork becomes visible nearer in.

One owner’s version of the Aquanaut

The client is named only as Mr V.B. He says he has collected watches for over 30 years and enjoys preserving them in their original state, wearing them for particular occasions. Here, he wanted the watch to carry a story of his own making. By the end of the project, he called himself the designer of one of his favourite watches.

The workshop’s terms are explicit:

• Manufacturer warranty: the modification voids it.
• Workshop warranty: Artisans de Genève covers its own work separately.
• Use: the service is for private use, with resale excluded.

Price and availability

Production. A one-off customisation commissioned by the watch’s owner.

Service cost. CHF 58,520 (estimated), as of Aug 2024 (Hypebeast estimate, Aug 2024; tax basis unknown)

The workshop quotes no price. Hypebeast reported the customisation at around CHF 58,520 in August 2024, tax basis unknown. The figure covers the customisation, with the client supplying the donor watch.