On its launch in 1997, the Aquanaut was supposed to be the luxury fake Patek Philippe for the younger generation. It was the first Patek with a tropical bracelet (which is Patek for rubber strap) and exuded casual sport chic. The problem was, as Philippe Stern once told me, “I don’t think a young person was able to cheap replica watch that watch for the first year it was available, because all the older, bigger collectors bought them up, saying it was the perfect watch for every day.”

It has since become an entire collection, but never lost its youthful appeal. When the flyback chrono Swiss replica Patek Philippe Ref 5968 was launched in steel it came with an orange tropical bracelet. By contrast the recently arrived 5968G (pictured) is more restrained and I must be getting old because I prefer it. It recalls the blue-strapped and -dialled 1:1 fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Jumbo in white gold, one of my favourites of recent years, and with its flyback chrono with 60-minute subdial at six o’clock, it resembles one of the great modern-era Pateks, the Ref 5960.

The AAA replica Patek Philippe Ref 5968 is equipped with the calibre CH 28-520 C, a self-winding flyback column-wheel chronograph with disc clutch to eliminate hand-bounce (that’s the slight but ever-so-annoying shudder of the sweep second hand when starting a chronograph). As with the 5960, Patek Philippe fake for sale UK suggests the sweep chronograph hand is used as a continuously running seconds, which obviates the need for a seconds subdial, freeing up that space for the 60-minute totaliser. The result is a cleaner, less cluttered and, yes, younger-looking dialscape.

It will be interesting to see how high quality fake Patek Philippe marks 25 years of the Aquanaut next year, but if you can get one of these on your wrist in the meantime consider yourself very fortunate. This is not just a super clone watch for the young, but also the young at heart.

THE DETAILS
Strap
Patek’s “tropical strap”, a composite material designed for maximum resistance to wear, is seen here in midnight blue.

Bezel
The rounded octagonal shape mirrors the 60-minute counter at six o’clock.

Case
The white-gold, 42.2mm case has a screw-down crown and is water-resistant to 120 metres.

Dial
Blue with a black gradient, the dial is embossed with the Aquanaut pattern.