Patek Philippe Neptune

Patek Philippe made a fantastic, stainless steel sports watch — and we're not talking about the Aquanaut or the Nautilus.

The Patek Philippe Neptune has long been under-appreciated since its debut in 1996. Both it and the Aquanaut (which also came out in 1996) served as alternatives to the popular Nautilus, and were meant to inject some life and energy to the the maison's sports watch collection. The Neptune in its multiple iterations featured its own unique design language, with its round case equipped with crown guards, svelte proportions, and an excellent integrated multi-link bracelet.

This piece, a Reference 5080/1A, features a 36mm stainless steel case with signature crown guards, a signed crown, a sapphire crystal, and a stunning fluted bezel with polished hour markers. Its luminous black dial, meanwhile, features applied quadrant 'Roman' indices, a date window at 3 o'clock, a luminous feuille handset, and a central chemin de fer minute track.

Powered by a self-winding Patek Philippe Calibre 315 movement, this piece comes paired to a stainless steel integrated bracelet with matching finishing and a signed locking deployant clasp.

Instantly recognizable to those who appreciate the quirkier corners of the Patek oeuvre, the Neptune is almost certainly a future classic. Heck — in our books, it already belongs in a [design] museum!