Patek Philippe Neptune Ref. 5085A - Black Tritium Dial

Officially launched just 1-year after the Aquanaut, the Neptune was Patek Philippe's second venture into the world of sporty watches that could also be dressed up if needed. But unlike the Aquanaut which draws design inspiration from its older sibling, the Nautilus, the Neptune is a completely new design.   

Offered in a variety os sizes, metals, and with multiple movements, the piece that we have here, a Ref. 5085A, is probably what is most closely associated with the Neptune — that is, if you've heard of it at all!

Being the 1990s, many of the first References utilized Tritium on their dials for a number of years, extending into the early 2000s, and they are already and will continue to age beautifully in the years to come. Neo-vintage charm at its finest!

This particular example that we have here is made from stainless steel, with a 37mm case, an integrated-style quasi beads-of-rice bracelet, a screw-down crown, and 'micro-pushers' on both case profiles. It comes to us is excellent overall condition, showing normal signs of wear throughout with with a seemingly flawless matte black dial within. The dial itself utilizes stylized high-contrast 'Arabic' indices and a 'railroad' minute track printed in white, a matching white-painted handset, and Tritium plots for the 5-minute markers. The asymmetrical layout features a power reserve indicator at 10:30, a running seconds register at 4 o'clock, a moonphase aperture with pointer-date at 7 o'clock, and Patek's text at roughly 2 o'clock. Flip the watch over, and Patek's automatic-winding movement with a micro-rotor is clearly visible. The micro rotor, of course, makes for a compact automatic-movement, which in turn allows for an extremely svelte wearing experience.

And then, there is the bracelet. Beautifully integrated into the case, it utilized a 'butterfly' deployant clasp with a signed locking mechanism.