Released in 1996 as an evolution within Patek Philippe's sports watch offerings alongside the Aquanaut, the Patek Philippe Neptune was designed with the intention of being ideal for sportswear while also being supremely elegant. Merging some classic elements of a stereotypical sports watch design such as crown guards, a heavily-lumed handset and a thick engine-turned bezel and some more delicate flourishes such as diamonds and Roman numeral hour markers punctuating its dial (depending on the variant), the Neptune ultimately failed to meet Patek's commercial expectations due to its inability to penetrate a particular market and was ultimately discontinued in 2005. However, this ref. 4881/1J still lives on as a wonderful celebration of Patek's goal to create a sports-infused dress watch, with its unique 18kt yellow gold construction, distinctively-styled textured bracelet and black diamond-set dial combining to create a stunningly luxurious aesthetic that speaks to modern tastes as we seek increasingly luxurious sports watch options. Perhaps the Neptune was just ahead of time, and should it have been released today it would fare much better. One thing’s for sure, we love its unique design and special place with Patek’s historical catalog.

Watch is in excellent overall, with light signs of use. Minor scratches and marks are visible along the surface of the case. Bracelet has 16 links tota, 5 of which are remoable. It currently fits a 6 1/4" wrist.

An intriguing proposition considering just how far ahead of the curve it would turn out that Patek were at the time, the Neptune demonstrates that while Patek might typically be conservative with their aesthetic that when they branch out from their normal design language they can create watches that speak to tastes far into the future, just like the Aquanaut, Nautilus and now Neptune have proven.