Discover how Patek Philippe's Aquanaut, Audemars Piguet's Rubberclad, and Rolex's Oysterflex transformed rubber from a utilitarian material to a luxury status symbol. Explore the evolution of rubber bracelets in high-end watchmaking and their impact on modern collecting culture.
For most of watchmaking history, rubber was used primarily in functional applications. Dive watches and instruments employed the material because they needed something waterproof. Military watches relied on composites because durability mattered more than aesthetics. Sports timers employed it because performance took priority over appearance. The idea that rubber could belong on expensive watches, let alone luxury timepieces costing tens of thousands of dollars, seemed fundamentally misguided.
Traditional watchmaking was all about precious metals, meticulous craftsmanship, and materials that improved with age. Rubber was the opposite. Mass-produced, practical, and designed to be discarded when it wore out. It made sense for tools, but not for something you'd treasure. When rubber straps appeared on nicer watches, they felt like backup plans.
The watch world had spent hundreds of years deciding which materials mattered. Gold, platinum, high-quality steel, sapphire crystal, exotic leather–these were what serious watches were made from. Rubber was what you settled for when you couldn't get something better, or when you cared more about practicality than prestige. The two worlds seemed permanently separated.
Then came 1997, and everything changed.
When Patek Philippe unveiled the Aquanaut, the watch world didn't quite know what to make of it. Here was Geneva's most conservative manufacture, the company that had spent centuries perfecting traditional watchmaking, putting their impeccable finishing and legendary calibers inside a watch fitted with a rubber bracelet. Not just any rubber bracelet, either, but one with an embossed pattern that looked almost too casual for the Patek Philippe name.
The decision was nothing short of revolutionary. Patek Philippe had built their reputation on timeless elegance and precious metals. Their clientele expected gold, platinum, and leather straps that could be worn with elegance in boardrooms and formal events. Rubber felt like a step backward, or at least sideways into territory that serious collectors weren't sure they wanted to explore.
But that embossed pattern turned out to be genius. Instead of trying to hide the rubber or make it look like something else, Patek Philippe embraced the material's inherent properties. The bracelet was comfortable, durable, and approachable, all qualities that traditional luxury watch bracelets rarely achieved simultaneously. More importantly, it attracted exactly what Patek Philippe was quietly seeking: a younger generation of collectors who appreciated innovation alongside heritage.
The Aquanaut proved that luxury wasn't just about expensive materials. It was about excellent execution, regardless of what you were executing. Patek Philippe had applied their centuries of craftsmanship knowledge to rubber, and the result was unmistakably special. Collectors who initially dismissed the concept found themselves reconsidering what modern luxury could look like.
If Patek Philippe's rubber experiment was revolutionary, Audemars Piguet's approach five years later was practically radical. The Royal Oak Offshore "Rubberclad" didn't just feature a rubber bracelet; it integrated black rubber cladding throughout the entire watch. Bezel, pushers, crown surrounds–areas that had traditionally showcased polished or brushed steel suddenly disappeared under sleek black rubber.
The reaction was immediate and polarizing. Traditional AP collectors saw it as sacrilege against Gerald Genta's original Royal Oak design. Younger enthusiasts saw it as a bold innovation that pushed luxury sports watches into unexplored territory. The controversy was probably exactly what AP wanted, and the "Rubberclad" generated more discussion than anyone could've expected.
What made the approach particularly interesting was how it challenged preconceptions about the hierarchy of luxury materials. By covering metal with rubber, AP was essentially arguing that design and functionality could trump traditional status markers. The rubber wasn't hiding inferior materials; it was enhancing the performance and aesthetic impact of a luxury sports watch.
The "Rubberclad" also demonstrated how rubber could be integrated beyond just bracelets. This wasn't about replacing leather straps or metal bracelets; it was about reimagining how different materials could work together to create something entirely new. AP had proven that rubber could be architectural, not just functional.
Trust Rolex to watch what Patek Philippe and AP had done, then spend years figuring out how to do it better. The Oysterflex bracelet was introduced on particular Daytona, Yacht-Master, and Sky-Dweller references, representing everything one would expect from Rolex's approach to new materials.
Merely calling Oysterflex "rubber" kind of misses the point of what Rolex actually built. They created a proprietary elastomer that covers a flexible metal core, engineered to meet the same standards as everything else Rolex produces. It feels more substantial than regular rubber straps ever could, but still provides the flexibility and weather resistance that made rubber appealing in the first place.
Even the way it attaches to the case shows Rolex's attention to detail. The whole thing flows from case to bracelet, as if it were designed as one piece, not as if someone added a strap later.
Rolex also solved one of rubber's biggest problems: how long it lasts. Regular rubber straps can become unsightly or deteriorate over time, but the Oysterflex was designed for individuals who expect to wear their watches for years to come. The material retains its properties and appearance even when subjected to conditions that would usually destroy ordinary rubber.
What these three watchmakers accomplished together was pretty remarkable. They completely changed how people think about materials in luxury watches. Rubber went from being something you used when you had no other choice to being something you might actually prefer, even on watches that cost more than most cars. This wasn't just about accepting rubber as legitimate, it was about expanding what luxury could mean.
Modern collectors prioritize innovation and understanding how things work, rather than just traditional status symbols. Rubber bracelets do things that precious metal alternatives simply can't: they're lighter, handle moisture better, and stay comfortable in situations where metal would be miserable. They've stopped being about making statements and started being about making sense.
It's been over twenty-five years since the Aquanaut first appeared, and rubber bracelets have definitely earned their spot in serious collections. They represent luxury watchmaking's willingness to question old assumptions and embrace materials based on what they can actually do, not just tradition. Sometimes the most revolutionary thing you can do is prove that innovation doesn't mean throwing away craftsmanship.
Bezel is the top-rated marketplace for buying and selling luxury watches. We give you access to tens of thousands of the most collectible watches from the world's top professional sellers and private collectors. Every watch sold goes through our industry-leading in-house authentication process, so you can buy, sell, and bid with confidence.
Download the Bezel app on the iOS App Store or start searching for your next watch today at getbezel.com.
Bezel is available to download on the App Store now. Please reach out to our concierge team if there is anything we can help you with!
©2024 Bezel Inc.
All rights reserved.