Colin Brady, a 29-year-old Austin-based real estate tech entrepreneur, lost his $60,000 Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch while wakesurfing on Lake Austin. The incident, highlighted in a viral Instagram video by vintage watch expert Mike Nouveau, prompted Brady to hire a team of professional divers to search the 1,599-acre lake. Initially disheartened and feeling foolish, Brady described the watch as a durable sport timepiece designed for water activities, yet it had slipped off his wrist and sunk to a depth of 22 feet.

Despite an initial unsuccessful search, Brady persisted, returning with a larger team of four divers who set boundary lines around the suspected drop site. After a full day of searching, they successfully recovered the watch, located about 20 feet from a marker flag Brady had placed. Remarkably, the timepiece was still functioning when retrieved, a testament to its durability, as the Patek Aquanaut is rated to withstand depths up to 100 feet. Brady’s determination and the divers’ efforts paid off, turning a near five-figure loss into a triumphant recovery.