As the last independent, family-owned Genevan watchmaking company, Patek Philippe stands out with a rich range of watches for ladies and gentlemen. Today, the manufacture’s collection embraces about 140 different references that are produced in small series with a dozen watches to a few hundred pieces for which a broad selection of movements is available
In-line Perpetual Calendar – Ref. 5236P-001
Patek Philippe’s new perpetual calendar shows the day, date, and month in a single panoramic aperture at 12 o’clock. This in-line display has never been done in a wristwatch; the designers developed a new self-winding ultra-thin movement: the caliber 31-260 PS QL with a recessed minirotor and a customised module for which three patent applications were filed. The in-line display system relies on four disks (two for the date) that are arranged on one level. It consists of 118 additional parts. It is complemented by two round apertures that show the leap-year cycle as well as the day/night indications. A further window displays the moon phases. The watch is premiering in a fully hand-polished platinum case 41.3 mm X 11.07 mm, with a blue dial, and is offered on a navy-blue alligator leather strap.
Annual Calendar, Moon Phases – Ref. 4947/1A-001
In 1996, Patek Philippe patented its invention, the Annual Calendar mechanism, which requires only one manual correction per year. Now, this useful complication comes in a round 38mm Calatrava case in stainless steel, a polished bezel, and a new, totally integrated steel bracelet. It consists of five rows of fully polished links and is fitted with a patented fold-over clasp secured with four independent catches. The night blue dial features applied Arabic numerals and leaf-shaped white-gold hands with luminous coatings. The Annual Calendar displays are quickly and easily legible. Two subsidiary dials indicate the day and the month; the date appears in an aperture at 6 o’clock. The extremely precise moon-phase display rounds out the calendar functions. The sapphire-crystal case back reveals the refined architecture and exquisite finissage of the self-winding caliber 324 S QA LU movement.
Calatrava – Ref. 4997/200G-001
The Calatrava family is now enriched by a 35 mm white-gold version with a self-winding movement. The precious dial requires considerable work and artisanship. Its base is exquisitely guilloched with concentric waves and then coated with consecutive layers of a translucent night blue lacquer, above which the arrow-shaped white gold “poudré” hour markers and faceted Dauphine hands in white gold seem to float. The bezel is set with 76 flawless Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamonds (~0.52 ct.). The elegant architecture of the ultra-thin self-winding caliber 240 movement with a recessed minirotor in 22K gold and the Patek Philippe Seal can be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back. The suave personality of this new watch is emphasised by a new brushed, satin-finished calfskin strap. The shiny navy-blue strap is secured with a white-gold prong buckle.
Calatrava “Clous de Paris” – Refs. 6119G-001 and 6119R-001
Among all Calatrava watches since 1932, one model series was greeted with particular enthusiasm. It is the one with a bezel decorated with a guilloched “Clous de Paris” pattern. The most prominent model is the Ref. 3919 introduced in 1985. It has a white dial and black lacquered Roman numerals that was produced for over 20 years. Today, it is deemed one of the most coveted wristwatches in the world of timepieces.
Patek Philippe has added fresh impetus to this emblematic model by updating its design and slightly enlarging its diameter to 39 mm. The applied and faceted “obus” hour markers in gold, give the dial a timeless, well-organised face. The guilloched bezel has a somewhat wider chamfered profile. This sleek yet refined watch is available in two versions: the Ref. 6119G-001 in white gold features a charcoal grey dial with a vertical satin finish, a snailed subsidiary seconds dial as well as applied hour markers and hands in white gold, while the Ref. 6119R-001 in rose gold has a silvery grained dial with applied hour markers and hands in rose gold.
The launch of these models gives Patek Philippe a welcome occasion to present a totally new manually wound movement. Despite its generous diameter (inside case diameter 30.4 mm), the calibre 30-255 PS retains its thin proportions (2.55 mm), allowing the construction of very elegant cases. Endowed with two mainspring barrels connected in parallel, it also explores new avenues in energy management: the high-performance movement has a power reserve of 65 hours. Thanks to the stop-seconds function, the watch can be set to the correct time with one-second accuracy.
