Category: Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe Sonnerie Minute Repeater Only Watch
Earlier this week, Patek Philippe announced their official entry for Patek Philippe Sonnerie Minute Repeater Only Watch 2023 (now being held May 10, 2024). The new watch, a ref. 6301A, features a grande et petite sonnerie and minute repeater with a grande feu enamel dial, all cased in steel, one of the rarest metals for a complicated Patek.
Last year’s delay in the Only Watch auction resulted in several brands pulling out but also had add-on effects for the brands that stuck around. Some smaller brands use Patek Philippe Sonnerie Minute Repeater Only Watch as a chance to test new ideas for future releases and need the positive press of massive auction results to prove the value of their eventual serial production. Patek, however, decided they’d rather not wait. Instead of holding off on launching production of their Only Watch release-based series, they just moved forward with it anyway and announced the 30-piece limited series of the ref. 1938 Minute Repeater Alarm last November. The watch felt very unusual compared to past Pateks, with a grand feu enamel portrait of Philippe Stern on the dial. This new watch feels much more “Patek.”
As is always the case with Patek Philippe Sonnerie Minute Repeater Only Watch , the new 6301A is a unique version of Patek’s grande et petite sonnerie and minute repeater, featuring the manually wound caliber GS 36-750 PS IRM movement seen through the exhibition caseback, which strikes three gongs. The watch is cased in steel, one of the most ideal metals for a chiming watch (denser materials like gold or platinum deaden the sound), measuring 44.8mm by 12.03mm thick. As far as I can tell, this is the first time Patek has done a standalone grande et petite sonnerie watch (the only other I can think of is their record-setting Only Watch Grandmaster Chime). That means the watch strikes the quarters and hours in grande sonnerie mode or only the hours if set to petite sonnerie. The watch also features a silence and can chime the time on demand with the minute repeater triggered by a monopusher-style button in the crown.
The movement measures a very compact 37mm by 7.5mm thick while still housing two mainspring barrels that impart 72 hours of power reserve for the movement and 24 hours for the strikeworks. That extra power allows the watch to complete all 1056 strikes from the sonnerie over 24 hours. The movement also features jumping small seconds (also known as deadbeat seconds).
The dial is capped with a Rare Handcrafts dial with hand-guilloché swirling pattern with Grand Feu blue-green enamel similar to the newest version of the Cathedral Gongs minute repeater ref. 5178G. The dial is set with 12 baguette-cut diamond hour markers (0.45ct worth of diamonds). The power reserve indicators for the movement and the strikework features transfer-printed “Only One” along their edge. In all, it’s an eye-catch piece from the brand and one that feels more harmonious with other releases they’ve done in the past, and while it won’t come anywhere near breaking the record of the steel Grandmaster Chime, it’s a watch I certainly would love to see in the metal. Patek Philippe Sonnerie Minute Repeater Only Watch
Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5164G
Ibet most people have a watch they’ve convinced themselves they’re going to have one day, no matter how out of reach it might always be. The Patek ref. 5164 has long been my white whale. Like James Stacey, I’m a lover of a versatile GMT, and the Aquanaut is – in my opinion – the king.
When I wrote about the discontinuation of the ref. 5164A, I called it a “fan-favorite.” That might be a bit much to say about a watch that cost over $40,000 and was nearly completely unobtainable by anyone but VIPs at Patek, but it was a great watch to imagine wearing and even better if you could actually get lucky enough to own one. The cool design, comfortable strap, and the sporty specs (from water-resistance to steel case) and black colorway all made it the pinnacle of “quiet luxury” before quiet luxury was a thing.
There’s an elegance to the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time, which hasn’t changed with the new ref. 5164G. I wear my Rolex GMT-Master II almost every time I travel, but there’s something so cool about the tactile experience of using the pushers on the left-hand side of the case. While it’s relatively easy to use a “flyer” GMT to set your new timezone (unscrew the crown and pull out to the appropriate position to jump the hour forward or back), there’s nothing like using the pushers on the ref. 5164. The top pusher advances the hour hand by one hour for each click, while the bottom takes the hour back. Either way, a skeletonized hour hand keeps tracking your home time but hides, uncluttering the dial wh Two apertures track day or night in the home and local time zone (blue for night, white for day). It’s a beautiful symmetrical watch with the date on a subdial at 6 o’clock. This type of design has a long history at Patek, dating back to the early 1960s with the ref. 2597 Travel Time Calatrava. As James Stacey mentioned in his Hands-On with the 5164R in 2019, the movement in the 2597 originated from the mind of Louis Cottier – the father of the worldtime – which means that any ref. 5164 follows in an important linage of creativity. But the bold design and sportiness of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time is probably far beyond what Cottier could have ever imagined. While the ref. 5164A is no longer available, Patek’s choice to continue the long-running reference with another new version in precious metal was somewhat predictable. I had hoped that Patek would introduce a new Aquanaut Travel Time with a new reference in steel. It would have likely been the biggest release of Watches & Wonders in a quiet year like this, but it wouldn’t have been in line with the brand’s decision to avoid steel sports models for now.
It also wouldn’t have made much sense as the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time ref. 5164 remained in the catalog in rose gold, so two generations of watches being in the catalog together was unlikely. The new white gold version brings back a white-metal option to the catalog, using the same caliber 26‑330 S C FUS movement, so yes, this is mostly a case metal and dial/strap color change. But it also changes how the watch wears on the wrist. The Aquanaut Travel Time continues to be one of the most comfortable-wearing sports watches on the market, with a great custom-cut rubber strap and a deployant clasp. The case still measures a slim 10.2mm thick with a 40.8mm measurement from 2 to 8 o’clock. The lugs also drop down nicely to hug the wrist. But in gold, the watch starts to feel top-heavy, a problem with many precious metal sports watches on straps instead of bracelets – that heavy case material can throw off the balance. It also means that Patek has reduced the sportiness of the watch in another, more practical way, with the water resistance now down to 30m from 120m from the 5164A. This is not just a change for the 5164G but also an updated specification for the 5164R and all other Aquanuat and Nautilus models. Either metal came with a display caseback, but unfortunately, the new water resistance makes me a little more hesitant to imagine taking the Aquanaut into – well – the aqua. However, the question of fit and balance is a personal preference, just like the new dial color. While Rolex has a penchant for giving options on options of colors to fit different customers’ preferences, that’s not the path Patek likes to take. Just like their confidence in the materials they want to use (customer demand be damned), they also have a strong design sense. After a few quiet years of releases, I would have imagined Patek would have wanted the “pop” of hype that would have come with releasing a “khaki” Aquanaut Travel Time in white gold or something bolder in platinum. But, there’s probably something to be said for Patek trying to continue to cool demand. Prices for the 5164A have slowly decreased, not to retail, but it’s a start.
Instead, we got the opaline blue-gray dial, embossed Aquanaut pattern, and white gold case and a $63,040 price tag. Based on the photos, I was afraid the dial would be too light blue to be wearable for someone like me who likes something more low-key. While it’s not the classic 5164A I’ve dreamed of for years, it seems darker in person and shifts with the light. That means it feels like it could be a decent daily wear option if you’re so lucky. It will be a bit longer before I get the Aquanaut Travel Time of my dreams. While it’s not the watch I wanted to see, it’s the one we’ve got. Undoubtedly, the 5164G will stick around for a while to continue on the now 13-year run of the reference (the longest-lived reference in the catalog, I believe). It seems unlikely that Patek would kill a new release just to introduce a brand-new model one year later. In the meantime, plenty of people will enjoy the new 5164G. To steal a line from James, it remains my pick for the coolest modern Patek Philippe. I’ll still keep my dream of an Aquanaut Travel Time in steel, but this is the watch I need right now, while I save up a bit more for the day that Patek brings back my white whale. For more information on the new Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time ref. 5164G, including complete specs, read our “Introducing” post or visit Patek Philippe’s website.
Patek Philippe Nautilus chronograph 5980
Although its absence from the brand’s lineup may have been brief, the Patek Philippe Nautilus chronograph reference 5980’s presence has been sorely missed in the collection since it was quietly discontinued in early 2024. As part of its Watches and Wonders 2024 novelties, however, Patek Philippe brings this popular chronograph complication back to the Nautilus family with a unique blend of refinement and casual cool. The new Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G brings back the unique stacked, concentric subdial layout of previous Nautilus chronographs, but combines this with a relaxed blue colorway and an offbeat denim-effect strap.
Measuring 40.5mm wide and 12.2mm thick, the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G’s 18k white-gold case is, from a design perspective, pure classic Nautilus. The layout should be instantly familiar to enthusiasts, with the same broad chamfered bezel, porthole-inspired case side flanges, and smoothly elegant integrated lugs as the rest of the Nautilus collection. Naturally, the largest difference from the mainline Nautilus case design is the inclusion of chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. Broad and subtly rounded, the polished oval pushers add a new source of flash to an already bright and eye-catching case design. Patek Philippe tops off the case with a sapphire display caseback, as well. Given the Nautilus line’s sporting, aquatic pretensions, it’s difficult to judge the reference 5980-60G’s miniscule 30-meter water resistance rating as anything but disappointing.
Like the case, the dial design of the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G should be familiar to fans of the brand. The classic Nautilus dial layout is broadly preserved here, with sleek paddle hands, angled applied indices, and a horizontally slatted “teak deck” dial surface. Rather than the deep, oceanic blue usually used for the Nautilus series, this new model uses a more muted, denim-inspired blue dial hue in images for a fresher, more relaxed look. The unique concentric subdial design of previous 5980 models is refined and highlighted here, gathering both chronograph hours and chronograph minutes into a single tightly packaged display at 6 o’clock. Crucially, though, this model ditches the two-tone display of previous blue 5980 references for a cleaner all-blue subdial layout, featuring tight azurage, airy white scales, and elemental stick hands for both subdial displays. Overall, it’s a simpler, more visually open layout than many of its predecessors, but one that still feels instantly at home in the brand’s catalog.
Patek Philippe powers the Nautilus reference 5980-60G with the manufacture Caliber CH 28-520 C/522 automatic flyback chronograph movement. The Calibre CH 28-520 C/522 offers robust if unspectacular performance, with a 55-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. In terms of finishing, this movement is contemporary and handsome in images, with circular Côtes de Genève across the semi-skeleton bridges and balance cock, polished anglage, oversized perlage on the mainplate, and an engraved 21K gold rotor with matching circular Côtes de Genève.
The new strap design added to the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G arguably steals the show for this release. Attached to the case via the line’s classic polished rectangular integrated center links, this calfskin strap accurately captures the texture and color variations of heavily worn denim in photos. Equipping a strap inspired by faded blue jeans to a watch as formal and traditionally Swiss as Patek Philippe might seem like an odd pairing at first glance, but this more laid-back approach has its own sort of charm in images and matches the dial colorway splendidly.
The reference 5980 Patek Philippe Nautilus chronograph may have enjoyed a brief retirement in early 2024, but for Watches and Wonders the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G brings this fan-favorite layout back to life in a charismatically casual new style.
Patek Philippe 5330G World Time
To a certain type of person, Patek Philippe is world timers and world timers are Patek Philippe. While Patek didn’t invent the complication, it’s become strongly associated with the brand over the decades, in large part because of well-executed references like the new Patek Philippe 5330G World Time.
Patek introduced the 5330G at last year’s Tokyo Grand Exhibit as a limited edition of 300 and only for the Japanese market. Now, it’s bringing the new World Time reference to its general catalog with an opaline blue-grey dial. The carbon pattern in the center of the dial calls to mind the 6007A Calatrava introduced to celebrate the opening of its new manufacture in 2020.
The Patek Philippe 5330G World Time is powered by the new Patek caliber 240 HU C, which Patek introduced in last year’s LE. It’s a world timer with 24-hour day/night indication for each time zone, but it’s most notable for being the first world time that has a date that faithfully tracks the local (i.e., 12-hour) time. According to Patek, it’s done this while adding less than a millimeter of thickness to the caliber. It’s the type of practical mechanical innovation that Patek continues to do as well as any manufacturer, in particular in its world and travel time watches. The caliber 240 is an automatic movement that beats at 3 Hz and has a 38-48-hour power reserve.
The white gold case measures 40 x 11.57mm. It’s well proportioned and wears thin on the wrist, exactly what you want from the dressier side of Patek. The lugs are compact and keep the 5330G wearable, even given its slightly larger diameter. The round case and stepped lugs feel heritage inspired, appropriate for a classic complication like a world timer.
While the Japanese limited edition had a guilloché purple dial that was certainly an acquired taste, the main catalog 5330G plays it down the middle with a blue-grey opaline. The textured carbon pattern in the middle of the dial contrasts with the smooth world timer rings. A glass date pointer that’s tipped with red feels like a considered touch.
Somewhat provocatively, Patek has paired a denim-style calfskin strap with the Patek Philippe 5330G World Time , just as it has with the updated 5980G. For awhile, we’ve been saying it wouldn’t hurt brands like Patek to deliver its modern dressier watches on something besides the oh-so-formal alligator, so I like seeing something new from Patek. As we mentioned on the first Watches & Wonders episode of Hodinkee Radio, it calls to mind the brown denim-adjacent strap on AP’s Travis Scott collab.
A Patek world timer isn’t going to set the world on fire. It’s simply Patek doing what it’s always done, just making it about 10 percent better – in this case, that means a practical innovation that makes the watch just that much more usable. But the Patek Philippe 5330G World Time is a well executed, modern take on an old-school complication, and that’s exactly the type of thing we like to see from Patek Philippe.
patek philippe golden ellipse 5738
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this design, which was conceived with a the timeless golden ratio in mind, Patek is presenting a new rose gold “Jumbo” version with a 34.5mm x 39.5mm case and an ebony black sunburst dial. This new version of the larger format Reference 5738 joins the already existing platinum version that was launched 10 years ago for the watch’s 40th anniversary. Inside is the ultra-thin caliber 240 with micro-rotor. The movement measures just 2.53mm from top to bottom, allowing the watch itself to come in with a total height of just under 6mm. Like a lot of younger watch enthusiasts (I’m still youngish, right?), I’ve long viewed the Golden Ellipse as kind of an old man’s watch, but this larger format version, which measures just south of 40mm from top to bottom and a hair under 35mm across, appeals to me in a way that I hadn’t really expected. Maybe the purported timelessness of the Golden Ratio is something that I had to grow into. The patek philippe golden ellipse 5738 is back on my radar as a great ultra-thin automatic option. The warmth of this watch’s rose gold case is really nicely tempered by the black sunray dial and the onyx set within the crown.
On June 10, as the president of Patek Philippe entered the Sumitomo Sankaku Hiroba event space in Tokyo where the venerable Genevan watchmaker was staging its sixth and largest grand exhibition to date, his violet-colored kimono, the same royal hue as the signage, affirmed what many insiders already know about the brand’s relationship with Japan: Home to some of the world’s most sophisticated watch collectors, the country and its rich culture is a font of horological inspiration.
“We have been here for over 150 years,” Stern said during a press conference earlier that day on the occasion of the exhibition’s opening. “It’s a very difficult market in terms of quality—the quality level [demanded by the Japanese] is very high—but for Patek, it’s a perfect match.”
Running through June 25, the grand exhibition is open to the public and free of charge. Spanning nearly 27,000 square feet of space at the foot of the triangular Shinjuku Sumitomo skyscraper in the heart of Tokyo’s Nishi-Shinjuku business district, the exhibition welcomes visitors with a wide video screen depicting a view of the Genevan lakeside, including a replica of the city’s famed Flower Clock.
Inside, flanking a gazebo-like kiosk featuring a patek philippe golden ellipse 5738 video that explains the brand’s history, are 10 themed areas, each focused on a different aspect of the brand’s offering, including its current collection, complicated and chiming watches and the rare handcrafts made specifically for the Japanese market. The décor and layout are designed to transport visitors to Geneva, specifically to the brand’s historic headquarters in the rue du Rhône, its manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, and the Patek Philippe Museum.
For many visitors, the Rare Handcrafts room is the highlight of the exhibition. Home to 40 one-of-a-kind pieces and limited editions (including eight dome clocks, five table clocks, nine pocket patek philippe golden ellipse 5738 watches, and 18 wristwatches), the timekeepers on display incorporate centuries-old artisanal techniques such as miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, micro wood marquetry, hand-executed guilloché work, and gem-setting.
Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Split-Seconds Chronograph Perpetual Calendar
Patek Philippe has inaugurated the grand exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo 2023. The renowned independent family-owned watch manufacture has chosen Japan and Tokyo as the destination for the sixth edition of the exhibition, which follows Dubai in 2012, Munich in 2013, London in 2015, New York in 2017 and Singapore in 2019. From June 10th to June 25th, 2023, the public will be able to enjoy a comprehensive and immersive experience with insights into the brand’s heritage, craftsmanship, and behind-the-scenes operations.
“Watch Art” brings together more than 500 timepieces and objects illustrating a wealth of different types of expertise. In particular, visitors may admire the manufacture’s entire current collection as well as rare handcrafts including miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, micro wood marquetry, hand-executed guilloché work and gemsetting.
The exhibition also presents a selection of some 190 pieces belonging to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and exceptionally allowed to travel for the Tokyo event.
The largest exhibition ever organized by the manufacture, this event is accompanied by the launch of six limited editions. Featuring among these six new introductions are two technical pieces making their global debut: a new self-winding Quadruple Complication and the first World Time watch equipped with a date display synchronized with local time.
A limited edition of 15 watches, the Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Reference 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is a self-winding model combining a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar in apertures. The new caliber R CHR 27 PS QI movement (799 parts), with a platinum mini-rotor increasing the winding power, is distinguished by two patented innovations that reduce energy consumption related to the clutch and the split seconds.
The monopusher chronograph has 60- minute and 12-hour counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock respectively. The split-seconds hand is controlled by its own pusher at 4 o’clock. The instantaneous perpetual calendar ensures the advance of the disks in 30 milliseconds in the 3 apertures for the day, date and month arranged along an arc and in the leap-year aperture, on the rose-gilt opaline dial. The watch is presented in a fully polished 42 mm platinum case and is delivered with two interchangeable case backs: one in sapphire crystal adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”, the other in solid platinum engraved with the same wording.
The Patek Philippe World Time Reference 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is a limited edition of 300 watches and marks the introduction of a patented date display synchronized with local time – that of the time zone selected at the 12 o’clock position and displayed by the center hands. To offer this exclusive function, Patek Philippe developed a new movement, the ultra-thin self-winding caliber 240 HU C, which features an innovative differential system (70 parts) enabling it to manage the date of the local time.
The plum-coloured dial is embellished with a hand-guilloched center. The date is displayed on the beveled flange of the dial by a center hand in glass with a red tip. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk. On the 24-hour disk, which is divided into day and night zones, a red rising sun—Japan’s national emblem—substitutes the traditional sun symbol. The case, with a diameter of 40 mm, is crafted from fully polished white gold and showcases curved two-tier fluted lugs. The sapphire-crystal back is adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”.
Limited to 15 watches, the Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater Reference 5531R-014 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is characterised by a dial adorned with a tiny masterpiece of rare handcraftsmanship – a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration representing the historic Chuo district in the centre of Tokyo. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk. The watch is delivered with two interchangeable case backs, one in sapphire crystal adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”, the other in solid rose gold engraved with the same wording.
Patek Philippe is back with another Grand Exhibition taking place this weekend in Tokyo, Japan and it just dropped six new releases to celebrate the occasion. Beyond the technical prowess of the complications like the quadruple complication Ref. 5308P-010 featuring a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar, Patek Philippe seemed intent on making a splash with vibrant hues from the aforementioned salmon dial reference to a royal purple-hued world timer and two pastel-colored Calatravas.
Patek Philippe Releases Six New Limited References
Patek Philippe introduced six limited editions, some of them surprisingly colorful, in conjunction with its Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo over the weekend. The brand also created a complete collection of dome clocks, table clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches celebrating the rare handcrafts, inspired by Japanese culture for the exhibition.
The Quadruple Patek Philippe Complication Reference 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo is a minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and instantaneous perpetual calendar in apertures. It contains a new movement, the caliber R CHR 27 PS QI with two patented innovations that reduce energy consumption with regard to the clutch and the split seconds. The dial is the rich salmon color that is much coveted by collectors at the moment, and generally reserved for special editions. Case and bracelet are platinum. It is a limited edition of 15 pieces.
The Patek Philippe Calatrava References 6127G-010 and 7127G-010 are typically refined Calatrava designs, but pop with lively pastel-colored dials in light blue and lilac shades. The two-tiered case with beveled lugs is a new design, aimed at the Japanese sense of refinement. Each is limited to 400 pieces, with the first 300 of each sold together in pairs.
The Patek Philippe World Time Reference 5330G-010 joins the color parade with a luscious plum-colored dial. The movement, caliber 240 HU C drives a world-first function: a date display synchronized with local time. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk, and on the 24-hour disk, a red rising sun, Japan’s national emblem, replaces the classic sun symbol on the day/night indicator.
Another world timer, the World Time Minute Repeater Reference 5531R-014, has a grand feu cloisonné enamel dial decoration representing the historic Chuo district in the center of Tokyo. The minute repeater chimes the local time. It is limited to 15 pieces, and like all these new editions, is being launched exclusively in the Japanese market.
The Ladies’ Moon-Phase Reference 7121/200G-010 is a 200 piece edition with a moon phase display that will not need adjustment for 122 years. The shimmering pearl gray dial is surrounded by a bezel set with 132 brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 1.09 carats.
Patek Philippe Grand Complications Split-Seconds Chronograph
Patek Philippe is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury watch brands and buyers have a wide variety of different timepieces to choose from. However, established collections like the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava and Grand Complications are the most popular and most highly sought after.
In this article, we take a closer look at the most popular Patek Philippe watch models and collections within those collections, so that you can gain a better idea of what they each have to offer.
The Nautilus range was introduced in 1976 and has become one of the brand’s most instantly recognizable collections. Aesthetically, Nautilus models are defined by their porthole-inspired case shape. However, within the collection, there are a variety of different model types.
As the name indicates, Nautilus Date models feature a date display aperture on the dial. This is most commonly located at the 3 o’clock position, although some versions have the date display at the 6 o’clock position. Nautilus Date models are often among the most minimalist watches in the collection.
Nautilus moon phase models are models that feature a moon phase indicator on the dial. The display works by displaying the different phases of the moon – including full moon and both waxing and waning crescent moon – over the course of a lunar cycle. The moon phase indicator is found at the bottom of the dial.
Nautilus Annual Calendar watches are defined by the presence of the full date on the dial, including the day, date and month. The annual calendar complication automatically adjusts the date on the timepiece, based on 30 and 31-day months, but does need to be adjusted at the end of February each year.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph models are a line of Nautilus models equipped with chronograph functionality. This means the watch can be used as a stopwatch, with options to start, stop and reset the feature. The chronograph sub-dial on these watches is most commonly found at the 6 o’clock position.
The Aquanaut collection is a range of more casual Patek Philippe sports watches. The first Aquanaut models were introduced in 1997 and these timepieces are visually defined by their rounded octagonal case shape. Aquanaut models are also notable for their excellent water resistance.
Aquanaut Date models feature a date display window at the 3 o’clock position on the dial. The watches are made from a variety of materials. The most extravagant models feature diamonds on the bezel.
Aquanaut Travel Time watches are ideal for buyers who travel often and need to track multiple time zones. These timepieces include a dual time zone mechanism, indicating both local and home times. Meanwhile, apertures on the dial also provide day/night indications for both the local and home time zones.
Finally, Aquanaut models with chronograph functionality are categorized as Aquanaut Chronograph watches. The chronograph sub-dial is located at the 6 o’clock position and allows the user to operate the watch as a stopwatch, complete with start, stop and reset functions.
The Calatrava collection is a classic Patek Philippe collection, with a history dating back to 1932. For much of the brand’s history, the Calatrava has been regarded as the signature collection. These dress watches have an understated appeal, although the design of some models has grown bolder over the decades.
Calatrava Date models are visually simplistic, with the classic, conservative Calatrava design and a date display window at the 3 o’clock position. Case materials include yellow gold, rose gold and white gold.
Aesthetically defined by the presence of a guilloched hobnail bezel, the Calatrava Hobnail models are often labeled ‘Clous de Paris’. Case material can be rose gold, yellow gold, or white gold.
Calatrava Ladies models are specifically aimed at the women’s market and are primarily defined by smaller case sizes, which are generally in the 35mm range. Some models also feature bezels set with diamonds. Models aimed at women will also often feature very clean dials, without complications.
The Complications collection is characterized by the presence of complications on the watch, such as annual calendar functions and chronograph functions. While the features are generally less complex than the Grand Complications line, these watches can still include multiple complications on the same watch.
Complications Annual Calendar Moon Phase watches will feature both annual calendar functionality and a moon phase indicator. Annual calendar watches automatically track the date and include day, date and month displays. However, they need to be manually set at the end of February, as they operate based on 30 and 31-day months.
Complications Annual Calendar Chronograph watches include day, date and month displays and also offer stopwatch functionality. The annual calendar function needs to be manually adjusted once per year, at the end of February.
Complications Regulator models include the regulator complication, which means the watch displays the hours, minutes and seconds on separate dials. This is achieved by including two sub-dials, which display the hours and seconds, while the main dial displays the minutes. These models may also include annual calendar functionality.
Complications Chronograph models are Patek Philippe models within the Complications line that feature chronograph functionality. This allows these watches to operate as a stopwatch when required.
Grand Complications watches feature some of the most complex features available on any luxury watch. Visually, the Grand Complications collection also includes some of the most interesting and modern Patek Philippe designs.
Grand Complications Perpetual Calendar Chronograph watches include chronograph functionality, along with a perpetual calendar complication. Perpetual calendar functionality differs from annual calendar functionality because it displays the day, date and month, while automatically adjusting for February and for leap years.
Grand Complications Split Second Chronograph watches feature the split seconds complication, which allows users to precisely time two intervals of time with the same start point. It is one of the most advanced and prestigious watch complications, due to the mechanical complexity involved.
Finally, as the name should indicate, Grand Complications Split Second Perpetual Calendar models are a line of Patek Philippe Grand Complications models that combine the perpetual calendar and split second functions.
Patek Philippe watches can be purchased from authorized dealers, although the most popular Patek Philippe models will have extensive waiting lists. In many cases, this will mean you have to wait several years to get your hands on the timepiece you are looking for. Understandably, many potential buyers seek alternatives to this.
The best alternative is to purchase from a reliable grey market dealer, such as Jaztime.com. This approach allows you to obtain your Patek Philippe timepiece from a reputable retailer, unlike with private sellers on sites like eBay, but it also becomes possible to bypass the long waiting lists associated with authorized dealers.
Patek Philippe watches are some of the most prestigious and sought after luxury watches on the market. The collections and model types listed are among the most popular and are likely to have lengthy waiting lists from authorized dealers. Fortunately, Jaztime.com allows buyers to get their hands on these watches without delay.
Patek Philippe Nautilus
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The Patek Philippe Nautilus is one of two watches that introduced the world to the concept of the “luxury sports watch” — a steel timepiece with an integrated bracelet that is, in many cases, more expensive than a precious metal watch in equivalent weight. Though the Nautilus product line does indeed include precious metal watches, it’s the steel, time-and-date model — currently embodied by the reference 5711 — that has become iconic and emblematic of this category of watches. And given that Patek is retiring this now-legendary reference after nearly 20 years, we thought it was time we dove deep into the world of this fascinating wristwatch, including history, purchasing, favorite references and more.
Arguably, there’s no single more important person than Genta when it comes to watch design over the past 50 years. It was Genta who crafted the Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet in 1972, and the Nautilus for Patek Philippe in 1976. These two timepieces were arguably the first “luxury sport watches” in the world. And what the heck does that even mean, exactly?
Well, you’ve gotta understand that before the Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus , a steel sports watch, like the Rolex Submariner, was really and truly a tool. An enlisted soldier might buy one in a post exchange in Southeast Asia — for a month’s salary, to be fair — and then wear it on operations against the Vietcong. That sort of thing. It certainly wasn’t something to be precious about.
That changed during the Quartz Crisis. In 1969 the world was hit with the first battery-powered quartz watch. Despite the fact that this tech was wildly expensive when it first debuted, the writing was on the wall for the Swiss watch industry: Cheap, accurate and robust battery-powered watches from Asia had the power to make mechanical watchmaking obsolete. And all the more so if the storied brands continued to produce stuffy, dated designs without innovating. They needed to do something bold if they were going to survive.
Enter Genta. His designs for both the Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus were a revelation. Nautically-inspired and featuring integrated bracelets and automatic movements, they were suffused with high-quality finishing and inspired industrial design. And they were expensive — like, ludicrously expensive for something not executed in precious metals. “One of the world’s costliest watches is made of steel,” an early Nautilus guide boasted. Not exactly subtle, but it worked.
Boy, did it work; buyers positively flocked to these two designs. The Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3700/1 cost $3,100 in 1976 — roughly $15,300 today. Now, that might not seem absurd in today’s, ahem, wildly absurd watch market. But imagine the sticker shock in the mid-70s, a time of rapid inflation and double-digit interest rates. Certainly, the Nautilus was no “tool watch” despite its steel housing — it was a luxury product, for wealthy people. And it has only become more so.
But let’s backtrack for a second. We mentioned that both the Audemars Piguet and the Patek Philippe Nautilus were designed by Gérald Genta. But what is the Nautilus? What makes it special?
Genta took inspiration from the porthole on a transatlantic ocean liner for the watch’s case — even the two “ears” are present, the hinges on either side of the porthole on which it swings open and closed form part of the design. Patek formed the case from a steel alloy of nickel, chrome and molybdenum, which was known at the time both for its strength and relative lightness.
The watch’s dial was simple, consisting of thin, rounded sword hands, matching applied indices, and a date window at 3 o’clock, all against a unique background with embossed, horizontal striping. And it was powered by the ultra-thin Calibre 28-255C movement, based on the Calibre 920 from Jaeger-LeCoultre with in-house finishing by Patek. (Somewhat unsurprisingly, given the similarity of their designs, this was the very same movement used to power the original Royal Oak.) Thinness was a major factor in Genta’s approach.
The steel bracelet, which is integrated into the case, was also a design revelation. Most other 20th-century watches featured bracelets that could easily be detached and swapped for a simple leather or other band. Not so the Nautilus — the steel bracelet is an integral part of the package and design vision, and with its elegant H-links and rounded, rectangular center links, has become something of an icon in and of itself.
Patek Philippe Calatrava
Patek Philippe is introducing an updated Calatrava with a series of primary-colored dial variations.
Meet the new Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 6007G, in three different colors: yellow (ref. 6007G-001), red (6007G-010), and blue (6007G-011). It’s similar to the limited-edition 6007A that Patek released back in 2020 to celebrate the opening of its new manufacturer, but now it’s in white gold, not steel. Unlike that model, the new 6007G uses Patek’s newer-generation movement, the caliber 26-330 S C.
Like 2020’s 6007A, the new 6007G measures 40mm in diameter and 9mm thick. The white gold case is entirely polished and water resistant to 30 meters. The dial in each of the three references is black, with yellow, red, or sky blue accents on the minute and hour track, and a matching center seconds hand. On the black calfskin strap, Patek has also added contrast stitching that matches these colorful accents
Keeping with the more casual vibe of the watch, the Arabic numerals and hands have Super-Luminova. Keeping with the fact that it’s still a Patek, the numerals are applied and in white gold.
The Patek Philippe Calatrava black dial has different finishes for each of its concentric circles: “carbon style” stamped guilloche is in the center, surrounded by circular graining and brushing. It’s the same dial treatment seen in the 6007A (and last year’s 5935 World Timer); we’ve also seen the carbon-style guilloche in a unique 5004T and 5208T. Yes, the guilloche in the 6007G is stamped, and yes, it was hand-engraved on those unique examples. Those unique examples also sold for EUR 2.9 million and CHF 6.2 million, respectively. The 6007G already costs nearly $40,000, so adding elements of true engine-turned guilloche would’ve sent it into another stratosphere.
The new Patek Philippe Calatrava 6007G trio is powered by Patek’s relatively new caliber 26-330 S C, which can be seen through the sapphire caseback. It has a date at 3 o’clock, hacking seconds, and ticks at 28,800 beats per hour with a 45-hour power reserve. It represents a practical (hacking seconds!) and technical upgrade over the 6007A’s 324.
First introduced in 2019 as a base for the surprisingly lovely 5212A Weekly Calendar, Patek also swapped the 26-330 into the Nautilus 5711 for the last couple years of its run. Its most important technical upgrade as compared to the 324 is the addition of a new second wheel that’s made using LIGA and has long, slotted teeth on each gear. This is meant to smooth the ticking of the seconds hand and prevent the backlash seen on other seconds hands. Retail for each color of the 6007G is $37,850. A lot for a time-and-date watch, to be sure, but also in line with last year’s 5226 ($40,220, also powered by the 26-330), and within spitting distance of the more traditionally-minded manual-wind 6119G ($31,940). It’s also about the same as that Weekly Calendar I love, which I’d probably take if I had a spare $40,000, but I can already hear my local authorized dealer laughing about my chances of getting one of those, even as I type this sentence (hi, Allison!).
It’s easy to point to the recent 6007A as the inspiration for this watch, but really this more casual, perhaps instrument-inspired take on the Calatrava can be traced back to the early ’90s when Patek introduced the 5000G. This was followed by the 6000G in 2005 and then the 6006G in 2017, both larger riffs on the original 5000G that added a pointer date. Thirty years on, the design is a well-trodden, if infrequent, part of Patek’s Calatrava catalog.
With watches like the 6007, last year’s 5226G, and even the 5212A, it seems Patek is trying to chart a middle-ground for a new kind of Patek Philippe watch. It’s not a sport watch (this is clearly not a Nautilus or Aquanaut), and it’s not your grandfather’s Patek (for that, there’s the 6119). It’s a daily wearer for the type of person who wants a Patek – someone who’s ready for a Calatrava, but maybe they discovered watches years ago via something like a Hamilton Khaki Field or IWC Pilot’s Watch, or even that eye-popping run of colored Rolex Oyster Perpetuals.
Of course, it’s funny that what’ll probably be referred to as the “colorful Calatravas” still have black dials and really aren’t that colorful. A few secondary pops of bright colors is all it takes to liven up a line that’s been around since 1932.
There’s a rumor that the original 5000G was produced for a potential Patek-Ferrari partnership and is inspired by a car’s instrumentation. The partnership never came to fruition, but if the rumor is true, the red-accented 6007G especially feels like the most attenuated of connections to the origin story of the reference that laid the groundwork for this new trio of Calatravas.
If Rolex can try out brand-new bezel and dial colors (and combinations thereof), I think we can allow Patek a few colorful tick marks and a sweeping seconds hand.
I’d quibble with other details that stray from older Pateks like that 5000G – a smaller diameter and no date would’ve been nice – but with the different dial finishes, at least the dial looks proportional. Perhaps because of the red we’ve seen in Pateks before (in limited editions, piece uniques, and even standard production watches) or just my Chicago Bulls fandom, the red 6007G-010 makes the most sense to me.
Light blue is a trendier pick, though at least it’s a few shades away from that other light-blue Patek. It does feel very Patek that, for its “colorful Calatravas,” it’d choose the three primary colors. No reason to spin the color wheel around too far.
I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t mind your grandfather’s Patek and might even prefer it (especially if it happens to be this one), but who also wants a modern Patek to be a modern Patek. While perhaps more expensive than an old Patek Philippe Calatrava , the new 6007G strikes a workable balance between traditional and modern, sport and dress, restrained and colorful.