Patek Philippe – 2022 Rare Handcrafts Collection

Hi everyone,

Patek Philippe has unveiled its 2022 Rare handcrafts collection. In recent years, next to the more visible regular collection novelties, Patek presents a range of rare, sometimes unique, pieces in link with hand-made craftmanship. It has been a while since the brand has been involved in those highly skilled fields. We can of course recall the early 1950’s/1960’s enamel pocket and wrist watches or last decades pieces decorated from feather working, wood marquetry, painting crafts but in fact you can follow pieces decorated that way from the early origins of Patek in the 19th century.

These are pieces that are very difficult to come buy, even on pictures. Thus, I try each year to post the pictures from the press release in order that people who enjoy this side of watchmaking can view them as well.

Please note these are press pictures and I’ll post extracts of the press descriptions as well.

To be able to see them, you should know Patek Philippe will be presenting their 2022 Rare Handcrafts collection in Paris (you have to pre-register on the Patek website dedicated page, linked below), from the 6th to the 23nd of April 2022.

More here: 2022 Rare Handcrafts exhibition on Patek’s website

Enjoy the show!

PS: the 2023 Rare Handcrafts Collection is also visible, here.

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Techniques used in the “Rare Handcrafts” collections

Hand engraving

The oldest form of decorative art linked to the embellishment of timepieces, hand engraving and its various techniques (line engraving, low relief etc.) adorn case backs, dials, hands, bezels and bows.

Grand Feu cloisonné enamel

This technique, which has long been used in watchmaking, creates motifs with luminous, enduring colors. The artisan shapes the contours of the motif with a fine gold wire and then fills the resulting “cloisons” or cells with translucent, opaque, semi-opaque or opalescent enamels.

Miniature painting on enamel

A grand Genevan specialty since the 17th century, this technique serves to create small pictures in tiny deft touches” using a minuscule brush and powdered enamels mixed with lavender oil, on a base layer of white enamel.

Paillonné enamel

This traditional technique consists of embedding small gold- or silver-leaf paillons (punched spangles) in translucent enamel so that they remain visible and illuminate the decoration.

Hand-executed guilloché work & flinqué enamel

In hand-executed guilloché work, ancient manually controlled machines are used to carve fine geometric patterns in a metal surface on which light seems to dance. When these shining patterns are coated with translucent enamel, the technique is referred to as flinqué enamel.

Champlevé enamel

This ancestral technique consists of hollowing out areas of a metal plate, and then filling these cavities with enamel by means of several firings.

Grisaille enamel au blanc de Limoges

In this technique of French origin, the oil-based white enamel known as “blanc de Limoges” is modeled using a tiny brush and a needle on a base of dark-colored enamel to create skillful monochromes.

Longwy enamel on faience

In this technique, for which the town of Longwy in northeastern France is renowned, the enameller lays out his design by drawing the characteristic black outline or “cerne”, and then fills the cells with colors using a brush and creating a slight relief.

Fauré enamel (relief enamel)

By this technique, which appeared in Limoges at the beginning of the 20th century, very finely ground enamel powder is mixed with a special glue and then applied and modeled in thick, compact layers using a spatula, to obtain relief patterns.

Wood micromarquetry

This extremely elaborate technique, introduced by Patek Philippe to decorate dials and case backs, is used to produce small pictures composed of several hundred tiny veneer parts, shaped from woods of different species, colors, and graining.

Gemsetting

Gemsetting with diamonds and other precious stones such as rubies lends an irresistible sparkle to the bezels of Calatrava wristwatches. The fully handcrafted pocket-watch stands in 18K gold are also set with a wide variety of precious gems in subtle, elegant shades.

POCKET WATCHES

995/117G-001 “Zebras” / Pocket watch with cloisonné enamel

Play of stripes

This unique piece in white gold pays tribute to one of the greatest curiosities in the African natural world: the zebra, symbol of courage, miscegenation and interracial harmony.

The visual play of stripes on the case back was reproduced by a decoration in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel calling for more than 2 m of 24K gold wire (~0.78g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section, opaque and translucent enamels in 12 colors, and 20 firings at a temperature exceeding 800°C. Taking up the same pattern, the cloisonné enamel dial required 40 cm of 24K gold wire (~0.16 g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section and opaque and translucent enamels in 5 colors, together with 8 firings at more than 800°C. A black spinel cabochon (0.33 ct) adorns the crown.

This pocket watch is accompanied by a white-gold handcrafted stand resting on a foot set with a black spinel cabochon (0.43 ct) on an oval-shaped base in silver-sheen obsidian.

It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

995/121J-001 “Azulejos” / Pocket watch with miniature painting on enamel and hand-engraving

“The Wine Merchant”

This unique piece in yellow gold pays a fine tribute to azulejos, the famous glazed ceramic tiles of Portugal and Spain. It gives center stage to a scene entitled “The Wine Merchant”, which is part of the tile-work decorating the Rio Tinto railway station, not far from Porto.

To create this unique trompe-l’oeil on the case back, even reproducing the relief of the tiles, the enameller painted his picture in monochrome, building it up in small deft touches with 11 base colors and 13 blends. The foliage was hand-engraved before being enameled. Several final coats of flux, a transparent enamel, protect the decoration and intensify its brilliance according to the Geneva method. During the enameling, the case back underwent 30 firings at a temperature of 830°C. The dial decoration, enameled in the old style with great finesse, required 4 base colors and 3 blends. A blue sapphire cabochon (0.38 ct) embellishes the crown.

This pocket watch is accompanied by a yellow-gold handcrafted stand adorned with clusters of grapes and vine leaves, resting on a foot set with a blue sapphire cabochon (0.44 ct), on an oval-shaped base of blue quartz.

It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

995/128J-001 “Cheetah” / Pocket watch with case back in wood marquetry and enameled dial

One of the fastest animals on earth

A sprinting cheetah adorns the back of this unique piece in yellow gold created in micro wood marquetry — ideal among the rare handcrafts for reproducing all the power and elegance of this feline with its famous black-spotted coat.

This picture, with its striking sense of life and movement, called for a remarkable 610 tiny veneer parts and 50 inlays, together spanning 16 species of wood of different colors, textures and veining, cut out and assembled by a marquetry maker of outstanding artistry and skill. The dial, in opaque white enamel, presents yellow-gold applied Breguet numerals and yellow-gold leaf-shaped hands. A red jasper cabochon (0.26 ct) embellishes the crown.

This pocket watch is accompanied by a yellow-gold handcrafted stand in the shape of an acacia tree, resting on a foot set with a red jasper cabochon (0.28 ct) on an oval-shaped base of red jasper encircled by blades of grass in gold.

It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

995/129J-001 “Greater Kudu” / Pocket watch with case back in wood marquetry and enameled dial

One of the largest African animals

The back of this unique piece in yellow-gold, created using the highly original and complex technique of micro wood marquetry, gives center stage to a greater kudu on the watch. This species of antelope, living mainly in southern and eastern Africa, is recognizable by its corkscrew-shaped horns.

To convey with both realism and sensitivity all the beauty of this stately animal the marquetry maker cut out and assembled 372 veneer parts and 60 tiny inlays, representing a palette of 31 species of wood of different colors, textures and veining. The dial, in opaque white enamel, presents yellow-gold applied Breguet numerals and yellow-gold leaf-shaped hands. A yellow cat’s eye opal cabochon (0.25 ct) adorns the crown.

This pocket watch is accompanied by a yellow-gold handcrafted stand in the shape of an acacia tree, resting on a foot set with a yellow cat’s eye opal cabochon (0.28 ct), on an oval-shaped base in Kalahari jasper.

It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

995/130G-001 “Swan” / Pocket watch with case back in wood marquetry and enameled dial with hand-engraved hands

The prince of Lake Geneva

A swan, symbolizing light, grace, love and fidelity and emblematic of Lake Geneva, glides across the back of this unique piece in white gold showcasing the highly refined technique of micro wood marquetry.

To reproduce all the elegance of the plumage and the long curving neck, as well as the subtle play of reflections in the water, the marquetry maker cut out and assembled 223 pieces of veneer and 30 tiny inlays, shaped from 23 species of wood of different colors, textures and veining. The dial, in black enamel, presents white-gold applied Breguet numerals and white-gold leaf-shaped hour, minute and seconds hands, embellished with hand-engraving. A spessartine cabochon (0.44 ct) adorns the crown.

This pocket watch is accompanied by a white-gold handcrafted stand resting on a foot set with a spessartine cabochon (0.46 ct) on an oval-shaped base in silver-sheen obsidian.

It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

992/162G-001 “Ritmo Cubano” / Pocket watch with cloisonné enamel, hand-executed guilloché work beneath translucent enamel, and hand-engraving

Caribbean time

The bewitching atmosphere of Cuba — with its salsa dancers, colonial architecture and legendary classic American cars — pulsates on the back of this unique piece in white gold.

The creation of this little picture in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel called for 122 cm of 24K yellow-gold wire (0.97 g) measuring 0.1 × 0.45 mm in cross-section, translucent, semi-opaque and opaque enamels in 66 colors, and 23 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 840°C. The white-gold dial was hand-guilloched with a pattern of tobacco leaves evoking the famous Cuban cigars and then coated with translucent green enamel. Great artistry and skill is required to combine different guilloché motifs on the same dial plate so as to achieve relief effects and contrasts. The border of the case back, the bezel and the bow were hand-engraved. A green tsavorite cabochon (0.34 ct) adorns the crown.

This pocket watch houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds.

DOME TABLE CLOCKS

10003M-001 “Kites” / Small dome table clock in cloisonné enamel

Spirits of the air

A return to the fantasies of our childhood, this unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel invites us to rediscover lightness and poetry with its decor of kites inspired by a splendid Chinese tradition.

To outline every detail of these soaring creatures made of wood and paper or silk, the enameller used 13.5 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (15 g) measuring 0.15 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand before being fixed to the base plate. The colors of the dragons stand out crisply against the azure sky by means of a vibrant palette of translucent, opaque and opalescent enamels in 26 colors. Each plate required from 8 to 10 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 900°C. An hour circle embellished with black-enameled Breguet numerals frames a dial center in cloisonné enamel continuing the motif on the panels and dome.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

10012M-001 “Floral Decoration in Blue” / Small dome table clock in cloisonné enamel

A bouquet of colors

Delicate blue flowers strewn over radiant yellow opaque enamel adorn this unique piece perpetuating the venerable tradition of Grand Feu cloisonné enameling — one of the rare and precious handcrafts lovingly preserved by Patek Philippe.

To create the contours of the petals, leaves and stems, the enameller used 22 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (22 g) measuring 0.1 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand before being fixed to the rounded panels and dome of the clock. For the rich and harmonious color scheme, he filled the cells created by these gold partitions with 12 shades of opaque or translucent enamels, finely ground and mixed with water. Each enameled plate required from 10 to 12 firings at temperatures of more than 800°C. An hour circle adorned with unique leaf-shaped hour markers in blue enamel frames a dial center in cloisonné enamel.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

10013M-001 “Jungle” / Small dome table clock in cloisonné enamel

A breath of exoticism

Redolent of far-flung places, the decoration of this unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel conjures up the enchantment of a tropical forest at the ocean’s edge — with its fauna poised to spring into life and an almost perceptible scent of orchids in the air.

Creating the outlines of the animals and plants required 9.85 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (10.94 g) measuring 0.15 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand before being fixed to the base plate. The sense of life and movement called for a palette of 36 enamel colors, mainly translucent but with some opaque or opalescent, lending themselves to subtle layering and shading. Each enameled plate underwent from 8 to 10 firings at temperatures ranging from 850°C to 900°C. An hour circle adorned with black-enameled Breguet numerals frames a dial center in cloisonné enamel continuing the jungle decor.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

10023M-001 “Foliage” / Small dome table clock in cloisonné enamel enriched with miniature painting on enamel

Under the canopy

This unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel presents a decor of interlacing blue and green leaves that draws our gaze deep into an enchanted forest.

To trace the contours of the foliage, the enameller used 13.7 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (15.2 g) measuring 0.15 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand before being fixed to the panels and dome. To introduce brilliance, depth and movement he worked with a palette of 14 enamel colors, mainly translucent, but with some opaque. Details were further refined with miniature painting on enamel. Each enameled plate underwent from 8 to 10 firings at temperatures ranging from 890°C to 910°C. The hour circle displays blue transfer-printed Arabic numerals. It frames a dial center adorned with a sunburst motif and then coated with translucent blue enamel, through which the radiant pattern may be seen.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17 ’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20048M “Las Vegas Casinos” / Dome table clock in cloisonné and paillonné enamel enriched with miniature painting on enamel, with dial in wood marquetry

Faites vos jeux!

Las Vegas, one of the gambling capitals of the world, inspired the decoration on this unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel.

To capture the atmosphere of the city and its casinos, the enameller used a remarkable 45.75 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (91.5 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, and a rich palette of opaque, semi-opaque and translucent enamels in 86 colors and blends, with finishing touches in miniature painting on enamel. For added brilliance, 543 spangles called paillons in gold and silver leaf, embedded in the enamel together with gold powder, illuminate the buildings and neon signs. Each enameled plate underwent from 6 to 9 firings at a temperature of 810°C. The dial — the first in a Patek Philippe table clock to feature wood marquetry — combines plane burr with Macassar ebony. In a nod to the game of roulette, 12 lozenge-shaped gilt cabochons mark the hours, while the hands rotate above a circle in red, black and green lacquer evoking the numbered compartments on the roulette wheel.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20104M “Convolvulus” / Dome table clock in Longwy enamel on faience

Exclusive know-how

To depict these birds parading their fine plumage among convolvulus flowers, this unique piece showcases the refined technique of Longwy (France) enameling on faience, named after the town in northeastern France famous for the unmistakable style of its creations.

The artist first laid out the design on the bisque background, drawing the characteristic black outline or cerne. He then filled in the motifs with a palette of 22 opaque enamel colors, creating a slight relief, before refining the details, using a brush and 9 highlighting pigments to emphasize volume, light and shade. Last, he applied a pigment to the enameled surfaces to bring out the minute crackles typical of this technique. Each enameled plate required 5 firings at temperatures ranging down from 1020°C to 745°C. An hour circle adorned with a finely crackled surface and Breguet numerals painted in blue enamel frames black-lacquered Breguet hands.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20114M “Circus” / Dome table clock in cloisonné enamel enriched with silver leaf and miniature painting on enamel, with dial in flinqué enamel

A star-studded circus ring

With its dome, crowned with a finial, resembling a circus’s big top, this unique piece captures all the magic of the circus world.

Creating the contours of the design required 15.81 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (31.62 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section. Rendering the brilliance of the circus decors and costumes called for a vast palette of 32 enamel colors, mainly translucent but with some opaque or semi-opaque. To enrich the effect, the enameller embedded silver leaf beneath some elements such as the stars and the banderole on the dome, and brought out fine details with miniature painting on enamel. Each enameled plate underwent 18 firings at temperatures ranging from 750°C to 780°C. The hour circle presents beaded borders and red transfer-printed numerals. It frames a dial center hand-guilloched beneath translucent brown enamel in a fine display of flinqué enameling. Star-shaped spangles called paillons are embedded in the enamel. The cable-molded uprights and the stylized banderole bearing the Patek Philippe logo complete the illusion of a big top.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20116M “View of Geneva in the style of Ananbô” / Dome table clock in cloisonné enamel and miniature painting on enamel

Lake Geneva in the tropics

This unique piece drew inspiration from the panoramic wallpapers made by the French family firm Ananbô and famous for their originality, beauty and fine workmanship.

The lush exotic vegetation in the foreground, with its birds from near and far away, was rendered in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel using 41.2 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (45.75 g) measuring 0.15 × 0.6 mm in cross-section and 41 enamel colors, mainly translucent but with some semi-translucent or opaque. The fresco of Geneva in the background, inspired by an old image of the city, and some of the details in the foreground, were worked in miniature painting on enamel in 15 colors. Each enameled plate underwent 12 firings at 740°C. A gilded hour circle with guilloched borders and black transfer-printed Roman numerals forms part of a decoration representing the lakefront façade of the historic Patek Philippe building in the rue du Rhône.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20118M “Bol d’Or” / Dome table clock in cloisonné and paillonné enamel

A famous regatta on Lake Geneva

This unique piece was inspired by the world-famous Bol d’Or (Golden Globe) regatta, which Philippe Stern, honorary president of Patek Philippe, won seven times with his boats, each christened Altaïr. The dates of these victories are inscribed in miniature painting on enamel, while the course of the race is charted in gold wire on the dome.

The enameller used 13.8 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (27.6 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section and 64 colors and blends of translucent, opaque, semi-opaque and opalescent enamels and miniature painting on enamel. Embedded gold leaf illuminates the buoy and 13 star-shaped spangles called paillons, also in gold leaf, light up the dome. Each enameled plate required 8 to 10 firings at 820°C. An hour circle in ebony, set with 12 gilt applied hour markers in the shape of mooring posts, frames a dial center in cloisonné enamel. A handcrafted cable motif resembling cordage adorns the borders of the hour circle and the clock frame.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20121M “Cuban Salsa” / Dome table clock in cloisonné enamel enriched with silver leaf

To the rhythm of the salsa

Havana and its National Capitol Building, Pinar del Río and its tobacco plantations, Viñales and its dramatic mogotes rock formations, Trinidad and its colonial architecture: this unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel shines the spotlight on Cuba’s treasures.

To create the contours of the picture, the enameller used 23.7 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (47.38 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section. To bring out every nuance of the tobacco flowers and leaves and the vibrant hues of the houses, dancers and classic American car, he worked with a palette of 79 enamel colors, mainly translucent, but with some opaque or opalescent. Silver leaf embedded beneath the translucent enamel enriches the decoration. Each enameled plate required from 12 to 14 firings at temperatures ranging from 890°C to 900°C. An hour circle adorned with beaded borders and green transfer-printed Arabic numerals frames a dial center in cloisonné enamel depicting the Pinar del Río cigar factory.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20125M “The Conquest of the Air” / Dome table clock in cloisonné enamel enriched with silver leaf and miniature painting on enamel

Aviation’s finest hours

This unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel pays tribute to the pioneers of aviation. It recalls the major dates in this conquest of the air: the first flight by a heavier-than-air machine in 1903 and the first crossing of the English Channel in 1909, the Atlantic Ocean in 1919 and the Pacific Ocean in 1931.

Creating the detailed contours of these historic airplanes required 6.6 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (13.15 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section. The subtle shades of the sky and the aircraft called for a palette of 52 enamel colors, mainly translucent, but with some opaque or opalescent. Silver leaf was embedded beneath the translucent enamel and the dates were inscribed in miniature painting on enamel. Each enameled panel underwent from 12 to 14 firings at temperatures ranging from 890°C to 900°C. The hour circle is adorned with numerals recalling those on the Patek Philippe Pilot-style watches. It frames a dial center decorated with a sunburst motif, shining through a coating of translucent blue enamel.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

20142M “Dog Rose” / Dome table clock in cloisonné enamel

Rosa canina

This unique piece in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel celebrates all the beauty and poetry of the dog rose, or brier rose, symbol of passion, on a crimson ground.

To create the complex outlines of the flowers, with their many stamens and five curving petals, the enameller laid down 27.9 m of 24K yellow-gold wire (55.86 g) measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand before being fixed to the panels and dome. Nature’s harmonious interplay of red, pink, green, yellow and white was rendered by means of a palette of translucent, opaque and opalescent enamels in 10 colors. Each enameled plate required from 9 to 11 firings at a temperature of approximately 900°C. An hour circle adorned with a sunburst pattern and white-lacquered applied Arabic numerals frames a dial center coated with translucent russet enamel, allowing the rays of the sunburst to shine through.

This piece is powered by the caliber 17 ’’’ PEND mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor.

WRISTWATCHES

5077/100G-047 & 5077/100R-052 “African fauna” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel enriched with silver leaf and miniature painting on enamel

White Namibian elephants and leopard

Two scenes from life in the savannah adorn the dials of these limited editions of six watches each: a white Namibian mother elephant and her calf drinking at a watering hole (5077/100G-047) and a leopard at hunting time (5077/100R-052).

The scene in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel required from 62 to 77 cm of 24K yellow-gold wire (~0.25 g to 0.31g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section. Rendering the skins, the fur and the natural habitat called for opaque, semi-opaque, translucent and opalescent enamels in 28 to 38 colors and blends, with finishing touches in miniature painting on enamel. Silver leaf embedded beneath the enamel adds a touch of brilliance to the foliage. Each dial underwent 8 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 820°C. The bezel and lugs are set with 113 brilliant-cut Top Wesselton Pure diamonds (~0.8 ct), and the prong buckle sparkles with 29 diamonds (~0.22 ct).

The two watches house the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, which may be admired through their sapphire-crystal backs.

5077/100G-055 “Dom Robert” / Calatrava wristwatch with dial in grisaille enamel au blanc de Limoges

An ode to nature

Depicted in the bucolic naïve style, the bird that adorns this limited edition of six watches was inspired by the works of the French Benedictine monk and painter Dom Robert (1907 – 1997). The artist is famous for his cartoons made as a basis for about 150 tapestries, woven mainly at Aubusson in France.

To recreate this decoration, Patek Philippe turned to the rare and sophisticated technique of grisaille enameling au blanc de Limoges. The white, oil-based enamel known as blanc de Limoges is sculpted using a tiny brush and a needle on a ground of opaque black enamel to obtain a delicate monochrome. Each dial required 14 firings at temperatures ranging from 600°C to 800°C. The bezel and lugs are set with 113 brilliant-cut Top Wesselton Pure diamonds (~0.8 ct) and the prong buckle sparkles with 29 diamonds (~0.22 ct).

This watch houses the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, which may be admired through its sapphire-crystal back.

5089G-089, 5089G-100 & 5089G-090 “In Tribute to the Pioneers of Aviation” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel enriched with miniature painting on enamel

The first three great crossings by airplane

These limited editions, each comprising six watches, pay tribute to three legendary airplanes: the Blériot XI monoplane in which Louis Blériot made the first crossing of the English Channel by an airplane, in 1909 (5089G-089), the Vickers Vimy biplane piloted by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown on the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, in 1919 (5089G-100) and the Bellanca J-300 “Miss Veedol”, under the command of Clyde Edward Pangborn and Hugh Herndon, the first airplane to fly non-stop across the Pacific Ocean, in 1931 (5089G-090).

To reproduce the aircraft and the scenery overflown during these exploits, the enameller used from 34 to 42 cm of 22K yellow-gold wire (~0.27 to ~0.33 g) measuring 0.45 × 0.1 mm in cross-section, and a palette of translucent, opaque and opalescent enamels in 22 to 26 colors, with finishing touches in miniature painting on enamel. Several final coats of flux, a transparent enamel, intensify the brilliance of this decoration. Each dial required from 10 to 12 firings at a temperature of 820ºC. The white-gold case is endowed with a sapphire-crystal back protected by a hinged dust cover bearing a commemorative inscription.

It houses the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement.

5089G-103, 5089G-104 & 5089G-105 “Animals of the savannah” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel enriched with silver leaf and miniature painting on enamel

Lion, rhinoceroses and buffaloes

These three limited editions, of six watches each, give center stage to some of the main inhabitants of the African savannah: a lion in majesty surveying its territory at sunset (5089G-103), rhinoceroses against a backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro (5089G-104) and bull buffaloes fighting in the mating season (5089G-105).

The outlines of the animals and landscapes called for 67 to 75 cm of 24K yellow-gold wire (~0.27 g to ~0.3 g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section. To give the different scenes the same force and realism, the enameller used opaque, semi-opaque, translucent and opalescent enamels in 26 to 44 colors and blends, and brought out fine details in miniature painting on enamel. In areas depicting vegetation, silver leaf embedded beneath the enamel illuminates the composition. Each dial required 7 to 9 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 820°C.

The white-gold case is endowed with a sapphire-crystal back protected by a hinged dust cover affording a private view of the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement.

5089G-109, 5077/100R-059 & 5077/100G-049 “Tropical Forest” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel over hand-executed guilloché work

A hymn to the jungle

These three limited editions, of six watches each, are an invitation to the most enchanting of explorations at the heart of a tropical forest.

First, the gold dial plate was delicately hand-guilloched with several motifs tracing the veins of the leaves. Next, the enameller outlined the Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration, using about 80 cm of 24K gold wire (~0.4 g) measuring 0.1 × 0.45 mm in cross-section, prior to creating a splendid gradation of green tones with translucent, semi-opaque and opalescent enamels in 13 to 17 colors, through which the underlying relief patterns may be seen. Reference 5089G-109 is also adorned with a hand-engraved gecko, depicted as if backlit. Each dial required 20 to 50 firings at 800°C. Reference 5089G-109 is endowed with a hinged dust cover. The bezel and lugs of References 5077/100R-059 and 5077/100G-049 are set with 113 brilliant-cut Top Wesselton Pure diamonds (~0.8 ct) and the prong buckle sparkles with 29 diamonds (~0.22 ct).

The three watches house the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, which may be admired through their sapphire-crystal backs.

5089G-112 & 5089G-113 “Cuban Double Bassists” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel

To the tumbao rhythm

A double-base player leaning on a classic American car; multicolored facades represented in lavish detail: the Grand Feu cloisonné enamel dials of these two limited editions of six watches each are an invitation to dance the salsa, following the rhythmic pattern known as tumbao.

To recreate this scene typical of the streets of Havana and other Cuban cities with colonial architecture, the enameller used about 68 cm of 24K gold wire (~0.36 g) measuring 0.1 × 0.35 mm in cross-section and opaque, semi-opaque, translucent and opalescent enamels in 46 colors. In Reference 5089G-112 the dominant color is green, conjuring up the fields of tobacco and sugar cane, while the brown tones of Reference 5089G-113 evoke the dried tobacco leaves and the amber shade of the rum. Each dial required from 15 to 17 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 840°C.

The white-gold case is endowed with a sapphire-crystal back protected by a hinged dust cover affording a private view of the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement.

5177G-026 & 5177G-027 “Chameleons” / Calatrava wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel

Masters of camouflage

These two limited editions, of six watches each, offer as a feast for the eyes all the beauty of chameleons blending with their surroundings in a tropical forest.

Creating the contours of the Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration required from 43 to 59 cm of 24K yellow-gold wire (~0.23 g to ~0.31 g) measuring 0.1 × 0.35 mm in cross-section and 6 to 7 cm (~0.02 g) measuring 0.05 × 0.35 mm. The animals’ crests were fashioned using a variety of tweezers adapted for the purpose. To convey realistically the unusual appearance of the skin and make it stand out from the branches as if in three dimensions the enameller worked with combinations of opaque, semi-opaque and translucent enamels in 24 to 27 shades of green, blue and yellow, layered to produce a range of nuances. Each dial called for 12 firings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 840°C. The bezels are adorned with the famous guilloched hobnail pattern emblematic of the Patek Philippe style.

The white-gold case houses the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, which may be admired through the sapphire-crystal back.

5738/50G-013, 5738/50G-014, 5738/50G-018 & 5738/50G-019 “Monkeys” / Golden Ellipse wristwatches with dials in cloisonné enamel enriched with miniature painting on enamel

Agile, artful and chatty

Drawing inspiration from the natural history illustrations by the French painter, draughtsman and engraver Nicolas Huet the Younger (1770 – 1830) these four limited editions, of six watches each, pay tribute to some of our planet’s most astonishing monkeys: an African Diana monkey (5738/50G-013) and a squirrel monkey (5738/50G-014), a marmoset (5738/50G-018) and a callithrix (5738/50G-019) from America.

To create the contours of the animals and trees, the enameller used from 50 to 80 cm of 24K yellow-gold wire (~0.19 g to ~0.31 g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section. To render the details of the fur and the foliage and bring the monkeys to life he worked with a palette of opaque, translucent and opalescent enamels in 25 colors. He then enriched this Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration with finishing touches in miniature painting on enamel. Each dial called for 15 firings at temperatures of more than 800°C.

The white-gold case houses a caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, with the hours and minutes displayed by white-gold baton-style hands.

5738/50G-023 “Zebras” / Golden Ellipse wristwatch with dial in cloisonné enamel

A dazzling array of stripes

A zebra foal frolicking in front of its elders forms a stunning composition on the dial of this limited edition, comprising six watches, of the famous Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse.

The contours of the animals’ bodies and the separations between the stripes called for about a meter of 24K yellow-gold wire (~0.39 g) measuring 0.05 × 0.4 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and then shaped by hand before being fixed to the base plate. To reproduce the black and white stripes and the volumes and shadows, with a fine play of depth and relief, the enameller worked with a palette of opaque and translucent enamels in 12 colors. Each dial required 15 firings at temperatures of more than 800°C.

The white-gold case, its original and harmonious design inspired by the ancient golden section, houses a caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, with the hours and minutes displayed by white-gold baton-style hands.