Patek Philippe
All my Patek Philippe articles - From its origins in 1839, Patek Philippe has matured through nearly 200 years to become one of the most respected brands of traditional watchmaking. The Stern family, who looks after it since 1932, has deepened its know-how to provide the most sought after timepieces today. Patek’s name is synonymous with the most sophisticated mechanical watches, in the purest horological terminology: complication, innovation, preservation. Timeless designs, technical mastery showing no unnecessary complexity, superior movements have become their signature.
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The Patek Philippe 4978-400G Ladies Calatrava – Welcome in Wonderland
Hi everyone, This is party time. This time I would like to approach a very different kind of watches from the ones I usually enjoy. Even though I tend to discuss about what I could wear myself, I tried on, really “for the fun”, this special Calatrava during a press event and, well… I found that it looked surprisingly appealing! The size balance, the overall colors combination but more importantly the way all these diamonds are assembled and placed in a way it offers a terrific show in the end. I learned diamond settings are nice to look at. Hence, for ladies (or for men feeling like it), though this…
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The Patek Philippe 5930G World Time Chronograph – A stunning 1950’s proportions reminiscence
Hi everyone, Back in 2016, the new model Patek Philippe 5930G World Time Chronograph was launched together with the World Time only 5230 (the 5130’s successor). It was taking after the older and unique-made 1415-1 piece ordered in 1940 for the Doctor P. Schmidt (picture below – not the doctor, the watch). It was the first and only Patek with the World Time and Chronograph complications assembled together. The watch is now visible at the Patek Philippe Museum and remains quite famous from many catalogue covers and Patek Philippe’s documentations. Surprisingly, this one-shot wasn’t followed by a dedicated line-up. Indeed, the 1940-1970’s era was a time when complicated watches weren’t…
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The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R – A refinement singularity
Hi everyone, Well, it isn’t excessive to say that the Golden Ellipse family from Patek Philippe’s catalogue looks like no other. In that sense, many collectors feel it has a flavor no other has and, once we have seen one in the metal, it delivers quite unique an experience. In 2018, the brand has proudly taken the opportunity to shine a light on this peculiar bird in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Golden Ellipse (1968-2018). Indeed, they launched the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R together with a special 100pcs-limited model, the 5738/50P-01 (Rare Handcrafts). It was a perfect opportunity to reshape the offer considering our present times,…
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The Patek Philippe 5024G Gondolo – Art Deco elegance with a Salmon dial
Hi everyone, A little pleasure I wanted to post today about this gorgeous Patek Philippe 5024G Gondolo Salmon dial I could handle a while ago thanks to a friend owner of this version. This is a very different shape from the ones we usually experience as it is a Gondolo case showing its appealing Art-Deco style. Its beauty has also a lot to do with the simplicity of a 3-hander and of course its magnificent dial layout. There are watches that were withdrawn from the catalogue many years ago and that we might never have heard of. Especially true if we got interested in watches quite recently. In the present…
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Patek Philippe 2019 – The “Profiles” case
Hello everyone, Even after we spent quite some time with watches, I noticed we often miss out on cases’ details. Especially considering what they precisely offer for someone who loves craftsmanship and how brands create appealing aesthetics. The case profile is all about what makes a watch’s attractiveness, whether for aesthetical reasons or for what it says about the effort and skills that was put in its designing and crafting execution. It is because of such well chosen details that an object is better in the end. Nowadays, brands often promote their watches through a size increase: thicker case, huge lugs, width starting over 42mm etc… This is even true…
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The long awaited Nautilus – The Patek Philippe 5740G Perpetual Calendar
Hello everyone, For quite some time before its launch, the Patek Philippe 5740G Nautilus Perpetual Calendar was a kind of dream for many in the sport-chic line of the brand. The reason was it would embed one of the finest functions of watchmaking, the “perpetual” date indication (also called “Quantième Perpetuel”), requiring no setting during the year as it even takes into account leap years (hence February’s 28th or 29th uniqueness). At last, in 2018, we’ve been provided with the complication echoing the Nautilus’ “chic” side. Indeed, whereas the complication was historically observed in traditional references only, the thinness of the 5711/5712 models contained already the seeds of an extraordinary…
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Intro to the origins of Patek Philippe’s wonderful Minute-Repeater aura
Hello everyone, I thought I should have a look at why Patek Philippe’s reputation in Minute-Repeater history is at such high level today. I’ve been taking my time, like most of us, discovering, exploring the world of watches in general, and of Patek Philippe in particular. I knew a few about their mastery for this very special complication and what the brand represents in the Minute-Repeaters’ rebirth and evolution. However, I left it aside for later down the road. I enjoyed a few of the videos that can be found whether on Patek’s website, YouTube etc…, but I knew it would take time to go deeper in their history. Aside…
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The Patek Philippe 5172G Chronograph – Another delighting alliance of traditional and casual
Hello everyone, Knowing what Patek Philippe has offered in the world of traditional manual-wind chronographs from the early years of the Stern era, the launch of a new line is always a major event. The Patek Philippe 5172G Chronograph was presented in 2019 after we’ve been traveling through all the stages of the 5170 family from 2010 until 2018. After the last 5170P, which already had a kind of “cool attitude”, we definitely can say with this new 5172G that the brand keeps on exploring new fields. Next to the more traditional line-ups, they find inspiration partly from the past and partly from our modern times. It’s even quite audacious…
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The Patek Philippe 5212A Calatrava Weekly Calendar – An everyday-life keeper
Hi everyone, In 2019, we had a very nice surprise with the launch of a new model in many ways: the Patek Philippe 5212A Calatrava Weekly Calendar. This elegant and casual reference receives the brand new 26-330 caliber with a first-time weekly calendar complication. Indeed, while keeping the brand’s style evolving at a “traditional” pace, the company has presented a model with a casual atmosphere. It is more modern and practical as it displays the week number for its owner. At every level, the watch is balanced, through tradition and modernity, whether on the dial side or regarding the movement. Meanwhile, it doesn’t fall in the “always bigger” trend. I…
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2018 and 2019 Patek Philippe bracelet novelties: a new fold-over clasp and new expandable links
Hi everyone, As they did with the recent upgrade from the 324 caliber to the 2019 26-330 caliber, Patek Philippe introduced quite discreetly 2 other technical features they didn’t talk loudly about. On the one hand, the brand presented in 2018 a new fold-over clasp with the 5740G Perpetual Calendar Nautilus and 5968A Chronograph Aquanaut. On the other hand, in combination with this same buckle, we were provided in 2019 with a new adjustable links display within the 7118 Ladies Nautilus bracelet (diamond-set bezel versions). Edit October 2022: the adjustable display has slightly changed as introduced in the new Nautilus references released in October 2022 (5811G, 5712/1R and 5990/1A). Cf. the…
