Naturally, when it got here to predictions for what new choices Patek Philippe would unveil at Watches & Wonders in Geneva this 12 months, a lot discuss was of a sure uber-iconic timepiece, launched in 1976 and first impressed, horological folklore has it, when its creator Gerald Genta stared on the porthole of a transatlantic ocean liner while lunching.
Virtually 50 years after its introduction, the Nautilus might be referred to as essentially the most prestigious sports activities watch on this planet with out worry of hyperbole. Alas, there was to be no replace now, in one other 12 months that we’re creeping nearer to its fiftieth anniversary.
The watch launch Patek has talked most about to the throngs in Geneva as we speak, although—and with which we start our round-up beneath—deserves its place on the high of the billing.
Ref. 5326G Annual Calendar Journey Time
Patek Philippe
You’ve obtained two fairly large issues occurring right here. One, the Annual Calendar complication, got here into being within the late ’90s when Patek Philippe’s engineers devised a wheels-and-pinions mechanism that would distinguish between months with 30 and 31 days, which means it solely needed to be adjusted yearly.
The opposite, the Journey Time complication, was conceived in mid-Fifties, when Patek enlisted watchmaking legend Louis Cottier with the duty of making a bit that would soar time zones with out the itinerant wearer taking the watch off the wrist.
Now, the 2 have come collectively for the primary time, within the type of a bit in white-gold that can modify the date (for 11 out of 12 months of the 12 months) when the time zone is corrected.
The house of the brand new self-winding caliber motion, which packs eight patents in all, is a brand new Calatrava case with flanks that function a hobnail sample in guilloche, whereas the dial’s white-gold utilized numerals and hour/minute fingers with beige luminescent coating, set in opposition to the textured charcoal-gray backdrop of the dial, full a classic look.
Case Dimension: 41 mm
Case and Bracelet Materials: White Gold/Beige or black calf pores and skin
Caliber: 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H
Energy Reserve: 48 hours
Worth: Round $76,882
Ref. 7121/200G Moon Phases
Patek Philippe
The moon phases complication was launched to the world by Patek Philippe in 1925. Now, practically a century on, this model introduces a moody, nocturnal iteration to the canon.
Aesthetics are all very Patek: Utilized Breguet numerals, pear-shaped fingers in white gold, delicately curved sapphire crystal, blue alligator leather-based strap. On this model, although, the flicker issue is ramped up—the piece’s white gold case cradles a blue sunburst dial surrounded by a bezel set with 132 brilliant-cut diamonds (1.09 ct) utilizing the “Dentelle” method.
The moon phases factor, in the meantime, brings spectacular accuracy, deviating from the true lunar cycle simply sooner or later in 122 years.
Case Dimension: 33 mm
Case and Bracelet Materials: White gold
Caliber: 215 PS LU
Energy Reserve: 44 hours
Worth: Round $42,581
Ref. 5205R Annual Calendar Moon Phases in Olive Inexperienced
Patek Philippe
From shades of lush jungle vegetation to darker forest hues, inexperienced dials have been fluttering the guts of the watch world for a while—and the affair reveals no signal of abating. Now, the Blue Sunburst 5205G has a brand new sibling with an olive-hued sunburst, making it one among a number of of as we speak’s Patek drops to tackle a inexperienced shade (together with arrestingly daring lacquered greens on the Ref. 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph and the 5270P Chronograph Perpetual Calendar).
The olive dial contrasts to nice impact with its neighbors—rose gold case, skeletonised lugs, dauphine fingers and utilized hour markers—and the hand-patinated two-tone olive-green alligator leather-based strap with prong buckle completes the entire look admirably.
As soon as once more, that one-correction-per-year moon section mechanism, invented and patented by Patek Philippe in 1996, is working behind the scenes.
Case Dimension: 40 mm
Case and Bracelet Materials: Rose gold
Caliber: 324 S QA LU 24H/206
Energy Reserve: 45 hours
Worth: Round $55,592
Ref. 5374/300P Diamond Minute Repeater and Perpetual Calendar
Patek Philippe
Not one for wallflowers: Patek calls this, a platinum model of a bit launched in white gold with a blue enamel dial final 12 months, its “Haute Joaillerie,” or high-quality jewellery, model—and with good cause. Baguette-cut diamonds circle the caseband, minute repeater slide and sloping lugs. The concave bezel has extra, a double row in actual fact (are you able to think about the intricate diamond chopping concerned?), and there’s nonetheless extra on the bezel’s built-in flange, damaged up at intervals with blue sapphire hour markers.
It’s not one for many who wish to be aurally inconspicuous, both: Patek is referring to the minute repeater’s sounding models, which have been wrapped virtually twice across the motion to maximise the vibrancy and depth of the sound, as “cathedral” gongs.
Patrons can select a sapphire crystal case again (as a substitute of platinum) in the event that they need to take within the theater of a hand-finished motion with guilloched 22K gold mini-rotor. The strap is in blue Alligator leather-based.
Case Dimension: 42 mm
Case and Bracelet Materials: Platinum
Caliber: R 27 Q
Energy Reserve: 48 hours
Worth: Worth Upon Request
Ref. 5230P World Time
Patek Philippe
One in every of three new world-time watches launched by Patek this 12 months—a triple-whammy homage to the person who invented it, the aforementioned Louis Cottier within the Nineteen Thirties—that is the primary Reference 5230 to return in platinum with a blue dial—with a hand-guilloched, basket-weave dial at its middle—and a blue strap.
Across the fringe of the dial, metropolis names equivalent to the 24 time zones are printed in white on a blue background, a black-gradient rim boosting legibility. Its interior part sees the native time within the zone chosen displayed, at 12 o’clock, by a skeletonized hour hand which was impressed by the “Southern Cross” constellation. A lozenge-shaped minute hand completes the dial’s pleasingly busy visible entire.
The bezel is skinny and understated, the lugs wing-shaped and the strap is calfskin leather-based in navy with cream stitching, nubuck end and platinum fold-over clasp.
Case Dimension: 38.5 mm
Case and Bracelet Materials: Platinum
Caliber: 240 HU
Energy Reserve: 48 hours
Worth: $70,968