84 The Subtle Arts
Updates to two of Patek Philippe’s annual calendar watches, and the new Calatrava Ref. 6006G
Many Swiss watchmakers owe their prominence to a single collection of watches, or perhaps even a single watch. Patek Philippe is different; the Geneva- based watchmaker’s exalted position in high horology has always been based on an ability to master a wide variety of complications across a diverse collection of watches.
Of course, many are familiar with Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar chronographs that go for millions at auction and grab all the headlines, but the company’s strength comes from its singular ability to make all of its watches leaders in their respective categories. At Baselworld this year, the brand released a slew of watches that had the critics swooning, but it was the subtle on- trend tweaks to its wider collection that spoke volumes of a watchmaker with a firm mastery of its art.
Calatrava Ref. 6006G
Patek Philippe is a name with a long and gilded past, so every year tends to mark a milestone of some significance. Last year was no different, with 2017 marking the 40th anniversary of the acclaimed self- winding Calibre 240 movement. In tribute, the company introduced the Calatrava Ref. 6006G, a watch that features an off- centre seconds dial and an analogue date indication.
The white gold Calatrava Ref. 6006 builds on the well- regarded Calatrava Ref. 5000 from 1991 and the Calatrava Ref. 6000 from 2005. Indeed, the Ref. 6006G replaces the Ref. 6000, but the previous watch’s memory lives on, with
the Calibre 240 PS C movement inside, the small seconds placed between 4 and 5 o’clock, the clear Arabic numerals and the date marking on a scale on the outer ring of the dial.
What’s new, primarily, is that the Ref. 6006G is slightly bigger, a more modern case size of 39mm as opposed to the 37mm of its predecessor. As ever with Patek Philippe, the subtle details are key: the watchmaker has altered the hands of the watch, skeletonising the baton- style hour and minute hands, as well as changing the red pointer at the tip of the date hand from the crescent found on the Ref. 6000 to an arrow point on the Ref. 6006G.
Ref. 5960/ 01
Subtle changes also inform the Patek Philippe Ref. 5960/ 01 self- winding flyback chronograph annual calendar, which now comes in white gold for the first time. The Ref. 5960 has long been a platform for innovation at the watchmaker, as well as a source of constant revelation for customers. Since its introduction in 2006, the brand’s first automatic chronograph has garnered considerable critical praise, being described as the benchmark annual calendar chronograph.
In 2014, Patek Philippe took everybody by surprise by revamping the Ref. 5960 with an all- steel version ( Ref. 5960/ 1A). It was hailed as one of the stars of the Baselworld watch fair that year and simultaneously brought the brand to whole new – and younger – audience. Once more, Patek Philippe is bringing a freshness to the piece as well as broadening its appeal with the addition of a white gold edition, the Ref. 5960/ 01. The 40.5mm white gold case still houses the excellent Calibre CH 28- 520 IRM QA 24H movement and features the wealth of complications that have made this watch a firm favourite with collectors and the wider watchbuying public.
Ref. 4947G
An unrivalled technological leader in watchmaking, Patek Philippe has also been adept at reading the market and has been at the forefront of complicated watches for women. At Baselworld 2017, the brand won plaudits for the 36mm white gold Ref. 7130G ladies’ World Time in a new colour, but deeper into its collection, Patek Philippe has been catering to modern women’s tastes and delivering what they want from a complicated mechanical watch.
With the Ref. 4947G Annual Calendar, Patek Philippe has a watch that offers women both style and a great deal of substance. Now available in white gold, the Ref. 4947G has a feminine grace thanks to the silvery dial that upon closer inspection features a double horizontal and vertical satin finish. The watch’s elegance owes much to the gold- applied Arabic numerals and the 38mm case set with 141 1.28ct diamonds. The style of the watch is without question, but what marks the Ref. 4947/ G out is the patented annual calendar complication that only needs to be corrected once a year, an unmistakable sign of Patek Philippe’s watchmaking prowess.