CALL OF THE CALATRAVA
Embodying the quintessence of Patek Philippe’s design language, the Calatrava forges ahead in two new references for 2022
AT THIS YEAR’S Watches and Wonders Geneva showcase, Genevan watch manufacturer Patek Philippe unveiled yet another range of stunning novelties. There’s a new 1/10th second chronograph, World Time watches featuring rare handcrafts, and even an haute joaillerie timepiece. Of course, the Calatrava was also well-represented in 2022. Admirers of this classic Patek Philippe style will find a new model white gold, as well as one model which – while not strictly part of the Calatrava family – combines two useful complications in a beautiful Calatrava-type case.
Ref. 5226G-001 Calatrava
Back in the early 1930s, at a time when the wristwatch was still a new phenomenon – albeit one that was rapidly gaining popularity, Patek Philippe took note of the shift away from pocket watches and came up with a design that seamlessly merged precision and prestige. A good ninety years later, the Calatrava remains an understated yet phenomenally successful collection.
The latest model to join the Calatrava family is the Ref. 5226G-001. Arguably the most eye-catching visual element of the watch is the guillochéd Clous de Paris or hobnail pattern along the flanks of the case. Long-time fans of Patek Philippe – and of the Calatrava collection in particular – will perhaps recall how this emblematic decoration was revived in 2021 for the Calatrava Clous de Paris Ref. 6119.
No less impressive is the charcoal grey vintage-inspired dial bearing a texture reminiscent of antique camera cases. The “railway track” graduated scale running along the edge of the dial add to the vintage vibes of the watch, as does the beige calfskin strap with a nubuck finish. The strap, by the way, is interchangeable, and the Ref. 5226G-001 also comes with a black calfskin strap with embossed fabric pattern and beige stitching.
And powering the watch is the Caliber 26-330 S C self-winding movement featuring a stop seconds function.
As the most contemporary representative of Patek Philippe’s inimitable Calatrava style, the Ref. 5226G-001 presents the perfect companion for watch enthusiasts with an eye for classical haute horlogerie flair.
Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time
Take the stylish aesthetics of the Ref. 5226G-001, add some of Patek Philippe’s signature innovations from the domain of grand complications, and you end up with the new Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time.
Of course, that line above is a massive oversimplification. The Ref. 5326G-001 does indeed feature the same case, dial and strap design as the Ref. 5226G-001, but it also combines – for the first time ever – two of Patek Philippe’s patented complications, namely the Annual Calendar and the Travel Time dual time-zone display system.
As expected from a watch with the Travel Time function, the Ref. 5326G-001 has two central hour hands: a solid hand for local time and a skeletonized hand for home time. However, unlike previous models, it doesn’t come with two pushers and instead allows local time to be adjusted via the crown at its intermediate position. If anything, this new setup works incredibly well in preserving the Calatrava-type case’s sleek elegance.
The Annual Calendar on the Ref. 5326G-001 has also been reworked to enable optimal synchronization of the date and local time. More importantly, however, to enable the Annual Calendar and Travel Time function to work together, Patek Philippe’s engineers had to design an entirely new movement in which the Travel Time mechanism controls the Annual Calendar, thus allowing forwards and backwards date correction. The resulting design, the self-winding Caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, has also brought about eight patent applications for innovations improving precision, performance, reliability, safety and user-friendliness.
As mentioned earlier, this mechanical wonder is then placed in a white gold Calatrava-type case featuring the Clous de Paris pattern along the caseband. The dial has the same colour and texture as the Ref. 5226G-001, but comes with a slightly different “railway track” scale design and more apertures: There are day, date and month windows, two day/night indicators (one for home time, the other for local time), and a moon phase display.
With its unique combination of two complications – and two useful complications at that – encased in a Calatrava-style aesthetic, the Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time makes for the perfect companion on the wrist of travellers eager to once again roam the world as well as watch connoisseurs who appreciate technical innovation as much as visual flair.