Selecting the European cultural city of Milan as the backdrop for a lavish evening garden party to unveil its newest women’s watch collection last week, Patek Philippe underscored its desire to reach today’s worldly, self-confident women. In a huge glass-enclosed green house built especially for the event and chocked with flowers, grass-like flooring, and more, Patek Philippe unveiled the new evolution of the almost 20-year-old Twenty~4®: the Twenty~4® Automatic.
With a new tag line “Begin your own tradition,” Patek Philippe boldly asserts that the Twenty~4® Automatic is for a woman making her own way in the world and doing so exactly as she wants. The watch defies the tradition of the iconic rectangular Twenty~4® with a quartz movement by being decidedly round and housing an important self-winding movement that was reconfigured by the brand for this series.
The Twenty~4® Automatic also has its own advertising campaign that is lifestyle driven and features women in all different dress - from work to wedding. Shot on location in Rome by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, the campaign includes print and digital, as well as video – further delineating Patek Philippe’s desire to reach that new female clientele.
When he stood up to announce the unveiling of the all-new Patek Philippe women’s watch, Thierry Stern, President of the brand, painted a picture for the audience of the evolution from mechanical to quartz and now – for women – back to mechanical.
“As I travel the world and ask customers what they want to see from Patek, what they are dreaming of, I hear more and more about women’s mechanical watches that are wearable day and night,” says Stern. He notes that the newest 36mm Twenty~4® Automatic watches were almost five years in the making, as he and Sandrine Stern, his wife and head of creative for the brand, tossed out dozens of prototypes along the way in the effort to get the look absolutely right.
The initial rollout of the Twenty~4® Automatic consists of five models, each with a diamond-set bezel. In fact, each bezel boasts 160 Top Wesselton diamonds (0.77 carats total) set in a “Dentelle” pattern that resembles lace work. Additionally, one rose gold model also features this two-row lace-like diamond setting spilling over onto the lugs and the bracelet of the watch. All of the watches are sold with metal-link bracelets and are accompanied by the Patek Philippe Seal, attesting to their fine, haute-horology craftsmanship.
There are two versions created in polished stainless steel, one each with a blue or black/slate gray gradient dial ($26,083), and two versions in 18-karat rose gold, one each with a chocolate brown dial or a linen-motif ivory and silvered dial ($45,361). The fifth version, crafted in gold and boasting diamonds on the bracelet, is the most lavish of all and retails for $56,702.
The brand’s in-house-made Caliber 324S C self-winding mechanical movements power all of the watches. Complete with Spiromax® balance spring and other highly technical components, this caliber was reconfigured to fit the women’s watch and was naturally hand-finished with polished edges and Geneva stripes - among other finishes. A sapphire domed crystal protects each dial and a sapphire case back allows for viewing of the movement.
Throughout the evening of the worldwide launch of the Patek Philippe Twenty~4® Automatic, the brand consistently underscored its commitment to women. Vintage watches dating back to the middle of the 19th century were on display, artists including ballet dancers, singers and painters recalled the beauty of grace of women in real-time paintings and dances.
