On the occasion of the Watches and Wonders Geneva 2022 show, Patek Philippe is unveiling the totally new Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time that for the first time introduces two of the manufacture’s iconic complications with a totally new case design. Additionally, the manufacture is enriching its collection with stylish reinterpretations of particularly coveted models. These new models round out the extensive and varied selection of complicated Patek Philippe timepieces and offer a suite of designs for ladies and gentlemen, always with emphasis on timeless elegance.
Leveraging the experience and know-how accumulated across 180 years and handed down from one generation to the next, Patek Philippe has a persuasive track record of ongoing technical advancements that today is crowned by over one hundred patents. This tradition of innovation comes to the fore especially in the domain of grand complications that rank among the special assets of the manufacture. It is also visible in the so-called “useful complications” such as the Annual Calendar patented in 1996, a full calendar with day/date/month that requires only one manual correction per year, and the Travel Time (1997) that displays two time zones. For the first time, Patek Philippe brings these ingenious and user-friendly functions together in one watch. Endowed with the new self-winding caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H (eight patents), the new Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time shines with a date display synchronized with local time and is automatically corrected forward or backward when the time zone is changed. To provide a noble framework for this unique function, Patek Philippe created a totally new exterior with a Calatrava case guilloched with the hobnail pattern around its entire flank; it features a charcoal gray vintage dial reminiscent of old photo cameras in fascinating details. Aficionados of exclusive design will also find it in another watch with a case and dial featuring the same aesthetic signature without additional functions: it is the Ref. 5226G-001 Calatrava powered by the self-winding caliber 26-330 S C movement.
A highly contemporary “Vintage” style
The comprehensive heritage of Patek Philippe, mainly the countless exhibits at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the designers. The issue here is not simple cloning, or re-editions of old models. The goal is always an aesthetic evolution, a transition to the present. This subtle interplay between classicism and modernity will be perfectly showcased by two reinterpretations in the spring of 2022. The Ref. 5320G-011 Perpetual Calendar with three-tiered lugs shows elements of a model from 1945. It features a new opaline rose gilt dial that emphasizes its “Vintage” background. The classic Ref. 5172G-010 Men’s Chronograph is inspired by the 1940-1950 models and also shows an opaline rose gilt dial beneath which a classic movement with six patented innovations tracks the time.
From timeless olive green to revisited classic green
On various occasions, the color green has manifested itself in remarkable ways in Patek Philippe’s collections. In 2004, the casually elegant, modern Aquanaut Luce ladies’ watch with a dial and strap in “Adventurous Khaki” attracted considerable attention. Since then, Khaki in slightly varying nuances has been part of the livery of several Aquanaut models (Ref. 5168G-010 men’s Aquanaut wristwatch, Ref. 5968G-010, Aquanaut Chronograph, Ref. 5267/200A-011 Aquanaut Luce). In 2021, the manufacture launched a further dial color: olive green. It started with the self-winding Ref. 7300/1200A-011 Twenty~4 followed by the last two series of the Ref. 5711 Nautilus in steel (5711/1A-014 and 5711/1300A-001) and a decidedly sporty version of the self-winding Annual Calendar Flyback Chronograph in stainless steel (Ref. 5905/1A-001). In the same year, Patek Philippe extended the range and endowed the self-winding Ref. 5930P-001 World Time Flyback Chronograph with a green opaline lacquered dial center in a slightly darker hue.
Today, olive green gives three timepieces of the current collection a new, modern and timeless face that underscores the personalities of the respective models and plays with light in a myriad of ways. Unmistakable and contemporary: Ref. 5205R-011 in rose gold with a dial black-gradated to the periphery. Elegance at any time of day is the hallmark of the Ref. 4910/1200A-011 Twenty~4 manchette quartz watch in steel with a sunburst dial. The Ref. 7130R-014 Ladies’ World Time watch in rose gold is exceptionally refined. The center of its dial is adorned with a hand-guilloched old basket weave decor. For the platinum Ref. 5270P-014 Chronograph with a perpetual calendar, Patek Philippe also offers a green lacquered dial with a black gradation, a revisited classic nuance color reminiscent of the bodies of the most beautiful vintage cars.
Three new versions of World Time watches
The famous Patek Philippe World Time watch was launched in the 1930s and makes it possible to read the local times of all 24 time zones at a glance. Thanks to an exclusive mechanism patented in 1999, the user merely needs to actuate the pusher at 10 o'clock to simultaneously correct all displays in one-hour steps. In addition to the Ref. 7130R-014 Ladies’ World Time watch with an olive green dial, Patek Philippe’ travel watch collection welcomes two new interpretations of existing models. For the first time, the Ref. 5230P-001 World Time combines a platinum case with a blue dial and matching strap. Its dial shows a new manually guilloched circular pattern inspired by the Ref. 5110 (2000): it was the first watch fitted with the patented World Time mechanism. In the center of its dial, the Ref. 5231G-001 Rare Handcrafts World Time watch sports a new map in grand feu cloisonné enamel depicting Oceania and Southeast Asia.
The seductive power of gemsetting
For Patek Philippe, gemsetting has long been one of the most attractive ways to emphasize the aesthetic appeal of a watch and adequately adorn its sophisticated micromechanical inner life. This link between creativity and know-how stands out in two new versions of already existing models. The Ref. 5374/300P-001 grand complication with a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar has a self-winding movement and cathedral gongs; it is adorned with a glittering complement of baguette-cut diamonds and baguette-cut blue sapphires. The Ref 7121/200G-001 Ladies’ Moon Phases watch amplifies its beauty with a white-gold case, a blue sunburst dial and a bezel fired with the sparkle of two offset rows of brilliant-cut diamonds set with the “Dentelle” technique.
A rich Rare Handcrafts collection
As every year, Patek Philippe presents a rich collection of one-of-a-kind pieces and limited editions (dome table clocks, pocket watches, wristwatches) that exhibit the nearly extinct techniques of Rare Handcrafts such as miniature painting on enamel, grand feu cloisonné enamel, wood micromarquetry or manual engraving in its full splendor. The 2022 Rare Handcrafts collection consists of 59 creations. It is open to the public at the Patek Philippe Salons in Geneva from April 6 to 23, 2022.
