Patek Philippe's New Calatrava Lineup Is Pure, Vintage Patek

It isn't hard to see where Patek Philippe seeks out inspiration. Just compare the new lineup to certain Calatrava models from the mid-20th century or pilot’s models from the 1930s.

Thick Arabic numerals coated liberally in lume, an outer minute/second track, highly visible syringe hands — this is pure Patek.

The maison also gave both these watches a dial color that itself looks decidedly vintage: charcoal grey and textured, modeled after heritage camera cases.

Patek Philippe is well known for the “travel time” complication — one that typically makes use of two pushers to easily adjust the local time in two directions, while dual day-night indicators allow both local and home time to easily be read in 12-hour format.

In the 5236G-001, Patek has combined this functionality — controlled here via the crown — with that of an annual calendar, meaning we now have a traveler’s watch that also displays the day, date and month, and it only needs manual adjustment once per year.

This was no easy feat of engineering to achieve, but it's made possible via the company's in-house Caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H movement, an advanced mechanism that properly links the displayed date with the local time.

The distinctive pyramidal structure of this pattern has featured on many a Calatrava in the past, but this is the first time it’s been integrated into the case flanks.

In fact, it extends around the entirety of the monocoque white gold case, meaning that the lugs had to be redesigned such that they’re part of the case back of each reference. (If you look closely, there’s actually a small gap between the lugs and the case.)

Both the time-and-date ref. 5226G-001 and the travel time/calendar ref. 5326G-001 ship with a beige calfskin nubuck strap with a hand-stitched edge as well as a black calfskin model embossed with a fabric pattern. Each has a fold-over clasp.

Beyond the above, Patek dropped a gorgeous new lacquered green-dial 5270P perpetual calendar with a 41mm platinum case (CHF 179,000), an olive-green 5205R annual calendar in a 40mm white gold case (CHF 47,000), and an insanely beautiful, rose-gilt opaline version of the 40mm ref. 5230G — incredibly proportioned and comfortable, this is one of Patek’s best, most wearable perpetual calendars, full stop.

But if it’s more vintage-inspired Patek you’re after, feast your eyes on the new ref. 5230P-001 and the ref. 5231G-001. Both are descendants of Patek’s famed 1930s world timers, the difference being a blue, hand-guillochéd dial and a platinum case on the former, and a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel dial and a white gold case on the latter.