Technical sophistication, artful craftsmanship and retro-inspired gorgeousness from Patek Philippe.
An oft-repeated phrase that you will hear from centuries-old luxury watch brands touting their wares is: “tradition meets innovation”. For many, the cliché is a well-honed trope to justify their relevance, know-how and creations to a new audience. With Patek Philippe, however, the proclamation carries a lot more weight and meaning, as its latest offerings at Watches And Wonders 2022 demonstrate.
The brand’s latest top-drawer complications continue to raise the bar on technical refinement and handcrafted artisanship. Patek Philippe aficionados will certainly agree that new creations like the Ref. 5231G World Time in white gold, which bears a richly coloured depiction of the map of Oceania and South-East Asia using the Grand Feu cloisonné enamel technique; and the Ref. 5374/300P Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar with cathedral chimes, set with 228 baguette-cut diamonds and 13 baguette-cut sapphires on its platinum case, are emblematic of the brand’s horological standing and multi-facetted savoir faire.
At the same time, we are also drawn to Patek Philippe’s knack for progressive, legacy-inspired watchmaking. This is best expressed by its headliner of the year, the new Ref. 5326G Annual Calendar Travel Time. As its name suggests, the watch combines two of Patek Philippe’s best-loved complications. But it’s not just a matter of squeezing two innovative features into a single watch. Besides combining the Annual Calendar and Travel Time in a watch for the first time, Patek Philippe does it in a manner that ensures both features work in harmony.
The Ref. 5326G runs on a newly developed movement with eight pending patents. While a big technical accomplishment for Patek Philippe, the complex technicalities aren’t just for bragging rights. Rather, the innovations contribute to a high-performance, intelligent, and easy-to-use travel timepiece, created especially for the jet-set who will use the Ref. 5326G on their continent-crossing journeys. For instance, one can set both the home and away times via the winding crown alone. At the same time, when doing so, the annual calendar complication, which automatically calculates the difference between months with 30 or 31 days, is intuitively synced with the local time.
And although ‘chic’ isn’t a word that is typically used to describe a Patek Philippe watch, the Ref. 5326G oozes a sharp throwback style that, while boasting fine decorative craftsmanship and finishing, is really quite modish. The watch’s 41mm white gold case features hobnail pattern on the sides, framing a gradated charcoal grey dial that recalls the texture and look of vintage camera bodies. Capped with a calfskin strap in a choice of nubuck finish or embossed textile pattern, the Ref. 5326G‘s stylish retro-inspired demeanour is on-trend and sophisticated in equal measure.
In fact, this winsome coalescing of technical gravitas, vintage styles and in-demand hues dominates Patek Philippe’s new rollouts. For those who love the look of the Ref. 5326G Annual Calendar Travel Time, but aren’t in the market for a heavyweight complication, there is the time-and-date-only Ref. 5226G-001, which also comes in white gold and shares the Ref. 5326G’s retro-imbued designs.
There are also cosmetic upgrades to highly coveted models like the Ref. 5320G Perpetual Calendar and Ref. 5172G Chronograph, which come in white gold cases and salmon-coloured dials that are all the rage these days, as well as new Ref. 5270P Perpetual Calendar Chronograph and Ref. 5205R Annual Calendar models brandishing green dials – luxury watchmaking’s colour of the moment.
But make no mistake. Much as these new offerings easily rank among the trendiest-looking timepieces of the year, these watches are no flippant fashion statements. Beyond handsome good looks, these new variants are Patek Philippe thoroughbreds and flag-bearers of the mechanical sophistication and refined craftsmanship that the brand has honed for centuries.
Images courtesy of Patek Philippe, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
Related Link:
Patek Philippe: How to Stop Time
