[House of Watches 2024 Geneva Watch Exhibition "Watches and Wonders"] Watches & Wonders is an annual event for the watchmaking industry, and Patek Philippe's new creations are always in the spotlight. This year, the Maison unveiled 11 new creations, as well as announcing a new upgrade to the Patek Philippe Seal and its global warranty. The watch king is still evolving!
Patek Philippe has made two important innovations to its imprint: firstly, it has raised the standard of accuracy, so that all watches equipped with a Spiromax® balance spring or a traditional Breguet hairspring made of Silinvar® must adhere to a strict tolerance range of 1 to +2 seconds per 24 hours, and secondly, it has a uniform water-resistance standard of 30 meters and an overpressure of 3 bar (30 meters) immersion in air and under water. In addition, the brand has enhanced its global warranty, extending the warranty from two to five years from the date of purchase for all new Patek Philippe watches sold from 1 May 2024 onwards.
Among the 11 new models, Patek Philippe presents the Ref.5330G-001 World Time, which features a major technical innovation, and the Ref. 5738/1R-001 Golden Ellipse, which comes with a distinctive new chain bracelet.
The Ref.5330G-001 World Time watch features a world-first patented date display synchronized with the local time, and for this convenient and exclusive function, Patek Philippe has developed the new 240 HU C calibre. The central hand in transparent glass with red lacquered hammerhead, combined with the indexes on the outer rim to indicate the date, sets a precedent for the brand. The glossy grey-blue dial features a "carbon fibre" motif in the centre, adding to the dynamism.
For the first time, the Ref.5738/1R-001 Golden Ellipse introduces an exclusive chain bracelet consisting of 363 parts, including more than 300 hand-fitted links, with a modern, patented construction that allows the wearer to easily adjust the length of the bracelet. With its rose gold case and ebony black sunburst dial, this watch not only looks elegant but also fits comfortably on the wrist.
The novelty of the Ref. 5520RG-001 is its two-tone design: a rose gold case with white gold pushers, and a grey sunburst dial with charcoal hands and indexes coated with luminescent coating, giving it a new look compared to the original 2019 model. The alarm mechanism of this watch is patented by four R&D and combines an exclusive travel time mechanism that displays a second time zone to create a masterpiece of super complications.
The Ref. 5160/500R-001 Perpetual Calendar Rare Craft features a hand-engraved rose gold case with a sapphire crystal case with a shoulder-hinged dust cap and an automatic return date hand. The date hand can be rotated up to 270 degrees and then return to the 1st of the following month. Inspired by a pocket watch from the Patek Philippe Museum, this watch is luxuriously carved with vines and foliage motifs.
The Ref.5236P-010,000 Perpetual Calendar is the successor to the Ref.5236P-001 and features a large individual aperture at 12 o'clock that displays the day, date and month, also known as the "Glimmer of Heaven" perpetual calendar. The striking difference between the new model and its predecessor is the antique lustrous rose gold dial, also known as the salmon dial. Signature complications combined with a wide range of colour palettes breathe new life into side-by-side perpetual calendar watches.
The Ref. 5396G-017 Annual Calendar follows the Ref. The classic layout of the 5396 Men's Annual Calendar, with a double day/month window at 12 o'clock and a date window at 6 o'clock, and a 24-hour sub-dial with integrated moon phase display, is housed in a white gold case with a blue sunburst dial with a black gradient around the edges, and 12 sparkling baguette diamond hour markers.
After the pink gold version and the stainless steel/rose gold version, the Nautilus Flyback Chronograph is available in white gold version Ref. 5980/60G-001. The watch features a glossy grey-blue dial with a grey-blue denim calfskin strap and a grey-blue composite fabric patterned strap. The three concentric rings of the large coaxial chronograph display the cumulative time from 1 to 30 minutes, 30 minutes to 60 minutes, and 1 to 12 hours from the outside to the inside.
The Ref. 5164G-001 is the first white gold version of the Aquanaut Travel Time after the stainless steel and rose gold versions. Equipped with a patented, easy-to-read dual-time display system, the local time hand (solid hour hand) can be adjusted forward or backward in one-hour increments by simply pressing the two pushers on the left side of the case, without compromising the accuracy. The glossy gray-blue dial is paired with a gray-blue integrated composite material strap for a harmonious color match.
Powered by the E23-250 S FUS 24H quartz movement, the Ref. 5269R-001 Aquanaut Travel Time features skeleton hands to indicate the time in place of origin (day and night at 6 o'clock) and solid hands to indicate the local time. Housed in a rose gold case, this timepiece features a glossy grey-blue dial with an embossed motif and comes with an integrated grey-blue composite strap.
Ref.5268/461G-001 The Aquanaut Luce High Jewellery watch is presented in a white gold case set with diamonds and blue sapphires. The checkerboard pattern on the dial, intertwined with pavé gemstones, is reminiscent of the classic embossed motif of the Aquanaut collection. The rounded octagonal bezel is set with baguette sapphires and presents a subtle blue gradient from light to dark, showcasing Patek Philippe's rigorous selection of materials and exquisite snowflake and baguette settings.
Ref. 4910/1201R-010 belongs to the Twenty~4 collection, which was born in 1999 and is Patek Philippe's first timepiece collection dedicated to women. The double-layered rectangular case has a unique shape and is flanked by 17 brilliant-cut diamonds. The dial is first embossed with concentric ripples, followed by dozens of layers of translucent purple varnish and colorless varnish to create subtle shifts of light and shadow. Powered by the E15 quartz movement, this timepiece is highly durable.