Founded in 1839, Patek Philippe is widely considered the finest watchmaker in the world. For nearly two centuries, the vision of the maison’s founders — Polish-born businessman Antoine Norbert de Patek and French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe — has been synonymous with inspired design, exclusivity and quality.
From the firm’s early pocket watches to the groundbreaking Henry Graves Supercomplication of the 1930s, early successes paved the way for later wins. The reference 96 of 1932, which would later spawn the Calatrava collection, has since become synonymous with the very idea of a round dress watch, while the references 1526 and 1518 — the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar and perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatches, respectively — predated their closest competition within the Swiss watch industry by decades.
Today, Patek Philippe’s watches are perhaps more popular than ever before. With the general expansion of the watch-collecting hobby, people are coming into the horological fold at much younger ages, exposed to the wonderful world of watchmaking through digital channels such as Instagram and TikTok, and while some may have mistakenly pegged modern Patek Philippe for a one-trick pony due to the outsize popularity of the Gérald Genta-designed Nautilus, the truth is that the brand’s catalog is vast, varied and versatile. From time-only sports watches in the aforementioned Nautilus and Aquanaut categories to astoundingly complicated pieces within the Complications and Grand Complications families, the maison caters to all comers — albeit at price points that aren’t for the faint of heart.
Still, as the slogan goes: “You never own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation.” More than a pithy catchphrase, this sentiment speaks to what makes the company’s watches so special for so many: Expensive objects, to be sure, their quality and timelessness renders them more than simple timekeepers, but rather totems of excellence, precision and beauty that are passed down through families.
In order to grasp this essence of Patek Philippe, it helps to have some understanding of the maison’s modern catalog. Comprising 10 collections, it spans a vast array of designs, materials, complications and aesthetics. Let’s break down each of these collections, with a few key illustrative models from each.
Grand Complications
This is where the maison houses its most sophisticated fare — those timepieces with multiple complications contained within one watch. While chiming watches, chronographs, perpetual calendars and other complications are difficult enough to build on their own, placing multiple such mechanisms into a single case with an ergonomic interface and legible dial is the work of master technicians. Watches such as the In-Line Perpetual Calendar ref. 5236P; Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5270/1R; Celestial ref. 6102R; Alarm Travel Time ref. 5520RG; and Minute Repeater Tourbillon ref. 5303R exemplify the firm’s commitment to haute horlogerie and form the stuff of collectors’ dreams.
Complications
Patek Philippe’s Complications collection houses timepieces that contain a single complication, such as a chronograph, world timer, the maison’s signature annual calendar mechanism (a streamlined version of the perpetual calendar released in 1996 that today figures in numerous Patek Philippe watches) or its travel time mechanism (a dual-time display with two hour hands and twin local and home day/night indications). Standout references include the Calatrava Weekly Calendar ref. 5212A; the World Time Date ref. 5330G; the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time ref. 5524G; the Annual Calendar Moon Phases ref. 5205G; and the Annual Calendar Regulator ref. 5235.
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The best releases include a time-only Calatrava, an ingenious Grand Complication and a million-dollar desk clock
Calatrava
Though Patek Philippe’s round dress watch collection only took on the name “Calatrava” — named in honor of the Calatrava Cross, first trademarked by the maison in 1887 — in the 1980s, the maison has been associated with the style since the debut of the ref. 96 in 1932. Inspired by the form-follows-function and less-is-more philosophy of the Bauhaus, this simple dress watch grew into a full collection that now encompasses all manner of both men’s and women’s references in different materials, finishes, dial colors and designs, among other configurations. (There are also complicated Calatrava models housed within the dedicated Complications collection.) Standout references include the hobnail bezel ref. 6119G and the sub-seconds ref. 6196P.
Gondolo
Introduced in 1993, the Gondolo collection is named after a now-defunct Brazilian retailer, Gondolo & Labouriau, which served as an important partner of the maison up until the early 20th century. Based upon the partnership’s wristwatch output, the collection comprises references in cushion-shaped precious-metal cases with diamond-set dials and bezels. Inspired by Art Deco design principles, each is powered by a hand-wound movement visible via a sapphire caseback. Two of the currently available references (7042/100G and 7042/100R) feature diamond-set dials and gold bracelets set with rounded Akoya pearls.
Golden Ellipse
Unlike the round Calatrava or cushion-cased Gondolo watches, the Golden Ellipse from 1968 takes its proportions from the golden mean (also known as the golden ratio), a phenomenon found in nature that was sacred to the ancient Greeks as a picture of perfect aesthetic harmony. In addition to its elliptical case, the Golden Ellipse also features a beautifully simple dial that is almost entirely devoid of ornamentation — save on the ref. 5738/51G-001, a Rare Handicrafts version with a hand-engraved enamel dial. For more classic options, there are the references 5738R or P in rose gold or platinum, respectively, or the ornate 5738/1R-001 in rose gold paired to a beautiful chain-style bracelet.
Cubitus
Launched in the fall of 2024, the Cubitus is Patek Philippe’s first new collection in 25 years. Taking inspiration from integrated sports watch designs such as the brand’s own Nautilus and Aquanaut, the product family is the brainchild of Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern, who envisioned a square timepiece and worked for years to bring it to fruition. Available in a larger 45mm diameter or a smaller 40mm size, each reference features an integrated, matching metal bracelet or composite strap. The reference 5822P-001, with its instantaneous grand date, day and moon phase displays, is currently the most complicated of the bunch, while the smaller 7128 references are perhaps the most classic looking.
Nautilus
Conceived by star watch designer Gérald Genta in 1976, the Nautilus has been a mainstay in the Patek Philippe catalog for nearly half a century and remains one of the most beloved luxury sports watches in the world. Inspired by the shape of a ship’s porthole and featuring a now-iconic integrated bracelet, it can be had in traditional time-and-date form or all manner of complicated iterations spanning from travel time references to perpetual calendars. Though the brand discontinued the beloved steel reference 5711 in 2021, the ref. 5811/1G-001 in white gold offers a similar aesthetic. For those who prefer more complicated fare, the ref. 5990/1A Flyback Chronograph Travel Time offers two highly useful complications.
Aquanaut
Launched in 1997, the Aquanaut might be considered a type of younger, more approachable brother to its Nautilus luxury sports watch cousin. Likewise housed in a vaguely octagonal case with heavily rounded edges, it comes in a wide array of configurations and sizes, making it a perfect choice for both men and women. It ships on a high-end, highly pliable ribbed rubber strap, making it an excellent option for sportier or vacation wear. For a classic option in steel, there’s the time-and-date ref. 5167A; the equivalent in white gold with a green dial, the ref. 5168G-010 is equally fetching. Either way, a cool embossed dial is part of the package.
Twenty~4
The Twenty~4, launched in 1999, is a dedicated women’s dress watch line available in two guises: an Art Deco-inspired cuff powered by a quartz movement, or a more traditional round case powered by an automatic movement. Many references have diamond-set bezels, while two new perpetual calendar references, the 7340/1R-001 and 7340/1R-010, offer an ultra-thin, automatically-wound QP movement in a 36mm case. The rectangular cuff model, available in one of three dial colors as the ref. 4910/1200A, offers a touch of early-20th-century elegance paired with the convenience of a battery-powered movement. For those who prefer a more traditional round case, the ref. 7300/1200A is just the ticket.
Pocket Watches
Believe it or not, Patek Philippe still makes the thing for which the brand first became known in the horological world: the humble pocket watch. Available in small runs in precious metals, they come in both Savonnette-style cases with a cover and a 3 o’clock crown, and in Lépine-style configurations with open-face cases with 12 o’clock crowns. Each features an elegant bélière winding crown protected by an elegantly curved bow, a beautiful dial with applied Breguet indices and a matching handset, and a hand-wound Patek Philippe movement decorated with Côtes de Genève.
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