Posts Tagged ‘Calatrava’
Beyer Dial 3417 Patek Philippe Amagnetic
The late ’50s were a time when the world had absolute faith that science would solve its problems and deliver a future worth being excited about. But if you were an actual scientist, working hard to lead the space race or keep the cold war on ice, you were in all kinds of generated high-strength…
Read MoreSerpico Y Laino Dial 2526 Patek Philippe Calatrava
Enamel dials are a dying art. Only a handful of watchmakers still attempt the process and in Switzerland it’s just Donzé Cadrans who still specialize in enamel dials independent of any manufacture. But the white enamel dials of the ref. 2526 are quite unlike any other. They are far creamier in tone than any other…
Read More3569 Patek Philippe Backwind Calatrava
Patek’s Calatrava always reminds me a quote from Charles de Gaulle, when asked by journalist how he might go about uniting France in wartime he replied, ‘How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?’ Patek’s Calatrava has seen hundreds, if not thousands of varieties. It’s a fundamentally delicious…
Read More‘Pink on Pink’ 96 Patek Philippe Calatrava
When asked by journalist how he might go about uniting France in wartime, Charles de Gaulle famously replied, ‘How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?’ His response perfectly encompasses how I feel about the Patek Philippe Calatrava, a fundamentally good thing which has endured the inevitable slide…
Read More3417 Patek Philippe Amagnetic
I would be willing to bet a great bottle of Glenrothes that, if you asked industry luminaries for their top five most beautiful Patek Philippe references of all time, the 3417 Amagnetic would feature in the majority. This is an elegant Calatrava belying the soul of a steel tool watch. It’s like seeing Tom Ford,…
Read More2508 Patek Philippe Calatrava
Very little can truly be described as timeless. A Patek Calatrava deserves that laudable adjective like little else. The 2508, produced between 1951 and 1960, is a high point of the Calatrava lineage for many. It debuted a larger 35mm case manufactured by Taubert & Fils (later known as Borgel) which echoed the design elements…
Read More2597 Patek Philippe ‘Travel Time’ Calatrava in Pink Gold
Developed just after the initial Worldtimers by Louis Cottier, the ref. 2597 is damn cool ‘Travel Time’ from 1956, the very start of the jet age. The reference can be thought of as a 570 Calatrava with a little je ne sais quoi complication. The watch featured an early iteration of a Travel Time, effectively: its wearer…
Read More3864 Longines Sei Tacche
Through the post WWII era, Longines’ engineering, quality, and design were nearly unrivaled. This era gave us the 13ZN, 12.68Z fly-back, 6630 ‘Swiss Air’, 3592 Type A-7, ‘Tasti a Spillo’, and many other. Among this innovative era were a series of extremely handsome calatrava-styled pieces with restrained aesthetics. The most famed of these are known…
Read MoreCal. 853 Pellaton IWC Calatrava in Yellow Gold
Watches from IWC which predate their major sports lines are a bit under the radar today. This simple three-hander proves the point. Exquisite 35mm proportions, a restrained dial, vintage IWC script signature, alpha hands, competent automatic calibre . . .I could go on. Yet, little ink has been spilled on behalf of this period in…
Read More3796G Patek Philippe Calatrava
Patek Philippe’s Calatrava is the final word in understated elegance, a pinnacle of three-handers. Since the ref. 96 of 1932, the Calatrava has always underpinned Patek’s entire collection. This 3796 carried the flag from 1982 until 1999. In doing so, it maintained the classic 30.5mm (or 31, depending on who you ask) case proportion but…
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