In a LEAGUE of its own

The Patek Philippe Calatrava is one of the most influential watches in horological history

There are few watches as influential to Patek Philippe, and to the entire world of horology, than the Calatrava. The first Calatrava Ref. 96 was unveiled in 1932, the year the Stern family took over what was then hard to believe a struggling watch brand, Patek Philippe. The success of the Ref. 96 helped catapult the company to the prominence it enjoys today. The watch’s very name reveals its significance. It refers to the Cross of Calatrava, an order of powerful knights from the Middle Ages. The cross bears four fleur-de-lys which Patek Philippe adopted for its emblem.

Why was the Calatrava so revolutionary? At the time it was unveiled, round wrist watches were, surprisingly, not in favor. The Calatrava, with its spare, refined round case, changed all that. The watch was admired for its elegant simplicity. It was designed along the principles of the Bauhaus movement, which rests on the necessity of form following function, so beauty and practicality are supreme.

The function of the Calatrava: to tell the time. A simple white dial with minimally designed hands and markers did the job, beautifully. The Sterns relaunched Patek Philippe with the Ref. 96, and the watch world took notice. Today, round watch cases are more the norm than the exception, and the Calatrava continues as an important part of Patek Philippe, past and present.

Over the years the Calatrava has evolved to meet the times, and there have been dozens of variations. The original was 31 mm; the latest versions clock in larger to appeal to a contemporary clientele that prefers a bigger dial. In the 1980s a decorative hobnail, or clous de Paris design was added to the bezel and continues to prove popular. In 1982 a version (Ref. 3796) designed for women was introduced, which also continues to evolve. There are Calatravas in yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum, with metal bracelets or calfskin; Calatravas with moonphases, date complications, an invisible dustcover over the case, a bezel surrounded with diamonds. What remains true is the purity of the aesthetic: the perfect circle.

The latest models released this year provide a case in point of the Calatrava’s continuing evolution. The biggest change of the new Reference 6119G is something that can’t be seen but definitely affects its function. The watch contains a new movement that provides a 65hour time reserve.

The newest Calatrava Pilot Travel

Time pays homage to the glory days of aviation when watches were an essential aid in flying a plane by helping to precisely determine its position. Reference 7234R-001 (with its rose gold buckle and vintage brown calfskin strap) and Reference 7234G (with its white gold buckle and navy calfskin strap) have day /night indicators to keep the time in two different time zones, so today’s modern travelers can know the time back home and the time of wherever they’ve journeyed to, while the watch retains its eloquent simplicity.

It’s yet another example of form following function that has made the Calatrava and all its variations one of the most important and influential timepieces ever made.