Patek Philippe Levels Up One of the World’s Best Watches

The headliner might be these very high-end Grandmaster Chimes, but the rest of the Patek collection is notable, too, for being so sporty. Last year, at W&W, the brand seemed to pointedly remove itself from the sport watch conversation, deading the beloved 5711 Nautilus and skipping new models from that line and the Aquanaut, Patek’s other sport collection. Patek is making another 180 this year,  expanding the Aquanaut line, the even more casual and athletic little brother to the Nautilus, with three new grown-up additions. The first is simple, with a brown-dial version and a chronograph. Things escalate quickly from there. Patek used rose-gold for all three of the new Aquanauts, which goes particularly well with the navy-dial model bolstered with an annual calendar and moonphase. The last of the trio is—why the hell not?—set with 48 diamonds on the bezel. 

My favorite of the new Pateks, though, may be three colorful Calatravas. Patek debuted this reference in 2020 to celebrate the opening of a new manufacturer and is now expanding the range with more casual watches. I always appreciate when the always-elegant Patek gets a little loose—it’s like seeing James Bond change out of his tux and into his Barbour jacket. Each new Calatrava comes with a different accent color: red, sky blue, and yellow. The red and yellow, in particular, have a delightful racing bite to them. 

With this collection, Patek was apparently hellbent on proving it can do sport watches as well as anyone. It quickly pivots from the world of racing to pilot watches. The reference 5924 takes Patek’s Pilot-style watch, with those chunky can’t-miss numerals, and adds a chronograph for the first time. The watch comes in standard navy but I really love the khaki-green model. And if you’re more comfortable in the plane’s cabin than the cockpit, Patek also has a new GMT. The brand’s spin on the travel-time complication features the 24-hour markers set straight onto the dial. 

Patek’s full-throated re-commitment to sports permeates the entire collection. This year, even the fancy watches are imbued with a certain je ne sais sport. Patek’s two collections are divided into two categories, one of which is home to only the ritziest of pieces and described as the “Rare Handcraft” selection. Here is a version of the Calatrava with a miniature painting done entirely by hand. This rare, painstakingly done art features a red racecar inspired by the 1948 Nations Grand Prix.

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