Every year, the new products of certain manufactures are eagerly awaited and discussed. This also goes for the new watches to emerge from Patek Philippe, for example. As for this year, some of these launches could be found on Instagram just a few days before Watches & Wonders, and as much as this information leak certainly caused a stir in Geneva, the attention should remain focused on the watches that were launched. So what’s new?
First of all, the golden rule applies: it is almost impossible to predict what Patek Philippe will present. Connoisseurs are regularly way off the mark with their speculations, and wishes are often the father of all thoughts. The information that regularly appears at the beginning of the year about run-out lists, i.e. models that are no longer in production, rarely helps either. Just because reference xyz is no longer being produced does not mean that it will be immediately replaced by a new version with a different case material or different dial colour. Unless, of course, Patek Philippe breaks with this pattern of behaviour and does just that – as it has done several times this year.
Reference 5330G-001, the new and improved World Timer
The reference 5230P-001 has been in the catalogue for just under two years and is now making way for the 5330. It was presented in deep purple last year at the “Watch Art” Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, but was still a limited edition of 300 pieces at the time. What makes it special is that the date display is synchronised with the local time, and the transparent glass hand with red hammer tip can easily jump forwards or backwards. This is made possible by a patented central differential inside the new 240 HU C calibre.
It was already clear in Japan that this innovation was far too good for a single limited edition. The fact that it is now being presented in series production this year is therefore only logical, but not a matter of course in the Patek cosmos. With its blue-grey dial and the ‘carbon’ motif in the centre, it combines the dominant colour of the new 2024 models with the now typical manufacture pattern for more modern references. The blue look is completed by a denim-style strap. Whether this is a particularly original look here and now is up to each collector to decide for themselves. But it certainly makes the 40 mm watch stand out on the wrist. Its price: 75,320 euros.
Reference 5396G: Now in platinum with diamond baguette hour-markers
The annual calendar is a Patek Philippe innovation dating back to 1996. As a somewhat less complex and therefore less expensive alternative to the perpetual calendar, it has been a great success story for the Stern family. At the same time, the demand for references such as the annual calendars, which are priced in the mid-range of the Patek Philippe luxury world, is said to have declined somewhat. Either entry level or straight into the world of Grande Complications – that seems to be the mood of many customers at the moment.
It therefore seems only logical to refresh the 5396G: instead of rose gold with a blue dial and baguette indices or white gold with a silver-coloured dial, the new Patek Philippe watch Ref. 5396G-017 is now available in white gold with a deep blue dial with a black gradient and sunburst finish, as well as the familiar baguette indices. The result is a classic annual calendar with moonphase and a diameter of 38.5 mm, but with an unashamedly seductive appearance that is still considered the most desirable of all in a similar form to the now-discontinued 5170 chronograph in platinum. The new 5396 is pretty much the most discreet way to wear a watch with the bling factor. Its price: 62,460 euros.
Now for the hype: Aquanaut Travel Time, Ref. 5146G-001
Even if Thierry Stern never tires of emphasising that Patek Philippe is much more than the particularly popular sports model series Nautilus and Aquanaut, the latter line in particular has recently been expanded with particular vigour. After the colourful, sparkling minute repeater Ref. 5260, however, things have become a few nuances more down-to-earth.
The white-gold version of the Ref. 5164 Travel Time is sure to become a great favourite among Aquanaut fans, replacing the steel version with a blue-grey dial. Yes, blue-grey again! The hype surrounding last year’s Aquanaut with annual calendar, the 5261R, seems to have been well received in the design department. Launched as a ladies’ model, this rose-gold timepiece with a blue-grey dial also found many male fans with its 39.9 mm diameter. This year, blue-grey can now be found in various new models. Price: 62,000 euros.
You can always count on denim – or can you? The Nautilus Ref. 5980/60G-001
The 5980 is back – but in white gold, and with a denim-look strap, just like the new World Timer. The Nautilus Chrono is a piece of Patek Philippe history. Together with the 5711 and 5712, it completes the glorious trio that was first presented in 2006 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Nautilus.
When the rose-gold version of the reference disappeared from the website at the beginning of the year, the excitement was correspondingly great. With its successor, the showcases at Watches & Wonders now contain a watch that is completely different with its white metal and sporty bracelet. Its price: 77,640 euros.
Grandes Complication: Reference 5160/500R-001
A hand-engraved officer’s case and engraved dial centre meet a perpetual calendar with retrograde date display. The rose-gold 5160 is a real showcase for the watchmakers at Patek Philippe and certainly one of the most visually classic watches among the Grandes Complications.
The watch made its debut in 2010 as reference 5160G-001 as part of the Rare Handcrafts collection, which in 2016 became the white gold 5160-500G as part of the Grandes Complications in the main collection. This is now being replaced by the new rose gold version with its opaline silver-coloured dial. Its price: 198,730 euros.
Successful salmon-coloured combination: reference 5236P-010
And here is the unofficial counterpart to the perpetual calendar in an engraved officer’s case. The reference 5236 is considered by many friends of the brand to be an underrated insider tip. With its uncluttered dial, it presents a modern, purist Patek Philippe look that is pleasantly eye-catching.
Three years after the premiere of the inline perpetual calendar in platinum with a blue dial, the 5236 now has the look that has proven to be a collector’s favourite in the past: with a rose-gold dial and anthracite grey indices. Just as we know it from the 5270, the perpetual calendar with chronograph. After blue comes salmon – this was also the case with the 5172 chronograph, and quite honestly, this new addition is a thing of beauty. It gives the reference a completely new look. Those who like it sportier and younger will still prefer ‘the blue original’, while the new model looks a little more distinguished. The price: 139,050 euros.
Appealing bracelet: The golden Ellipse Reference 5738/1R-001
With its minimalist beauty, the Ellipse collection is an integral part of the manufactory’s DNA. It does not seek attention, but the observer cannot help but notice it. The perfect proportions of the Ellipse, inspired by the “golden ratio”, which made its debut in 1968, are therefore becoming increasingly popular. The new model in rose gold with a gold bracelet will only increase this desirability.
After all, metal straps were already quite common on the Ellipse in the past – remember the reference 3605 from the 1970s – but are now the exception rather than the rule beyond the Nautilus collection. But now the comeback, and with a strap of particular finesse: The links arranged in rows are reminiscent of a chain bracelet, and lend it a certain lightness, while the otherwise understated watch gains weight on the wrist in every respect. The rose gold sparkles, while the ebony black sunburst dial radiates calm and elegance. Perhaps the most extraordinary reinterpretation of a familiar Patek Philippe face in 2024, this is the secret star of Watches & Wonders. Its price: 59,100 euros.
Sound the alarm: Ref. 5520 in rose gold
Visually speaking, this reference does not occupy one of the top spots in the popularity rankings among collectors. At the same time, there is a consensus: with its 24-hour alarm function, it is the entry into the world of Patek Philippe complications with striking mechanisms.
They are now available in bicolour in the broadest sense, with rose gold clearly dominating and only the pushers accentuated with white gold. However, it is primarily the grey sunburst dial that catches one’s attention. All in all, an extremely charming combination. There’s only the fact that the alarm display at 12 o’clock now cuts into the dial, which is rather irritating – especially as the previous version with an ebony black dial had no indentation. The price: 254,930 euros.
What about the wow factor?
There are a lot of new watches at Patek Philippe. Even if at first glance only a few essential changes have been made, the sheer beauty of the newly interpreted timepieces is immediately striking. But do denim straps really make a watch more beautiful or more appealing to younger generations? Ultimately, that’s not the point. Straps can be replaced. What is more important is that Patek Philippe looks after the young and equally at the somewhat older classics with great sensitivity.
At the manufacture, it’s never about polarising people, just as it’s never about pleasing everyone. Standing out for the sake of standing out is not a company goal, and rethinking everything from one day to the next is not an option. The Sterns have all the time in the world. According to reports, a completely new collection will also be launched this year. But even if not: ‘chop chop’ has never been the company motto. In this genre, class develops over decades, not through one Instagram post or one dial colour.
