The incessant cries for a new Nautilus have been heard. Patek Philippe just couldn’t care less. After a farewell tour last year that saw a slew of releases including the infamous Tiffany blue dial be devoured by watch enthusiasts and the general public alike, Patek Philippe is well and truly over the sports watch.
Rather than resting on its laurels and releasing another instant sell out in the form of a new Nautilus or Aquanaut, Patek Philippe has gone back to its roots, releasing a myriad of dress watches. Honing in on precious stones, interesting complications, vintage aesthetics, and the colourful dial trend that continues to reign supreme, the Swiss luxury watchmaker is in no shortage of covetable timepieces.
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Tapping into the ongoing allure of the green dial, Patek Philippe has released three new green watches; a 5205R annual calendar in olive green, a 5270 perpetual calendar in lacquered emerald green, and a diamond-encrusted Twenty-4 (ref. 4910/1200A) art deco-inspired ladies’ watch with an olive dial (and a quartz movement, unfortunately).
Representing contemporary takes on vintage aesthetics, both the 5226G and 5326G-001 draw inspiration for their textured grey dials from the cases of old cameras. Both the annual calendar and classic Calatrava models feature beige-hued Arabic numerals and hands and come in white gold cases. A manual winding 5172G complication and self-winding 5320G grand complication both feature dials in a shade of rose-gilt opaline (Patek Philippe’s take on salmon). The former is a chronograph with a small seconds display while the latter features a rare moon-phase aperture, which only requires a one-day correction once every 122 years.
The art of gem-setting elevates already beautiful releases. The self-winding 5374/300P grand complication gets a haute joaillerie makeover, with a striking blue lacquered dial, baguette-cut diamonds on the outer ring and bezel, and blue sapphire hour markers. It’s not just a pretty face (or dial) though, with the 5374/300P featuring both the perpetual calendar and minute repeater complications. Likewise, the manual winding 7121/200G moon-phase ladies’ watch gets the gemset treatment, with brilliant-cut diamonds complementing the white gold case and blue sunburst dial.
For a dressy timepiece that has street cred almost on par with Patek’s sportier models, look no further than the Patek Philippe World Time. Launched in the 1930s, the model displays all 24 time zones on the same dial. Both a work of art and a mechanical marvel, the Swiss watch manufacturer has released three unique aesthetic takes on the World Time. For the first time, the 5230P utilises a platinum case paired with a blue dial and strap, while the slightly smaller 7130R model marketed to women takes on a rose gold case with an olive green dial and strap. Both the blue and green dials feature a hand-guilloched motif at the centre of the dial.
However, the timepiece most likely to be the next grail watch comes in the form of the 5231G, which has a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel map depicting South Asia and Oceania at the centre of the dial.
Patek Philippe’s 2022 releases just may have sports watch collectors swapping steel for precious metals.
Words by John Deckard
