The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time succeeded at least one of its missions: during the last Baselworld Fair, it was the most talked piece. I do not remember a Patek Philippe which caused so much ink to flow in recent years. It even suffered a barrage of criticisms which without any doubt had to make Thierry Stern smile because with Patek Philippe, the same causes generally cause the same effects: the more a Patek watch is criticized, the more it is desired in the future. And as collectors will not want to miss such an opportunity, they have already positioned themselves for the acquisition of this watch which will be, I imagine, very difficult to see in the boutiques.
I have to admit that the surprise was big the day Patek Philippe unveiled it. "Inconsistent design", "A clone of the Zenith Pilot GMT", "We don't see any logic with the current collection", these words were the most frequent remarks. But we have to understand that the reasoning applicable to many brands are rarely valid with the most famous Geneva Manufacture. First, the inconsistency of the design is an unjustified judgement. Obviously, the watch gives the impression to come out all of a sudden and without any aesthetic connection to an existing model. But after all, Patek Philippe created pilot and navigators watches in the 30. What would prevent the brand presenting such a watch? You can not blame them one year for their immobility in terms of design and the following year to venture out of their usual style.
Then the shape of applied numerals that define much of the character of the Calatrava Pilot travel Time are for me a tribute to the pilot watches of the First World War. The differences with the Zenith Pilot GMT become obvious: the hands, the presence of the two pushers on the left case side, the date display, many details separate the two watches. Sure, of course, they operate in the same atmosphere, but just like thousands of other duos of watches that tackle similar themes.
Finally, the connection with the current collection seems pretty obvious. It is not an aesthetic but functional link. In recent years, Patek Philippe has focused more and more frequently on travel watches: the Aquanaut Travel Time 5164A 4 years ago, the Nautilus 5990 / 1A last year, it is not illogical to see a new watch embedding a second timezone display this year and especially since it is an useful complication appreciated by the clients. Actually, it is a bit unfair to call this watch "Pilot". As Thierry Stern willingly conceded it when I met him during the presentation of the new collection at the Basel Fair, it is more a watch for travelers (he even said for the "passengers") ... and he knows what he is talking about since the Aquanaut Travel Time is one of the watches he wears the most.
Besides, those who know the 5164A will feel very comfortable with the 5524G: they use the same movement, the caliber 324 SC FUS and therefore their dials are organized in the same way: the hollow hand indicates the home time while the solid hand displays the local time. The minute hand combines with the two hour hands because the watch doesn't handle specific staggered timezones of countries like India or Iran for example. I also find again the two little windows that symbolize the day / night displays for local time and home time. The local date is displayed thanks to a hand within a sub-dial at 6 hours. There is a little originality on the scale of this sub-dial: for better readability and to avoid confusion, the dates are displayed every three days instead of the usual two days step. Finally, a central second hand animates the dial.
I love the finish of this dial, the blue varnish is both intense and subtle and can become very close to anthracite grey according to the light conditions. The gold applied numerals with luminescent coating bring their three-dimensional effect and give volume to the dial. However, I was less attracted by the "sword" hands. They don't have any major defect, they are consistent with the atmosphere and style of the watch but I found them without special flavor.
The white gold case with a diameter of 42mm offers pleasant proportions and has in my opinion the perfect size for such a part which must be large enough to be faithful to the spirit of a "pilot watch" without looking like a pizza plate to maintain a minimum of elegance. I wondered if white gold was the suitable material for such a context. Stainless Steel would have seemed to be more appropriate to me but the small water resistance (30 meters) reminds us that the purpose of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Travel Time is not to be a sports watch but to provide a different context to display a second timezone. After all, the Aquanaut Travel Time and the Nautilus Chronograph Travel Time are already there to offer Stainless Steel cases and a higher water resistance (120 meters). A third watch with the same characteristics and features would have been too much from my point of view. So the aim of the White Gold case is to highlight the difference. The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is certainly first and foremost a more casual watch but for a business traveler and not for an adventurer.
The perceived size of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is however bigger than its actual diameter. This feeling is due to the two prominent pushers located on the left case side. They are used to set the local time forward or backward. Their ends are grooved to improve grip. I wondered why as at first, they can only be pushed. It appears that these pushers have a lock that prevents an accidental move of the hour hand. Those who have experienced many misfortunes of this type with the 5134 Travel Time know that this security lock is more than welcome. A small quarter turn and the pusher is active. A small backward turn of the pusher and it is blocked again.
The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is equipped with the 324 SC FUS movement visible through a transparent caseback. The module being located on the dial side, the offered view is similar to that of a 3 hands watch using the same basic movement. The finish is clean, clear and without any useless style. I would have liked to find a solid caseback or an officer caseback opening in the vertical direction because of the pushers to bring an additional consistency taking into account the atmosphere of this watch. The movement's performance is very classic due to its 324 base and has a 4hz frequency for a power reserve between 35 and 45 hours. I am always very surprised by this way of presenting the power reserve by Patek Philippe but anyway, in a contemporary context, whatever is its actual duration, it remains relatively short despite the excellent winding efficiency and reliability.
But at the end, the aim of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is it not to remain constantly on the wrist? Thanks to its casual style, it embodies a versatile style making it comfortable in any situation and context... despite a water resistance and a case material not adapted to intense sports practices. Anyway, I enjoyed its good positioning and comfort on the wrist, the efficient calf leather strap, its not excessive presence and its character provided by the applied numerals and the side pushers. Without any doubt, the Calatava Pilot Travel Time leaves not indifferent. Far from being perfect, it still managed to seduce me with its unique design in the current collection of Patek Philippe and thanks to some welcome details facilitating its daily use. It clearly does not deserve the wrath it faced during the Baselworld Fair and I'm sure its bitterest opponents will change gradually their minds over time. The Patek Philippe magic will operate again!
Thanks to the Patek Philippe team for its warm welcome at Baselworld.
Pros:
+ an unique design in the current collection of Patek Philippe
+ the dial color oscillating between blue and gray
+ the pushers security system
+ the date display scale every 3 days making it more legible
+ its aesthetic versatility
Cons:
- the power reserve of the 324 movement, quite short compared to contemporary standards
- the swords hands without any specific charm
- the water resistance and the case material make it less versatile on a daily use: it is not an all-around watch
Fr.Xavier
