Patek Philippe

[Baselworld 2016] A wide diversity of Patek Philippe case profiles

 

You know that, when looking carefully at Patek pieces' details, we discover all kind of beautiful elements we didn't notice at first sight. These elements are what, imperceptibly, make these watches so special and refined.

Some cases in watchmaking are made to look "spectacular" (i.e. big or thick usually) but this isn't what Patek is about IMHO. It doesn't aim at impressing on a cover of a magazine or a webzine with big cases or massive colors contrasts, it impresses by its work's subtelty and the mastery of adding refined details.

If you didn't already paid attention to it or aren't that familiar with the brand's collection, please have a closer look in the future to the markers (the way they are faceted), the hands' curves, the registers/windows' frames (like the gorgeous 5960's date one with its polished and sandblasted surfaces), the grooves and detailed lugs, even the simpler ones are usually beautiful. You may also consider observing the caseband's shape and the way it is working with the bezel (stepped or not) and the caseback.


5960P: polished frame with sandblasted inner sides and polished edges. This part is a masterpiece you should see in the metal.





5227R: stepped markers and facetted window frame. Fantastic in the metal too.




You will then be able to see why some cases are much harder to craft than others: straight and thicker cases are always easier, thus less expensive, less time consuming, needing a more basic technic, to produce than small/thin and round ones.

The case's shape or the dials are the most obvious but there is also a part we don't pay as much attention to: the profile. This part of the watch says a lot on this matter.

We often underestimate how much the brand's collection offers in terms of diversity.

I compiled, just for the pleasure, the profile photos of all the watches presented during Baselworld 2016 (new versions of existing references or brand new ones). Patek Philippe has taken advantage of their long uninterrupted history and archive conservation work to keep using technics not all brands master today.

There are more in the current collection but I thought that it would be enough for now. These don't take into account additional ones belonging to the current collection which were not concerned by this year's evolutions (it was a way to make a selection and reduce the sample). I don't think of many brands, especially in the high-end segment, that offer such a diversity of beautiful cases.

People sometimes ask why some brands are more expensive and this is definitely a part of the answer. It is IMHO quite reductive to limit craftmanship to chamfering of a movement only and I believe skills can be shown in this field in a more visible way.

Here they are, a pleasure to explore (and time to make some guess maybe)

Cheers, Mark




MEN WATCHES


6300 Grandmaster Chime, a work of art.

We may like "Clous de Paris" or not but if we do this new profile is simply gorgeous to my opinion. Not the thinner one but we understand why in this "case".




6104R Celestial.

The caseband isn't flat but slightly "rounded", and so seems to be the edge/side part of the bezel. I like that one quite much.

5327 (Perpetual Calendar)

The 5227 Calatrava's design, not that impressive on the picture but very much so in the metal (maybe my favorite case from the 2 last decades together with the 5975's).




5160 Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date

The 5159 engraved version. Not the style we would wear daily but a great art work for sure (and even better in the metal!)




5930 WT Chronograph

We talked about quite much lately, a more masculin evolution like in the 5230.




5131R WT Enameled

One of the last model using this case style we had in the 5110, 5027/5127, 5130, 3940, 5140 etc... previous generations. A must-have? Maybe.




5230 WT

It looks very sober from that side and the front view makes it so different.




5374 (enamel dial, PC, MR)

The fantastic case work from last year's new 5370P. A lot of character in the metal.




5396 Annual Calendar




5140 Perpetual Calendar

Impressive thinness for Patek's well known Perpetual Calendar




5164 Aquanaut.

I must say I didn't recognize the watch at first sight because of the lugs' style. I never noticed they looked like this with the square lines




5170 Chronograph




5204 Perpetual Calendar Split Second Chronograph

A convex/concave play that is something very attractive to me. And, after I saw it in the metal, maybe finally my favorite Patek of Basel 2016 in this new material.




5496 Perpetual Calendar Rattrapante Date




5539 Minute Repeater

Romance...




5950 Split Second Chronograph

This caseband looks very different from the round references for sure...




5959 Split Second Chronograph

Beautiful and smooth shape case again, especially considering the 33mm size.




5961 Annual Calendar Chronograph

This one looks a little more impressive than the models above but the lines, and sometimes their opposite orientations, make a wonderful combination IMHO.




6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon

Another very complicated watch with a awe-inspiring engraving work






LADIES WATCHES

7122 "Timeless White"




7200

I wonder if this is not my favorite profile of the 4 ladies novelties.




4897




4968




5067 Aquanaut







This message has been edited by Mark in Paris on 2016-04-19 15:37:30