Patek Philippe Upgrades One of the World’s Best Watches

The title might be these very high end Grandmaster Chimes, but the rest of the Patek collection is also notable for being very sporty. Last year, at W&W, the brand seemed definitively excludes itself from the conversation about sports watches, which kills the beloved 5711 Nautilus and skips new models from that line and the Aquanaut, Patek’s other sports collection. Patek will build 180 more this year, expanding the Aquanaut line, the even more casual and sportier sibling of the Nautilus, with three new additions for adults. The first is simple, with a brown dial and chronograph version. Things escalated quickly from there. Patek has used rose gold for all three of the new Aquanauts, which is especially relevant for the navy blue dial model backed by an annual and moon phase calendar. The final one in the trilogy is—why not?—set with 48 diamonds on the bezel.

My favorite of the new Pateks, however, might be the three colorful Calatravas. Patek launched this reference model 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 elegant Patek is always a little loose—like seeing James Bond change into a tux and put on a Barbour jacket. Each new Calatrava comes in a different accent color: red, blue, and yellow. In particular, red and yellow have an interesting bite to them.

With this collection, Patek has clearly proven that it can make sports watches as good as anyone. It quickly pivoted from the racing world to the pilot’s watch. The reference 5924 uses Patek’s Pilot-style watch, with chunky numerals that can’t be ignored and adds a chronograph for the first time. The watch comes in standard navy blue but I really love the khaki blue model. And if you’re more comfortable in the cabin than in the cockpit, Patek has a new GMT too. The brand’s twist on the moving time complication features 24-hour markers placed straight across the dial.

Patek’s strong re-commitment to sport permeates the entire collection. This year, even fancy watches are imbued with a certain style. je ne sais sports. Patek’s two collections are divided into two categories, one of which houses only the finest works and is described as a “Rare Crafts” selection. This is a version of Calatrava with a miniature painting done entirely by hand. This rare, meticulously executed work of art features a red racing car inspired by the 1948 National Grand Prix.

For more exclusive watch content, Sign up here to Cam Wolf’s Box + Papers newsletter.