Every year at Watches & Wonders Patek Philippe dazzles with its new releases. At the 2025 edition of the fair, the Geneva-based watchmaking powerhouse launched a series of pieces sure to delight even the most demanding of its clients. Among the new 15 references there was an exceptional new Calatrava model and an intricate Quadruple Complicaton. At the Rare Handcrafts Exhibition in the salon on the Rue de Rhone, guests of the brand had the opportunity to admire Patek Philippe’s pre-eminence in metiers d’art.
The piece that received the most attention was the Complicated Desk Clock ref. 27000M, inspired by the desk clock delivered in 1923 to American collector James Ward Packard, as well as from a model of the same style sold in 1927 to another notorious American collector, Henry Graves Junior, now preserved in the Patek Philippe Museum.
The Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 6196 is a worthy successor to Patek Philippe’s past heritage of time-only watches.
Going back to the wristwatch novelties, as a sucker for a simple watch, I found the new Calatrava ref. 6196 simply stunning. The Calatrava famously saved the company when the Stern family took over Patek Philippe almost a century ago. The ref. 96 became its longest running series, and the new reference just released carries on the tradition of sublime time-only wristwear for the quintessential gentleman. The 38mm platinum case, with an opaline rose-gilt dial, baton markers and dauphine hands in white gold with an anthracite coating, creates a near perfect aesthetic. Combined with the Maison’s latest hand wound movement, it is a worthy continuation of the Patek Philippe tradition.
The new Quadruple Complication ref. 5308 and the movement that incorporates four mechanical complex functions.
At the other end of the haute horlogerie scale are two references that demonstrate Patek Philippe’s prowess in the ability to both combine complications and showcase artisan crafts in watchmaking. The Quadruple Complication, ref. 5308G, has a split-seconds chronograph with patented isolation mechanism featuring an anti-backlash clutch wheel that eliminates chronograph friction, a minute repeater, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar. The sunburst ice blue dial has blued white gold applied hour markers and dauphine hands, all housed in a polished white gold case with skeletonised lugs. As with some other high-end Patek Philippe repeaters it has an interchangeable solid and sapphire crystal case backs.
A throwback to yesteryear, the Split Seconds Chronograph re. 5370R showing a close up of the grand feu enamel dial.
Showcasing the skill in artisan handcrafts applied to a complicated watch, the Split-Seconds Chronograph ref.5370R is a classic manually wound chronograph with column wheels and horizontal clutch featuring six patents. What sets the watch apart, harks back to the same complication from yesteryear, the grand feu brown enamel dial with subsidiary dials and tachymeter scale in beige champlevé enamel, upon which there are rose gold applied Breguet numerals. The warm tones of the watch are enhanced with rose gold leaf-shaped hands with beige luminescent coating.
The two new 40mm case sized Cubitus models, ref. 7128/1G with a blue dial (left) and 7128/1R with a brown dial (right).
In 2024, the company released the Cubitus model, which divided opinion among collectors and enthusiasts. The size was considered by many too large to comfortably sit on most wrists. At Watches & Wonders 2025, Patek Philippe responded with two new Cubitus in 40mm case, ref. 7128/1G and ref. 7128/1R, with a blue and brown dial respectively. The new models are effectively game changers as the smaller size makes them far more versatile.
The latest Nautilus ref. 7010G (left) or ref. 7010/1G (right) comes on either an Azure blue strap or metal bracelet.
The Nautilus was also downsized, in this case, to 32mm and given a quartz movement. Ref. 7010G and ref. 7010G/1G, present some noted changes to the dial. There is a new vibrant lacquered azure blue with a “wave” pattern upon which white gold hour markers and numerals are applied, filled with white luminescent coating. The watch comes on an Azure blue composite material strap with fabric pattern and white gold fold-over clasp or a white gold bracelet with patented fold-over clasp and lockable adjustment system.
Once again, Patek Philippe has demonstrated its strength in all aspects of horology, from complications to metiers d’art, aesthetic balance and ability to anticipate trends.
Find out more about this year’s Patek Philippe new watches, HERE.
Author: Andrew Hildreth
Lead image: the new Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock ref. 27000M.
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