In 1932, the year in which brothers Charles and Jean Stern acquired Patek Philippe, the name of the manufacture’s prestigious symbol, the Calatrava cross, was given to a watch collection. The first true ‘family’ of watches Patek Philippe had created, the Calatrava quickly became a classic and is still regarded today as the brand’s most iconic collection.
This design was inspired by the Bauhaus movement, a German school of Arts based on the belief that ‘less is more’ and ‘form follows function’. Since the purpose of a watch is to tell the time, these principles discouraged any embellishments which could detract from the hands. The result was a watch which was at once beautiful and practical. Presented in a perfectly round case with a flat bezel and simple baton dial, the art of omission in the debut model Ref. 96, came to characterize the Calatrava’s understated, yet timeless style.
The one you see here is an example of 33 mm from the year 1956. The cream dial gives the watch a soft and stylish appearance. It comes with extract archive from the basements from Patek Philippe itself. Simple elegance is the keyword how to describe this watch. To keep it running you have to wind it, but that is what we think a contribution to the vintage feeling. 18k yellow case on a croco brown hand made leather strap with original 18k buckle from Patek Philippe.
For all a real watch with a story!