Patek Philippe launches steel Calatrava to mark a milestone

A Patek Philippe wristwatch is among the most coveted symbols of luxury. A Patek in steel even more so because the venerable Swiss brand make so few of them, it is believed that steel watches make up only about 20 percent of their annual production. So the arrival of model in the aforementioned metal is nothing thing short of an event for the Patek faithful. To mark the completion of its new production building in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, the Swiss brand has today announced the launch of a new limited edition in steel in its classic Calatrava line. Meet the Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001, which will be limited to just 1,000 pieces.

A commemorative limited edition to mark a company milestone is a bit of tradition for the watchmaker. Those of a certain vintage will remember the Ref. 5500 Pagoda and the Ref. 5029 Minute Repeater that were unveiled to mark the opening of the Plan-les-Ouates manufacture in 1997. The new Calatrava is the first Patek Philippe release of the year following the cancellation of the annual Baselworld fair in March in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new Ref. 6007A Calatrava uses a modern-sized 40 mm polished stainless steel case with a broad cambered bezel. It is slim enough to slip under your shirt cuff at just 10.34 mm thickness. The grayish blue dial is dominated by a carbon-fibre like pattern at the centre that is reminiscent of the one-off Ref. 5208T triple complication Patek donated to the Only Watch Auction in 2017. The railway track scale of the hour circle with triangular markers recall the Ref. 6006 Calatrava from 2017. Time in indicated by white gold baton-shaped hands and white gold applied Arabic.

The watch is powered by the manufacture Caliber 324 S C, a self-winding movement with a rotor made from 21K gold. Though steeped in tradition and finished to the finest haute horology standards, the movement features a modern silicon Spiromax balance spring that ensures accurate timekeeping.

The watch is paired with a blue calfskin strap embossed with a pattern reminiscent of textile fabrics and fitted with a prong buckle. As mentioned earlier, Ref. 6007A-001 Calatrava is a limited edition of 1,000 watches and the sapphire-crystal caseback is specially marked with a Calatrava cross and the “New Manufacture 2019” inscription. The year 2019 was when the first work groups moved into the new PP6 production building. The watch is priced at CHF25,000 (Approx. Dh96,786).