Patek Philippe’s first wristwatch of 2020 didn’t go down quite as well as the complicated models that have followed this week to practically unanimous praise. By contrast, the Calatrava Ref.6007A-001, limited to just 1000 pieces and made to celebrate the legacy brand’s new manufacture was met with many more brickbats than bouquets. Why? Well, according to many it didn’t quite manage that delicate dance between being inspired by existing models and, uh, borrowing too heavily from them. But are the criticisms well founded? Without deferring a judgment entirely (I’ll certainly get to that), the truth really is in the eye of the beholder in cases like this. Personally, it’s not what I’ve come to expect from the world’s greatest watchmaker. So, to get into it, and to see the comparisons side by side I present to you the three most cited models the Calatrava Ref.6007A-001 apparently owes a debt to. Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Date limited edition Hmm … has the best watchmaker on the planet straight out copied the “watchmaker’s watchmaker”? While we’ll openly admit that there are some stylistic elements that are similar – the inner recessed chapter ring, the wide flange, the centre dial – and the dial of…
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