Hands-on – Patek Philippe Ref.5270/1R Gets the Midas Touch

The combination of a chronograph and a perpetual calendar is the epitome of what Patek Philippe does best. This year we were regaled with not one but two 5270 references, one in platinum with a much-praised salmon-coloured dial and this rose gold model with an ebony dial. Dripping in 18k rose gold from head to toe, Patek’s Ref. 5270/1R is as different from its platinum brother as chalk and cheese. With the same sophisticated in-house manual-winding movement as its sibling, the 5270/1R comes with a sumptuous rose gold bracelet with the QP correctors artfully hidden in the links.

7 years ago

Opinion – Thoughts on the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref.5711 (and why I didn’t buy one)

The segment of luxury sports watches remains an interesting and intriguing category in the world of watches. Since the very first luxury sports watch was introduced in 1972 – the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 5402ST – many brands have tried to enter this segment, most of them without the success they had envisioned. The watch we will be looking at today did succeed, and might just have superseded the immense success of the Royal Oak. I’m talking about the Patek Philippe Nautilus and today we’ll be looking at this extremely popular luxury sports watch.

7 years ago

Hands-on – Patek Philippe Ref. 5205G-013 – The Young Man’s Patek Annual Calendar

Blue dial watches have been popular for some time now. So much so, that they have almost become the rule instead of the exception. To stand out from the crowd with a blue dial nowadays, therefore, you have to do something a little special. That’s exactly what Patek Philippe has done with the latest iteration of its reference 5205G. Although not a new watch per se, the addition of a mouth-wateringly delicious blue gradient dial has reinvented this model in my eyes, driving its desirability factor through the roof. We spent some time hands-on with this watch recently, and let me tell you, the only thing harder than capturing the gorgeous blue tones was giving it back.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 5 Watches to Consider for This Summer, from Affordable to High-End

The holiday season is fast approaching and that’s the perfect time of the year when you can take the suit of… and the dress watch that goes along. Summer means seaside, boat rides, cocktails, unexpected jumps in a pool and all kinds of leisure activities. This means sports/dive watches on the wrist and for this reason, here are 5 cool pieces that will follow you from the deck of a boat to that fancy cocktail party, and always with style.

7 years ago

Review – Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524R – A Time For Reconciliation

Let’s be honest… The Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G (the white gold version) was a hot topic of discussion when launched at Baselworld 2015. Whatever the intrinsic qualities of this watch, it has been misunderstood. Too early, too radical, too different maybe. 3 years have passed now and there’s a new version in the collection, now in rose gold with a warm brown dial, under the ref. 5524R. With this new combination of colours, we think it’s time for the reconciliation. Let’s have a closer look at the now very-Patekish Rose gold Calatrava Pilot.

7 years ago

Women’s Watch Wednesday – Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 7234R Lady

The turbulence generated by Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref.5524 seems to have abated and the model has landed as a stable member of the Calatrava family. In addition to a fresh iteration of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time for men in warm rose gold, Patek unveiled its first self-winding Travel Time model for women just ahead of Baselworld in an unprecedented move for the brand via an Instagram campaign. There have been choice pickings in the complications arena for women at Patek Philippe in 2018 with the launch of the manual-winding ladies’ chronograph in a round case and this pilot’s watch for women. Equipped with a useful dual time function, Ref. 7234R is housed in refined 37.5mm rose gold case with a glossy chocolate-brown dial decorated with vintage touches. The tasteful combination of rose gold and brown is quintessential Patek making this an excellent choice for globetrotting women, while the sporty, slightly manly charisma of a pilot’s watch will appeal to all those Amelia Earhart out there with a taste for high-flying adventures.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 5 Desirable Brown Watches Launched in 2018

For the past 5 or 6 years, we’ve seen a massive array of blue watches launched on the market. All brands – really, all of them – had a blue version of an existing watch to show (with or without success though). So now that blue has become the new black, it is time for our dear watchmaking brands to come with something new. And if that’s not entirely established yet, it seems that brown watches could well be the upcoming trend. Here are 5 of them, launched at Baselworld 2018.

7 years ago

Auction – 10 More Highlights from the 97th Dr Crott Auction on May 12

Yesterday, in our first selection of highlights of the upcoming 97th Dr. Crott auction of this Saturday, May 12, we focused on very nice horological highlights, the hidden gems, and not so much on the usual suspects. Today we’ll focus on those! Here’s our selection of the highlights, stunning pieces that will certainly attract a lot of attention at the auction that will be held in Frankfurt, Germany. And know that you can also bid online!

7 years ago

Review – Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G

When Baselworld 2018 opened its doors, this new watch came as a surprise. We could have expected this one to be launched for the 40th anniversary of this iconic model – which happened two years ago, with the presentation of the Platinum 3-hand 5711/1P and the White Gold Chronograph 5976/1G. Instead, Patek has decided to wait two more years to introduce the first grand complication in the Nautilus collection. After the chronograph, the annual calendar or the travel time, here is the Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740G.

7 years ago

Buying Guide – 10 Cool Chronographs of Baselworld 2018

After we had a closer look at the best Dive watches, the best GMT watches and the best Tourbillon watches of Baselworld 2018, it is time to focus on one of the most important categories. You name it: the chronographs. This edition of the Basel Watch Fair proved once again that the chronograph can be any kind of watch: elegant, sporty, modern, vintage, affordable, exclusive. So here is our very eclectic selection of 10 cool chronographs introduced at Baselworld 2018.

8 years ago