What makes a 'Calatrava'? Depending on your definition dozen even over hundred references can be called this. However, this question is inherently ill-defined because no Patek Philippe watch prior to the 1980s can actually be a Calatrava as the collection name didn't exist yet. How can we trace the origin of this flagship line back over 50 years time when we only have retrospective cues?

August 07, 2024

Order in the Reference Jungle - A Patek Philippe Calatrava Family Tree (1932-73)  

    Marcus Siems @siemswatches
    Collector, Author, Data Analyst

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Without exaggerating Patek Philippe's reference 96 is the epitome, the pinnacle, the archetypical, well simply The dress watch. It was introduced in 1932 at a time of turmoil for the Genevan watchmaker and marked a shift in the catalogue from high-complication to simple excellence.

But I don't want to lecture you on all the basic bullet points like "Bauhaus", "simplicity", "Great Depression" etc. etc. This has been done too many times too well before^[1-4]... What I want to address is something a lot more difficult - namely the question of the heritage and succession of this pivotal design.

 

Italian 1939 advertorial celebrating the excellence of fine watchmaking from the Genevan watchmaker Patek Philippe. The "new model" section includes a black dial ref. 96 as the upper centerpiece. Photo Courtesy of HIFI Archiv.

 

Over its 90+ year of existence the Patek Philippe 'Calatrava' collection comprises dozens if not over 100 distinct references (compare [here], [here], [here], or [here])... And here comes the hard bit - If you ask any 5 vintage watch experts which references they would define as 'True Calatravas' you would have eliminate four of them to get a common answer. There is immense room for argumentation, which of these references are indeed 'Calatrava' material.

And we'll likely never get to a conclusive answer because the question is inherently ill-defined! Let me explain... The notion of a 'Calatrava collection' was introduced very much after-the-fact. The ref. 96 - the first 'Calatrava' - was produced between 1932-73, the Calatrava cross as a signature for Patek Philippe came into existence around 1955 and the name 'Calatrava' as a collection for time-only Patek Philippe watches was introduced during the 1980s^[1,3]!

 

The mid-1980s sketch of David Penney (who wasn't the designer of the 96) of the ref. 96 next to the actual watch. Photo Courtesy of John Reardon and Collectability.

 

Put simply: There is no Patek Philippe Calatrava before the mid 1980s, period. Still, we're making up our minds over the evolution of the Patek Philippe dress watch from the 1930s over its initial 50 years of existence. And this is where my story here comes in. I want to trace the evolution of the original Bauhaus design through the last Century up until the point of the early 1960s catalogue.

During that period we will see that coming from the original design several offsprings and executions developed. Because, first of all, Bauhaus was probably rather the contemporary trend Patek Philippe followed than a founding principle of the dress watch. I argue that the Artdeco and Utilitarianism will play an important role here as well.

 

Potentially as heated as the holiday-season family debate on politics is the question whether or not the reference 2526 - the first automatic from Patek Philippe - should be knighted into the status of the 'Calatrava'. Photo (1955) Courtesy of HIFI Archiv.

 

1) Five Categories from the 1960s Catalogue

So we got the first thing out of the system: There's no clear definition of the early 'Calatrava'. We can understand the design legacy of the 96 free of restrictive (arbitrary) rules... yet we still need broad rules to this game and this is where a bit of subjectivity come into the equation as well.

"With its pure lines, the Calatrava is recognized as the very essence of the round wristwatch and one of the finest symbols of the Patek Philippe style. Supremely elegant, it charms each new generation of watch lovers by its timeless understated perfection." - Patek Philippe

This is the "official" Patek Philippe definition of the (modern) 'Calatrava' collection. Mostly unrestrictive but two characteristics are made explicit: "understated" and "round". In the following I will thus define the 'Calatrava' as round, time-only, three-handed Patek Philippe watch.

 

Five example references from the early 1960s Patek Philippe catalogue showcasing the five main categories of 'Calatrava' watches that have evolved in the first 30 years since the ref. 96. From left to right: Patek Philippe 3440, 3433, 3438, 3439, and 3428. Photos Courtesy of Christie's.

 

Based on this definition there are still numerous degrees of freedom how to categorize these watches: manually vs. automatic, screw-down vs. snap-on case back, enamel vs. metal dial, size, lugs, movement generation ... In this sense almost every of these references is unique. But when you look at all these watches for long enough - or too long in my case - you'll see patterns emerging, categories forming.

The patterns, or categories, that I found most informative over the first 30+ years of the 'Calatrava' stem predominantly from the case-back style, the size and the case/lug design*. Based on these features I formed five categories: The classics, then on one end the convenience oriented versus on the other end the design oriented references and in-between references**:

 

Figure 1. Family Tree of the early Patek Philippe 'Calatrava' references from 1932 to the 1960s. The y-axis shows the approximate year of introduction of each watch, the x-axis the "score" along the convenience and design spectra based on case-back style, size, case design and lug shape. Incorporated images Courtesy of John Nagayama from onBehalf, Monaco Legend Group, & Christie's.

 

As you can see there's a lot to explain and unpack and I will try to shed some light on the decisions I made along this tree. Please also be aware that this will be a firework of calling out references... Take the time studying the figures more closely might help to untangle the knot inevitably forming in your head.

 

2a) The Classic - 96-esque 'Calatravas'

The 'Classic Calatravas' are to me the references that embrace the original 96 design in all its proportions and details the most. Up until the introduction of the ref. 3796 in 1982^[5] potentially only one other reference captures the essence of the 96 the most - the ref. 2457 produced between 1949 to 1958 (30.5mm, flat bezel, Gerlach case). However, other examples do come very close to the 96 or are at the very least branching points into other categories.

 

Figure 2. Overview of the Patek Philippe 'Classic Calatrava' category, the references closest to the original ref. 96 design.

  

The earliest branching points come in the late 1930s with the references 570 - the 35mm version of the 96 - and the time-only 530 - with the first deviation in case design and lug-shape. These two references are the earliest evolutions of the idea planted in 1932 but we'll come to that a little later.

 

The grandfather of variation. The ref. 570 is potentially the mildest form of deviation from the original 96 design as it only increases the case dimensions and consequently the dial real estate. Photo Courtesy of MonacoLegendGroup.

 

And lastly we also got two references that can be described as leaves on the stem of the family tree. The ref. 2552 is relatively toned down 'Calatrava' with automatic (12-600) movement, a stepped bezel and downward facing lugs - it is classic but different to the 96. The other is the ref. 3438, which is close but comes with an automatic caliber, which adds a bit of convenience to the watch.

 

2b) The Convenient - Acvatic 96s

The second category comprises still very classic-looking 96 designs but with an added factor of convenience and modern appeal through a screw-down case-back, slightly larger sizes around 32mm and later also perpetual/automatic winding.

I argue that this development begins with the aforementioned ref. 570. Remember, we're talking about nuances here and increasing the size is a somewhat necessary first step. Another important influence come from a reference we'll focus on later, the boy-size (28mm) ref. 438 - the first with a water-resistant Borgel case.

 

Figure 3. Overview of the Patek Philippe 'Convenient Calatrava' category, the references that still resemble the ref. 96 design strongly but display more modern everyday wearability through water-resistance and slightly increased case sizes.

  

This category is really just starting after WWII and during the early 1950s. It's the time when leisure, utility and a little convenience become fashionable all over society. It is also the time when Rolex introduces their "sports model" line-up. And Patek Philippe was following their customers demands as well, just at their own pace and in their own unique style.

The 'Convenient Calatrava' by my definition is mostly a straight branch of iterations of the same watches through the reference system. This branch starts with the 2545 between 1951-61 as the larger brother (32mm) of the ref. 2457 (see above). It follow the center-second reference 2555 (1954-56), the successor automatic ref. 3403 (1957-59, cal. 12-600) and lands on the 3439 (cal. 27-460) the larger brother of the 3438 (see above). All of them still coming with the same overall proportions of the original ref. 96 but in a 32mm case with screw-down case-back.

 

A 32mm Patek Philippe 'Convenient Calatrava' ref. 2555 with center-second. Photo Courtesy of Phillips.

 

I also included another reference - deviating from the otherwise very stringent branch - to these 'Convenient Calatravas' to showcase the difficulty of forming category boundaries***- the reference 2451. Introduced in 1949 and being in production for 10 years it is aesthetically closer to the ref. 530 with its inclined bezel or the ref. 2508 with the roundish lug tips ... but it features a 32mm screw-down Borgel case, which makes it fit right into this category right here.

 

2c) The Utilitarian - The 565 and beyond

Here comes my first hot take of the day: If it wouldn't be for the strong collectibility background and history I wouldn't count the Patek Philippe ref. 565 a 'Calatrava'! The 565 case shares little DNA with the rest of the Patek Philippe portfolio at the time (or any time). It is aesthetically a lot closer to the Movados, Ulysse Nardins, Doxas or Midos the Francois Borgel/Taubert company provided cases for. But here we are and the ref. 565 - introduced in 1937 - is at least the first watch to feature exactly this case style^[6-7].

 

Brief introduction of the Patek Philippe ref. 565 'Utilitarian Calatrava' in rose gold (left) and steel (right). You can immediately see how versatile this reference can be and also how distinct the look is from the rest of the Patek Philippe catalogue. Photos Courtesy of Phillips Geneva 2022 & 2024.

 

This extraordinary Patek Philippe look might also be well explained by the change in ownership just 5 year prior to the introduction of this model and the orientation phase of the Stern family. Nevertheless, as I mentioned before this was also not the first waterproof Patek Philippe Calatrava. This title goes to the ref. 438 produced between 1935 and 1949. And to be clear: The screw-down waterproof case for Patek Philippe was introduced in collaboration with the case maker Taubert (hallmark Genevan key #11) and the company/patents acquired from Francois Borgel. Particularly these early cases were made independently of Patek Philippe.

But coming back to our definition of the 'Utilitarian Calatrava' these are pieces that very convenient by our modern longings but through several features rather tool-watchy by 1930s/40s/50s Patek Philippe standards: Screw-down waterproof case, around 35mm and in some instances even amagnetic. Plus, the design visibly deviates from the 96 blueprint.

 

Figure 4. Overview of the Patek Philippe 'Utilitarian Calatrava' category, the references deviate from the ref. 96 design and display more modern everyday wearability through water-resistance, increased case sizes (35mm) and at times amagnetic properties.

 

From the 565 blueprint we can observe two main sub-branches evolve. First, the direct successor to the 565 in the 2532/33 (1952-56; sub- and center-second, respectively). These are remarkably designed pieces with the slight step in the bezel that makes the design even more refined than the classic 565... but this is truly just my personal taste. Branching out ot the extreme in this category is the Amagnetic ref. 3417/18, pushing the boundaries of what an acceptable 'Calatrava' might be.

Second, we find another branch comprising the 2508/09 (1950-55; center- and sub-second) with its relatively 530-ish case proportions but with the rounded - scroll-esque - lug tips. I'd further include the first automatic - ref. 2526 and its successor the ref. 3428 - in this branch. Its case shape (Baumgartner) is a lot more simplified than the 2508 and appears reminiscent of Rolex's Oyster when viewed after a wine or two - but definitely 'Utilitarian Calatrava' material.

 

The reference 2526 is one of the most influential Patek Philippe watches, ever. But the question whether this is a 'Calatrava' is arguably a lot harder to answer. Photo Courtesy of Phillips.

 

As you can easily see, the further away this analysis gets from the 96-stem, the more these pieces aesthetically differ and only their similarities in spirit prevail. This, however, is exactly the message and my point. We should not be too hung up on a 1932 design that itself was a construct of its time. Through the decades fashion and trends change and so do the watches. Based on their contemporary raison d'etre the appearance will vary. But before I get lost in discussing the implications let's move on to the other side of the family tree - the fancy side...

 

2d) The Decorative - Vichet & Wenger

When on the one end there can be added functionality to the 'Calatrava' we will of course also see an increasing level of decorations - or un-functionality - as another level of variation from the 96 prototype. And beyond just the 'Calatrava' there is a general tendency for lavish case constructions throughout the 1930s way into the early 1950s. If the original ref. 96 was Bauhaus we do similarly see the Artdeco finding its way into watch design.

 

The 530 is a relatively toned down 'Calatrava' yet due to its small changes from the original 96 blueprint it is one of the important steps towards more decorative and less Bauhaus 'Calatravas'. Photo Courtesy of Monaco Legend Group.

 

I keep coming back to these branching points and the ref. 530 is one I find particularly interesting and important. It is itself not too different from the blueprint but enables a variety of new avenues. It is the step you need to get out of a deep pit. When standing on it you'll start to see the vast plains of different directions lying in front of you.

And from the many directions Patek Philippe could have taken - and did take - I want to focus here on one particular branch of 'Decorative Calatrava' references that applied a case (maker) famous for some of their most complicated and important watches: The perpetual calendar chronograph ref. 2499 and the sweep-second perpetual calendar ref. 2497, both children of the 1950s.

 

Figure 5. Overview of the Patek Philippe 'Decorative Calatrava' category, the references deviate from the ref. 96 design particularly through case construction and lug shape. Yet, they are otherwise still relatively conservative in their deviations.

 

In the same as the complicated ref. 2499 was introduced - 1950 - Patek Philippe also launched their ref. 2484 and 2500 with the same standout case (1950-61, 32mm & 34mm). The construction was based on a stepped bezel and stepped (or rigged) lugs, a design most prominently provided by Vichet (hallmark Genevan key #9) and Wenger (Genevan key #1). Prior to 1950 Patek Philippe used a similar design already in 1948 (ref. 2429, Ponti case) and 1949-58 (ref. 2452, Dubois case, same as the 2481). But we're following the Vichet/Wenger path, where the same execution persisted until the 1980s.

 

Evolution of the Wenger and Vichet cased Patek Philippe Calatrava references with launch dates between 1950 to 1960 - from left to right: ref. 2484, 2525-1, 2551, 3433. Photos Courtesy of Christie's.

 

Right after the introduction of the 2484/2500 followed the probably better known sister references with screw-down case-back starting with the ref. 2525-1 (1952-62). Along this branch we also find the 2551 - produced between 1954-60 it was one of the first Patek Philippe automatic watches and was succeeded by the ref. 3433 (1960-66).

 

Wristshot of a ref. 2551 "Disco Volante" from the 1950s. Photo Goldammer Archives.

 

All in all, you easily switch out this particular branch with other case/lug-specific reference families... But what it proves to show is that certain design templates outside the 96 had marked effects on the Patek Philippe catalogue for decades.

 

2e) The Fancy - Sculptural Lugs Exceeding Understatement

Here we go to the most extreme end of the design oriented gradient of Patek Philippe 'Calatrava' watches. And as on the other extreme the boundaries  between 'still being Calatrava'  and 'not Calatrava' are fluid. This gets already evident with the first iteration in this category, the ref. 1491 (1940-65). This Markowski-cased (hallmark Genevan key #8) scroll-lug phenomenon is so far out left-field that just 8 years after the 96 stretches the definition of the 'Calatrava' wide open. But here's my point: If the 96 was the first Bauhaus 'Calatrava' the 1491 was one of the first Artdeco 'Calatravas'****.

 

Four example Patek Philippe 'Fancy Calatrava' timepieces with some more, some less expressive lug-shape. From left to right: ref. 1491, 1582, 2431, 1578. Photos Courtesy of Antiquorum.

 

During the 1940s and early 1950s Patek Philippe introduced dozens of references falling into the Artdeco 'Fancy Calatrava' category (compare [here] & [here]). By far too many to fit into a single plot, so I took a snapshot of some of the better established or recognizable references. For example the ref. 1582 (1944-49) with large attached lyre lugs or the ref. 2431 (1948-55) with its flamboyant lugs.

But the most out-of-the-ordinary 'Fancy Calatrava' are the five references of the "Comet" (1942-45) and the seven references of the "Turtle" set (1954-55). A good dozen of references that, if seen by themselves, don't ooze the 'Calatrava' spirit but as part of a gradient, a spectrum, do potentially belong in this illustrious circle of 'Fancy Calatravas'.

 

Figure 6. Overview of the Patek Philippe 'Fancy Calatrava' category, the references strongly deviate from the ref. 96 design particularly through case construction and lug shape.

 

One watch in this category is a little more toned down and even to Rich Fordon would fit into a relatively narrow definition of the 'Calatrava' and that is the spider lug ref. 1578 (1949-53), potentially because it is also a Wenger case. This particular branch (in a broader definition) even makes its way into the more conservative 1960 catalogue in form and shape of the ref. 3440 (1960-67, Gerlach case).

 

3) Conclusion

First things first: You Made It! But now, what can you take home from this exhaustive amount of information? I proclaim that the concept of the vintage 'Calatrava' needs to broad and gradual. Inherently, there is no 'original Calatrava' as the collection was named retrospectively. Moreover, even though the 96 was selected as the origin, in 1932 itself followed the trends of the time and thus likely wasn't intended to be a narrow design blueprint for decades to come.

 

The ref. 96 was itself produced for a good 40 years and is very much the backbone and stem of this family. Just like this 1950s example. Photo Courtesy of Monaco Legend Group.

 

Look, why do we need to be this pedantic to define "what is a Calatrava"? There is no ground truth. Dividing the references into "clearly Calatrava" versus "clearly not" might simply not be an applicable strategy. Rather, a gradient of 'Calatravaness' seems to be the more elegant solution (imho).

Of course a gradient is hardly described in an auction catalogue or a dealer's listing. This is why I further propose to include several categories - or branches to stay within my metaphor - of the 'Calatrava'. Each branch as important to the growth of the family tree as the next. And each and every design must be viewed in its chronological context before it can be dismissed from the conversation.

 

If you put these three examples without context next to each other it's easy to dismiss one or the other. But when put into the chronological order and next to the remaining catalogue the picture can change swiftly. From left to right: 'Fancy' ref. 2431, 'Original' ref. 96, 'Utilitarian' ref. 2533. Photos Courtesy of Christie's.

 

One aspect I mostly left out of the discussion so far is time and the overall transition between the different reference generations within Patek Philippe. These are the dashed lines within all the plots, it is the passage from 3-digit to 1xxx to 2xxx to 3xxx in the late 1930s, post WWII, and the late 1950s, respectively. Not only do these transitions mark the dawn of new movement families and reference systems but broadly speaking also overhaul the design language of the catalogue.

Take the 1940s for example. In this 1xxx era we see a mass introduction of design oriented and fancy lug 'Calatravas'. While during the 2xxx era there appears to be a shift towards convenience driven watch designs both in terms of production output as well as versatility of the Patek Philippe catalogue.

 

"Only the World's finest Watches" from Patek Philippe. In the late 1950s the transitions from design to convenience driven 'Calatravas' was in full swing. Photo Courtesy of HIFI Archiv.

 

In the end, I refuse to define the 'Calatrava' based on what's hot in today's market. If you don't cut boughs based on collectibility but aesthetics and purpose you will be surprised what remains the closer you get to the trunk.

What I propose here is also a framework to better understand, evaluate and compare any given 'Calatrava' within the family tree. What references are close in time or design? Of course I don't argue that this specific framework is the only way to arrange dozens of references with even more individual features and generations of watchmakers involved but I hope that it can guide enthusiasts getting into the field, start a conversation among the experts and potentially answer the question: What makes a 'Calatrava'?

 

 

* This all sounds a lot more quantitative than it actually was. In its essence I defined features of interest, ordered references accordingly and selected the ones that were produced in a relatively meaningful number or had historical/developmental importance.

** This tree is a non-exhaustive list of references depicting the evolution and development of the Patek Philippe dress watch with roots in the ref. 96. Several branches and sub-branches can be formed when factoring in other characteristics. You will also find references and reference-branches that roughly fit the categories but aren't displayed in one of the branches. This is the first attempt to bring some order to a collectability framework that aims to look beyond the usual suspects and defined toned towards the classic "collectibles".

*** You are actually more than welcome to completely ignore any categories and live happily with one or more gradient evolutions. I just find the topic easier to grasp for the enthusiast when clear boundaries are set.

**** We can even go back before the 96 to the 507 introduced in the 1920s. See for example [here].

 

 

References

This work wouldn't have been able without the extensive archives from the likes of experts like John Nagayama (onBehalf), John Reardon (Collectability) and the auction listings of past and present.

^[1] A Visual Guide to Rare Patek Philippe Calatravas; Raj Chaudhuri, A Collected Man [Link]

^[2] Patek Philippe Myth Busters: Did David Penney Really Design the Ref. 96?; John Reardon, Collectability [Link]

^[3] Everything You Need To Know About the Vintage Patek Philippe Calatrava; Anthony Traina, Rich Fordon & Ben Clymer, Hodinkee Radio [Link]

^[4] Seven Lesser-Known Patek Philippe Calatrava References; Rich Fordon, Hodinkee [Link]

^[5] Collectability first: a dream collection of the Patek Philippe ref. 3796; John Reardon, Collectability [Link]

^[6] The first waterproof Patek Philippe; Lorenzo Rabbiosi & Lorenzo Spolaor, Italian Watch Spotter [Link]

^[7] The Borgel Watch Case Company of Geneva; David Boettcher, Vintage Watchstraps [Link]

 

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