Since its debut in 1932, the Calatrava has been hailed as the pinnacle of simple dress watches. But what exactly is a Calatrava? It's difficult to clearly define it. Here, we'll attempt to redefine it by looking at its general history and the Calatrava's distinctive case design and the shape of its indices.
[Serialization No. 20 / First published in the July 2014 issue of Chronos Japan]
The origin of all round cases
[A consideration of the definition of Calatrava]
Currently, there is a wide variety of collections that can be called the Calatrava. However, in the narrowest sense, the Calatrava refers to models with bar indexes, starting with the Ref. 96, and the later addition of the Clous de Paris bezel, the Ref. 3919. So, when and how did the definition of "Calatrava" come into being?
Released in 1932. A masterpiece featuring lugs integrated into the middle case and three-dimensional indices and hands. It ranks alongside the Tank and Oyster as a pioneer of wristwatch design. Manual-winding (Cal. 12-120). 18 jewels. 18,000 vph. 18K yellow gold (30mm diameter). Reference product.
One of Patek Philippe's most iconic collections is the round-cased "Calatrava." The significance of the Calatrava, which bears the name of a Spanish knight order active in the 12th century, can be understood by considering that the "Calatrava Cross," which was originally a coat of arms, eventually became the Patek Philippe logo. Even now, when complications and the Nautilus have gained attention, the Calatrava, bearing the company's symbol, remains Patek Philippe's flagship watch.
The Calatrava collection is a well-known fact for watch enthusiasts and journalists. However, despite its high profile, the definition of the Calatrava is more ambiguous than ever. In fact, Patek Philippe itself, the company involved, only states that "the Calatrava is a simple, round wristwatch," without clearly stating what constitutes a Calatrava.
I don't intend to disagree with Patek Philippe's "broad" definition, but now that the Calatrava collection has expanded, it seems necessary to revisit its definition and history.
According to some collectors, a Calatrava in the strict sense is a model with a round case, line indexes, and Dauphine-style hands, originating from the 1932 Reference 96. It also has slender lugs that are deeply carved into the case sides and integrated into the case. However, some collectors also believe that a Calatrava is a round case with slender lugs, meaning that the Reference 96 with Breguet numerals could also be included in the Calatrava. Regardless, it's undeniable that Patek Philippe favored the "Calatrava" style in the strict sense, and in the past they produced masterpieces such as the Reference 96, 2545, 570, 3796, and 3923, while current models such as the Reference 5196 and 5127 continue this design to this day.
Up until the 1950s, Patek Philippe experimented with various dial designs. This model is one of them. Its extremely clean dial was later reproduced in the Ref. 5296. Manual-wound (Cal. 27SC). 18,000 vph. Stainless steel (30mm diameter). Released in 1934. Reference product.
Another "Calatrava" is the model with Roman numerals and elongated lugs. It first appeared in the late 1980s as the Reference 3919, but if you search for a catalog model, you'll find the larger diameter Reference 5119. True Puritans would not recognize this as a Calatrava, but it's now considered typical Calatrava style.
When it was first released, it was not defined as a Calatrava, and I understand that many collectors disagree, but common manual and automatic watches made after the 1940s also fall under the current classification of Calatrava. Perhaps the most famous example would be the automatic model from the 60s, Ref. 3445.
Why has the definition become so confusing? Philippe Stern, current Honorary Chairman of Patek Philippe, explains the circumstances directly.
"The name Calatrava was previously only used internally. As you can see, the crown of a Calatrava is decorated with a cross. That's why it became known as Calatrava. It wasn't until the 1980s that the name, which was previously used internally, began to be used externally."
Since the late 60s, Patek Philippe has released a number of models with subnames, such as the "Golden Ellipse" (68) and the "Nautilus" (76). Perhaps to maintain consistency with these new releases, the company was forced to give the name "Calatrava" to a round-cased watch.
The Ref. 570 is often associated with the famous Cal. 27SC movement with a center second hand. However, a standard small second model was also available. It was a generous 35mm in size. Manually wound (Cal. 12-120 series). 18 jewels. 18,000 vph. Pt. Released in 1941. Reference product.
Extremely short lugs were a design often seen in thin watches in the past. This technique, which allows a watch to appear thinner, was revived in 2012 with the Ref. 5123. Manual winding (Cal. 10-200). 18 jewels. 18,000 vph. 18KRG (diameter 35mm). Released in 1950. Reference product.
It may be surprising that the Calatrava collection was so young, but the reason it has come to be recognized as a Patek Philippe masterpiece cannot be ignored: the exceptional perfection of the case design.
In the 20 years prior to the Ref. 96 in 1932, Patek Philippe experimented with various aspects of watch cases. While this was early trial and error, during the 20 years leading up to the 96, Patek Philippe must have gained considerable experience with the relationship between the case and the lugs. As far as I know, the only other manufacturers who have experimented with case design to this extent are Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, and Cartier.
A masterpiece model representing the 1960s. The extremely thin indices and hands followed the trends of the era. Today, they also define the Calatrava. Automatic (Cal. 27-460 M). 37 jewels. 19,800 vph. 18K gold (35mm diameter). Released in 1961. Reference product.
A new Calatrava appeared in the 1980s. The Officer's style, in which the lugs and middle case are not integrated, can now be included in the Calatrava category. Manual winding (Cal. 215 PS). 18 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 44 hours. 18K Yellow Gold (diameter 33.45mm). Reference product.
The Calatrava in the narrow sense, which began with the Ref. 96, was an early attempt to organically combine the lugs and case to eliminate the influence of pocket watches, and was the most successful example of this. It cannot be emphasized enough that the 1914 Cartier Tank and the 31 Rolex Oyster Perpetual, which are considered to be monumental landmarks in wristwatch design, also had designs that integrated the case and lugs, just like the Calatrava.
It's only hearsay, but the late Günter Blümlein, who led A. Lange & Söhne in the 90s, apparently pointed out that the distinctive feature of the Calatrava was the design of its lugs. At the very least, he tried to give new German luxury watches lugs that were different from those of the Calatrava, and this eventually became A. Lange & Söhne's signature. Vacheron Constantin in the 40s must have shared Blümlein's view, and after perfecting the Calatrava style, the company began to adopt lugs that were clearly different from those of Patek Philippe.
The Calatrava began with the Ref. 96 and now has a wide variety of variations. How did this collection come about and what was the process by which it developed? Let's take a look back at the main models.
