One of the most interesting new references released by Patek Philippe is the Calatrava 24-Hour Display Travel Time Ref. 5224R. The newest addition to the Swiss watchmaker’s line-up of travel watches is inspired by Chronometero Gondolo pocket watches made for Brazilian retailer Gondolo & Labouriau in the early 20th century. The first thing you’ll notice about the watch is that noon is placed at 12 o’clock instead of the usual 6 o’clock position. According to Patek, this enables daytime hours to be conveniently read on the upper half of the dial.
The charming timepiece features a slim rose gold case measuring 42mm in diameter. It features curved, double-stepped lugs inspired by the ref. 5212 Weekly Calendar. Furthermore, instead of using pushers to adjust the dual-time zone display, the timepiece has a new, patented three-position crown, which affords it a clean, clutter-free design. The vibrant blue dial features a busy design with contrasting finishes – a circular striated center, satin-finished hour track, and a snailed small seconds. The hand-applied rose gold numerals adopt a modern, digital typeface, while the SuperLuminova-filled syringe hands and the railroad tracks for the hours and minutes offer a traditional touch to the timepiece.
Housed inside the slim case is the new ultra-thin caliber 21-260 PS FUS, which is a variant of the micro-rotor movement first seen in the ref. 5236P perpetual calendar. It offers a power reserve of 48 hours and can be seen through the transparent sapphire crystal caseback. Patek says three patents were filed for this movement, which may make their way to future calibers. The beautiful timepiece comes on a navy-blue calfskin strap with a nubuck finish, contrasting cream hand stitching, and a rose gold prong buckle. The Calatrava 24-Hour Display Travel Time is available at Patek Philippe boutiques and retailers for $57,366.
