Patek Philippe

A true expression of Patek Philippe’s approach to watchmaking and design, the Golden Ellipse is perhaps the best distillation of this pursuit of perfection. A tribute to the great mathematicians of Ancient Greece, the shape of the Golden Ellipse was derived from the Golden Ratio design principle, also known as the ‘divine proportion’. Studied by mathematicians for centuries, the Golden Ratio is a perfect proportion frequently found in nature, expressed as a ratio between two numbers of approximately 1.618, and is considered to be a key element in achieving aesthetic harmony in art and architecture.

Indeed the case of the Golden Ellipse sits snugly on the wrist and despite its simplicity in form, exudes elegant proportions cementing it as a classic staple for dress watches. As with Patek Philippe, no detail is left untouched and the Golden Ellipse buckle also follows the Golden Ratio. The timelessness of the unisex design has delighted collectors worldwide since its debut in 1968.

Another alchemical triumph was the introduction of the now iconic blue gold dial. By the early 1960s, the research and development team at Patek Philippe experimented with precious metals to achieve never before seen color variations on the dial. The result was an unprecedented 18k blue gold that enchanted and intrigued collectors since.

The elegant 18k gold case houses the legendary caliber 240. Introduced in the midst of the Quartz crisis in 1977 to power the Ellipse collection, it was the thinnest self-winding caliber with an innovative design. Instead of having the rotor be an additional layer above the movement, the rotor is instead housed in the movement itself, positioned off-center in a sunken recess. To compensate for the smaller size of this design, the rotor was crafted in 22k gold with the high karat gold being heavier and more sensitive to the wearer’s movements. A divinely genius feat of engineering indeed.

The caliber 240 has stood the test of time and continues to power Patek Philippe’s lineup of watches fifty years after its introduction.  

Powered by this legendary caliber the Reference 3738, originally launched in 1978, is one of the most attractive iteration of the Ellipse. This version, cased in white gold with a slate colour dial, makes it even more desirable.