Patek Philippe

In 1932, the world was introduced to a gentlemen’s dress watch that will go on to define all dresswatches. With the introduction of the Reference 96, Patek Philippe & Cie unveiled a timeless time only wristwatch that went on to set the benchmark for dresswatches in the decades to come with its modern and understatedly luxurious design that addresses both form and function. With time, the collection of beautiful, time only wristwatches by Patek that followed the form of the Reference 96 will go on to be named the Calatrava. 

In 1887, Patek Philippe chose the symbol of the Calatrava cross to register as a trademark along with the name Patek Philippe & Cie. While the Calatrava name was not associated with a particular model until the 1980s, the term Calatrava has been retrospectively applied to Patek Philippe’s simple time-only watches from the 1930s beginning with Reference 96. 

The timelessness of this design gave the Calatrava its lasting power. As of today, Calatrava, is the oldest collection still available in the Patek Philippe catalogue since the brand’s inception.