Take a look at the final Patek Philippe; Patek Philippe Calatrava 5196G saved Patek Philippe from the Great Depression, created the Stern family dynasty, and pushed this Geneva giant to the lofty status of the watch image.
In 1932, the 21-year-old Henri Stern’s watch face maker family acquired the bankrupt customer Patek Philippe, and Henri Stern was responsible for designing the company’s comeback watch. His timeless Patek Philippe Reference 96 became the face of the new company and Patek Philippe’s tool of salvation.
By the 1980s, collectors were eager to refer to 96, and Patek Philippe saw an opportunity to relaunch the series, which is now commonly known as “Calatrava”, which itself is a tribute to the company’s famous Calatrava Cross logo.
But it was not until 2004 that the Sterns finally released the Patek Philippe Calatrava reference in the true image of the famous “96”, and the landmark successor 5196 is still the modern icon in the company’s lineup.
This Patek Philippe Calatrava 5196G has it all; rod-shaped hour markers, crown princess hands, small seconds at 6 o’clock, tapered lugs and discreet crown without guard. Each element is a tribute to the love of the original, but Patek Philippe wisely left the original 31mm case to history buffs and upgraded the 5196 with a modern 37mm frame. It is sufficient to satisfy modern tastes without crossing the boundaries of fashionable and indiscreet.
In the white gold case (same quality as Rolex white gold, not gold-plated), the Patek Philippe 215 PS movement maintains accurate beats and a classic appearance. Although hidden under the snap on the bottom cover, cal. The 215 in this example retains the famous Geneva seal and is awarded to Patek Philippe as the best model produced before July 2009. After that, a romantic era ended with the debut of Patek Philippe’s private “PP Seal”, but the label failed to elicit the same emotional resonance as the old Geneva standard.
For traditionalists, the Geneva Seal is still important, and any important discontinued features will arouse the interest of Patek Philippe Calatrava collectors.
This Patek Philippe Calatrava 5296G is definitely Patek Philippe, if you can only have one or you must have the most important model in the catalog. 5196 Yes Patek Philippe.