Review: The Road Less Traveled – The Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A

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Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref 5212A

Coming up with completely novel products for the annual watch fairs can’t be easy Most of the time, brands – including Patek Philippe – merely go through complication or colour permutations and then call it a day.

This year, however, the prestigious Geneva watch manufacturer has managed to come up with something unusual to say the least It has got the watch congnoscenti waxing lyrical for three reasons: 1) a new complication, 2) a rare case material, and 3) an unorthodox typography Here, we bring you the details and our thoughts on the new Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref.

5212A.

The Case, Dial, and Hands

The case of the Ref 5212A is cold-formed with high-tonnage presses and then meticulously hand-polished – not a simple task given its many sharp edges and angles Its design was inspired by the Ref.

2512, a piece unique made in 1955 and currently held in the Patek Philippe Museum (note the numerals in the reference numbers of both watches) The vintage vibe of the watch is further emphasised by a box-type sapphire crystal glass and the two-tiered lugs But what will really get the collectors among us excited is the fact that the case is crafted in stainless steel, a real rarity in the Calatrava line.

At 40.00 mm x 11.18 mm, the watch should wear with proportion and security on most wrists That said, we can’t help but feel that it would look better with a few millimetres shaved off on both directions It is, after all, a Calatrava, meant to be the most elegant watches in the watchmaking world.

The stainless steel case of the Ref 5212A is highly nuanced in its construction, with plenty of steps and edges.

The dial (in silvery opaline) is undoubtedly the Ref 5212A’s most interesting aspect.

It displays the date, day, week number, and month The date is displayed in typical fashion, through a discreet aperture at 3 o’clock Meanwhile, the day of the week is displayed on a circular scale in the middle of the dial, and indicated by a hammer-shaped hand with a red hammer head.

A second hand of the same design delivers week number and month readings on two other concentric scales at the dial periphery Telling the time are two dauphine hands in blackened white gold and a lancet hand – also in blackened white gold The applied baton indices in the same material mark the hours; they feature four lapped facets that interact beautifully with light.

The weekly calendar display isn’t the only thing novel about the Ref 5212A; the typography created explicitly for the watch is based on one of the manufacturer’s designers and is absolutely unique Printed in black, they add a very personal note to the dial of the reference.

It, however, has also become a source of polarising opinions, with some in the watch community condemning it as “unclassy” or “unbecoming of the Calatrava” while others praising it for its charm.

The dial []

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