AIR May 2019
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Timepieces<br />
MAY <strong>2019</strong>: ISSUE 96<br />
<strong>AIR</strong><br />
Forever<br />
and a Day<br />
The retro-styled Calatrava Weekly Calendar by Patek Philippe<br />
taps into the wider horology trend for steel cases – yet<br />
pioneers with an innovative new complication<br />
WORDS : CHRIS UJMA<br />
In the watchmaking world right<br />
now, stainless steel cases are<br />
‘c’est populaire’ (as they might<br />
say in Geneva).<br />
Of late, collectors have developed<br />
quite a proclivity for this metal as<br />
a ‘daily wearer’ on the wrist – and<br />
swimming with the tide, a host of major<br />
horology brands have busily released<br />
timepieces in sumptuous steel.<br />
Still, at the upper echelons of<br />
haute-anything, it’s fascinating to<br />
see how the world’s best artisans<br />
interpret trends in their own unique<br />
way. Addressing the tendency toward<br />
steel, Patek Philippe has arrived with<br />
a strong horology offering in its<br />
5212A-001 Calatrava Weekly Calendar.<br />
Stylistically, the manufacture has<br />
turned back the clock with a retro-look<br />
timepiece, and its instantly distinct<br />
detail is the handwritten text on the<br />
dial; among a slew of Baselworld <strong>2019</strong><br />
releases (from both Patek and its<br />
rivals), the nostalgic typography alone<br />
ensured this self-winding timepiece<br />
stood out at the Geneva-based fair.<br />
Patek Philippe president Thierry<br />
Stern explained that the designer’s<br />
handwritten typeface reminded him<br />
of his old school calendar: thus the<br />
decision was made to implement it,<br />
over a more formalised font.<br />
Aesthetically there is nod to history<br />
in this round-cased watch’s design;<br />
the new Calatrava is inspired by the<br />
30
Change language