The horological yr that started with Watches and Wonders Geneva in April final yr was maybe most notable for what was not revealed there: a brand-new assortment from Patek Philippe. Choose press attending the truthful heard about this coming launch through requests to dam calendars in October. This information was then reported on by nearly everybody, together with Luxuo. Why the fuss? It’s really not on daily basis that Patek Philippe unveils a brand new assortment; it isn’t even each decade as a result of the final full assortment was the Twenty~4 in 1997, which was and stays for girls. For a set with extra breadth, and inherent enchantment to males, we’ve to return to the 1995 launch of the Aquanaut. For sure, that’s a very long time between collections and is considerably reflective of how lengthy collectors take to completely embrace one thing new from the grand outdated names.
Learn Extra: Patek Philippe Cubitus Proves It’s Hip to be Sq.
We made this very level in our preliminary story on the Cubitus, printed proper after the gathering made its public debut. This story additionally coated the fundamentals of the three new watches so we is not going to rehash that, besides the place essential to hammer dwelling any factors. On that be aware…
Make no mistake about it, the Cubitus is totally new and, in case you’re questioning, it’s certainly a correctly sq. watch. Don’t let the rounded corners deceive you. Not solely is the form new for Patek Philippe, it’s truly the primary time the model has made such a wristwatch. Any related form you is perhaps conjuring up in your thoughts, such because the Gondolo with its well-known Ref. 5100, just isn’t sq. (though we’ll return to those watches later).
“(Two the explanation why the sq. form is essential), first as a result of I by no means had it in (the model’s everlasting) assortment, and I all the time take pleasure in seeing a number of the sq. watches (from different manufacturers),” mentioned Stern. “And secondly, as a result of I believed it will be good to shock folks with it. It’s a private problem for me additionally to say, properly, no person anticipated me to go there!”
With these phrases, Stern dispels any notion that market forces or collector calls for fuelled the creation of the Cubitus. Ref 5821 is certainly the successor to the much-loved and now-discontinued Ref. 5711A and Stern tells us that he very a lot envisioned the Cubitus as a part of the Nautilus household. Such is clear from the selection of arms, dials and even the built-in bracelet of the time-only fashions. Whereas it isn’t so evident within the Ref. 5822, that is arguably as a result of the tip hyperlink for the Nautilus fashions with leather-based straps just isn’t as well-known because the built-in bracelets. A side-by-side comparability between Ref. 5822 and one thing like Ref. 5712 with leather-based straps exhibits that the hyperlinks between the Nautilus and Cubitus are fairly stable, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Patek Philippe asserts that what we would see as Nautilus hallmarks although are model signifiers. “I didn’t even consider the Nautilus when (the design course of began). The goal for me was actually to discover a type of sporty and basic watch, that’s for certain. (Perhaps) I used to be impressed by the Nautilus as a result of it’s such a powerful design but, after I have a look at (that watch), I mentioned ‘Oh, how can I do one thing as robust because the Nautilus and even the Aquanaut however in a sq. form? The sq. was actually the primary goal for me.
“I do know folks will say (the Cubitus) is a bit bit the sister of the Nautilus, however I don’t thoughts,” Stern continued. “Why ought to I modify simply because (of design carry-overs)? So what, if the watch is good? We don’t attempt to change issues simply because we’ve completed one thing earlier than…think about if we needed to say that of all of the spherical watches we’ve completed! ‘Don’t do one other spherical watch.’ It could be unimaginable.”
On that well-defended level, it needs to be famous that Patek Philippe largely reserves its kind choices within the aforementioned Gondolo line. That Stern didn’t reference this assortment, nor the Golden Ellipse, is a crucial indicator of what the Cubitus is, or what Patek Philippe hopes will probably be. Whereas the group struggled to seek out the importance behind the brand new assortment in a pithy sentence or two, we’ve now settled on this: the Patek Philippe Cubitus is supposed for extensive business success. Apart from the Twenty~4, Patek Philippe doesn’t have a correctly business kind watch assortment.
On that time, the Twenty~4 was the final large business assortment for the Geneva model, though it doesn’t break down gross sales by assortment. By means of distinction, the Nautilus and Aquanaut are each massively common however Patek Philippe considers each to be area of interest. We expect the Cubitus represents a manner for the model to benefit from the business potential of its sports activities traces whereas retaining the long-lasting fashions protected against market forces.
We’ll finish on a constructive comment about market forces, unlikely as that sounds. Actions matter, particularly Patek Philippe ones, and if there’s a starvation for the Cubitus, it may additionally make sense for these fantastic kind actions from the Gondolo assortment to make a comeback. Till that point, do look out for our full interview with Stern and several other items on the Cubitus itself within the coming Festive difficulty of WOW.
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