Calatrava (watch)


The Patek Philippe Calatrava is a line of dress watches built by Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe. Known for its simple and elegant design, the Calatrava wristwatch has been a flagship model of Patek Philippe since its introduction. The first version of the Calatrava was launched in 1932, inspired by the Bauhaus principle.

History

Patek Philippe Calatrava wristwatch was introduced in 1932, and the first model was Ref. 96. Originally, the Stern brothers, soon after they acquired Patek Philippe in 1932, introduced the Calatrava to help the company pass through the Great Depression smoothly.
The original Calatrava Ref. 96 was in production for more than 40 years, and its successor models include Ref. 2526, Ref. 3520, Ref. 5196 and so on. Introduced in 1985, Ref. 3919 was a most popular model in the Calatrava range, with the guilloché “Clous de Paris” bezel. After 21 years, it was replaced in March 2006 by the slightly larger 5119 model. This change in size reflected a growing trend for larger watches.
Models in the 2014 Calatrava range have either automatic or manual movements. Its prices start from around US$19,000.

Watch specifications

Patek Philippe has developed a quartz movement but it is not currently used in the Calatrava range. The only Calatravas earlier using a quartz movement were the 3744 and 3944.
Some Calatravas feature a date function, whereas others display only hours and minutes.

Price record

A Calatrava 2526 model retailed by Tiffany & Co. in 1954 was sold for US$642,500 at an auction in 2018.