New Aviator Timepieces Added to the Patek Philippe Collections

Pilot-style models are among the top bestselling watches in the current Patek Philippe range. That’s why an updated Calatrava Pilot Travel Time model has been added to the Calatrava collection.

 The company claims that the inspiration for the first Calatrava Pilot Travel Time model launched 5 years ago and the later additions came from the aviator watches displayed in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. Yet the modern Calatrava collection pieces are a far cry from the 1936 models that the designers cite as their source of inspiration.

The Ref. P0844 (1936) has typical markings for a military watch, calibrated from 0 to 55 instead of indicating the hours. The shortened hour hand has its own 360-degree scale, and rotates once every 24 hours. For collectors, these are intriguing and sought-after models. In May 2009, the historical aviator prototype model, which looks as if it could have been lifted straight out of a museum display case, was auctioned off for 1.9 million Swiss francs by Christie's, more than four times its low estimate.

   While the model which debuted in 2015 may have been inspired by its historical prototype, it has its own unmistakable style. As a matter of fact, that model also fetched a record price at auction. In 2018, the only titanium version of the Ref. 5524 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time went under the hammer for 2.3 million Swiss francs, donated to Children Action in a charity auction.

The watchmakers at Patek Philippe have been successfully growing their collection over the last five years, which initially caused quite a stir. The versatile design and dual time zone display were adopted from the Alarm Travel Time models with a 24-hour alarm clock in the Grand Complications collection, and used in models with 42 mm cases in white and rose gold with navy and brown dials, as well as in the watches with 37.5 mm diameter cases in rose gold with a brown dial.

  The new Calatrava Pilot Travel Time model offers more potential applications. This time, the 7234G case is available in white gold, and is 37.5 mm in diameter. The company is appealing to both men and women with the perfect unisex case size for all wrists. The new case houses the Caliber 324 S C FUS, comprised of 294 components.

Its finishing is exquisite — perhaps even too exquisite given the subtlety of the dial — which can be admired thanks to the transparent caseback. The case is complemented by a navy blue calfskin strap that matches the navy dial. The watch also comes with a second brown strap with color-contrast stitching.