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Like Rolex, Patek Philippe is an independent brand, and so this storied Swiss watchmaker has carved an esoteric path through the thickets of horology to create what many argue are the very best watches in the world. "Best," of course, doesn’t mean perfect. Naysayers armed with a flimsy (and deeply ironic) anti-luxury ethos typically target the high prices and then have little left to say, because a Patek Phillipe watch — even if you don’t like the thing or what you presume it stands for — is an undeniably awesome piece of human ingenuity.
Patek Philippe's History
Established in 1839, the company now known as Patek Philippe was founded by Polish watchmakers Antoni Patek and (Czech-born) Franciszek Czapek. A few short years later, the two went separate ways, leading to Czapek & Cie. and Patek partnering with French watchmaker Adrien Philippe. And the rest is history.
Not really, of course. The company has since developed a vast collection that currently includes over 160 watches and over 50 in-house movements. Patek made watches for royalty in the 1800s and hyper-complicated masterpieces like the famous Henry Graves Supercomplication pocket watch. But this doesn't quite explain the brand's rise to its current lionized status. Under first Philippe Stern and subsequently his son and current president Thierry, the brand has thrived in the modern era. It's known for highly complex and elegant perpetual calendar watches, some of the finest finishing in the business — and, of course, the sporty and legendary Nautilus.
For an exhaustive list of all that’s on offer, we suggest ordering a hard copy of the Patek Philippe catalog. It is an elegant picture book that deserves a spot on any serious watch fan’s shelf. For those who are looking to navigate this dense collection without wading through the complex marketing rhetoric, we have assembled the following relatively stripped-down guide to get you well acquainted with Patek Philippe in short order.
Why Are Patek Philippe Watches So Expensive?
Patek is no ordinary watch brand. It's a darling of collectors for its approach to and execution of its craft, widely regarded as representing tradition and excellence in watchmaking — and it's deserving of this reputation. Call it art, if you will, but this kind of thing doesn't come cheap for a number of reasons (explaining exactly why watches can be so expensive can be tricky). While the sticker price of Patek Philippe watches start at five figures and goes (way) up from there, the brand isn't alone in its price segment.
The sticker price isn't what Patek watches are best known for. It's at auctions where you'll find the craziest watch prices, and two brands utterly dominate the scene: Rolex and Patek Philippe. The most expensive watch ever sold at auction is a Patek Philippe. The brand has a feverish following among collectors, but it's even broken into the mainstream consciousness thanks to, primarily, the coveted Nautilus as many celebrities' flex of choice.
Patek Philippe Watch Collections
Let’s first get our heads around the major categories within the Patek Philippe collection.
Nautilus: An icon of the 1970s that helped Patek Philippe enter the sports watch market in 1976.
Aquanaut: Brought out in 1997 as an affordable alternative to the Nautilus, these watches have become hard to come by, especially in steel.
Calatrava: Patek Philippe’s Bauhaus-inspired round dress watches, first released in the late 1920s. Typically simple and elegant, with time and date only, these blank canvases also get paved with diamonds.
Complications: Usually housing two or three complications (mechanical devices that do something other than telling the time), these watches range from clean and simple dials to deeply decorative ones.
Grand Complications: Within horology, a grand complication has several complications within one watch. There’s no hard line, but most folks agree that (excluding a date mechanism) three complications or more constitutes a grand complication.
Golden Ellipse: Originally issued in 1968, these truly unique oblong ultra-thin watches are available again in an updated larger size. They are some of the most elegant time-only watches ever created.
Gondolo: A historic collection of shaped watches, the Gondolo lineup is now entirely populated by squarish or cushion-shaped cases, heavily bejeweled and aimed at women.
Twenty~4: Sized 36mm and smaller, round or square, mechanical or quartz, this collection is made up of dress watches intended for women.
Nautilus Collection
Some would say that Patek Philippe was playing catch up to Audemars Piguet’s groundbreaking Royal Oak when it hired acclaimed designer Gerald Genta in the 1970s, but the resulting watch, the Nautilus, went on to be a disco-era classic unto itself. Today the demand is so high that you’ll have to wiggle your way onto a long waitlist to get one.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811
- Case Diameter: 41mm
- Complications: date
Patek announced it was discontinuing its insanely popular 5711 in 2021, considered by many the perfect luxury sports watch. Its successor is the 5811, which is nearly identical but has a two-part case construction measuring 41mm wide (one millimeter more than the 5711). It only comes in white gold, for the time being, but that makes it easy to imagine what the expected (eventual) steel version will look like.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712
- Case Diameter: 40.5mm
- Complications: Moonphase, date, power reserve gauge
You can get a Nautilus in different precious metals, totally iced out (covered in diamonds) or with various combinations of complications — it wouldn't make sense to simply list every one of them here, but the 5712 is a good example of some of the variety to expect. This model is in steel with a moon phase and pointer date on one subdial, the seconds on another subdial, and a power reserve gauge, all in an asymmetric but striking layout.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Dual Time 5990
- Case Diameter: 40.5mm
- Complications: Flyback chronograph, dual time, date, dual AM/PM indicators
We did say that the typically sporty Nautilus could get complicated and ritzy, didn't we? Only available in steel and rose gold, the 5990 is a true world traveler, with jumping local hour hand and Patek’s unique AM/PM indicators for both local and home time — with the complex flyback chronograph function thrown in just for the heck of it. The waiting list is long enough for you to save up the $100k+ you’ll need to hand over for it.
Aquanaut Collection
Launched in 1997, the Aquanaut was Patek’s attempt to offer a more affordable sports watch. It is, however, an incredibly cool, water-ready watch that has a sportier edge than the Nautilus, largely due to the bold numerals and its iconic mid-century dial engraving (until they pave it with diamonds, that is).
Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5167
- Case Diameter: 40mm
- Complications: Date
This is the most stripped-down Patek Philippe sports watch, and for those who think it doesn’t have enough going on, we suggest you get one on your wrist and see if that doesn’t change your mind. The bezel is a subtle 16-sided affair, with brushed and polished casework that glimmers in steel and gold.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164
- Case Diameter: 40.8mm
- Complications: Dual time, jumping hour hand, dual AM/PM indicators
Patek Phillipe’s clever dual time complication with the date on a handsome subdial and dual-AM/PM indicators takes the Aquanaut around the world without a hitch. It’s 0.8mm larger than its simpler cousin above and feels like a genuine sport watch.
Calatrava Collection
During the Great Depression, Patek launched the Calatrava as a Bauhaus-inspired solution to the draining bank accounts of America and Europe (very few folks were buying complicated wristwatches then). Like many solutions to hardship, the Calatrava broke the mold and set Patek Philippe ahead as a modern-thinking company. Today, these elegant watches defy the ages to appear as current as ever.
Patek Philippe Calatrava 5227
- Case Diameter: 39mm
- Complications: N/A
With minimalist three-hand time telling and its refreshing lack of date window, the 5227 epitomizes the unadorned Bauhaus aesthetic that undergirds the Calatrava line. Running on a manually wound movement, the 37mm case harkens back to an era when watches were generally smaller, but the 5196 has a massive wrist presence.
Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous de Paris” 6119
- Case Diameter: 39mm
- Complications: N/A
A larger diameter, hobnail-textured bezel and brushed dial together make this one of the most striking modern Calatrava models, showing that the line doesn't have to be purely conservative.
Patek Philippe Caltrava 6007
- Case Diameter: 40mm
- Complications: Date
Far from a purely conservative dress watch, the Calatrava collection continues to get sportier with the unexpected 6007. With vibrant yellow, red or blue highlights across three models and carbon fiber-like embossed patterns on the dial and leather band, this watch gives off strong motorsport vibes.
Patek Philippe Complications Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524
- Case Diameter: 42mm
- Complications: Dual time, date, dual AM/PM indicators
Confusingly in the Complications and Calatrava collections simultaneously, this pilot's watch sub-collection surprised everyone when it made its debut a few years back. Soon sold out worldwide, the design is one the brand has been riffing on ever since.
Complications
Often featuring two or more complications (or non-time-telling devices), there are currently 36 individual models within this line from Patek Philippe. We direct you to their Complications Page to explore all of them, but we’ve selected some representative models that are sure to whet your appetite for these handmade beauties.
Patek Philippe Complications 5396R
- Case Diameter: 38.5mm
- Complications: Moon phase, annual calendar, 24-hour hand
A clever layout, this automatic watch sneaks a 24-hour hand onto its subdial, while three separate apertures display day, date and month.
Patek Philippe Complications 5905
- Case Diameter: 42mm
- Complications: Chronograph, annual calendar, moon phase
That this watch manages a flyback chronograph and an annual calendar function within a single timepiece is a testament to how efficient design can bring elegance to the forefront. Add in those gothic apertures across the top, and you’ve got perhaps the most symmetrical complicated watch of all time. In steel on a bracelet with a dazzling green dial makes it suddenly sporty, modern and one of the standout releases of 2021.
Patek Philippe Complications World Timer 5231
- Case Diameter: 38.5mm
- Complications: World timer (dual time function with world’s cities), date, AM/PM indication
If the world’s cities aren’t enough for you, consider the world itself. With its hand-painted enamel map, this is an elevated watch in every respect and yet it remains a practical and wearable travel companion.
Grand Complications
With 36 current models, the Grand Complications are how Patek Philippe shows off. Including minute repeaters (chiming mechanical devices), tourbillons (rotating escapements), incredible celestial maps and more, these watches are haute horlogerie personified. To see the entire current line of Grand Complications, visit this page, or simply peruse our selections below for a digestible taste.
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5204
- Case Diameter: 40mm
- Complications: Split seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, moonphase
A prime example of the types of grand complication watches Patek Philippe is known for, the highly complex manually wound movement of the 5204 combines a split-second chronograph, perpetual calendar and moon phase. Equally impressive is that it all fits in a 40mm package, and despite the density of information it offers, the watch remains elegant and legible.
Patek Philippe Grand Complications In-line Perpetual Calendar 5236
- Case Diameter: 31.3mm
- Complications: Day, date, month, leap year, day/night indicator
"In-Line," you see, because the day of the week, date and month are all displayed in a single aperture near 12 o'clock. This is yet another expression of elegant simplicity hiding an intense level of mechanical complication. Note that the date is "digital," in that it uses a separate disc for each digit.
Patek Philippe Grand Complications 6300
- Case Diameter: 47mm
- Complications: See below description
Let’s get our heads around this mechanical marvel. First, this is a reversible watch, which has its seemingly endless mechanisms displayed on two beautiful dials. Those complications include a strikework isolator indicator, a second time zone with AM/PM indicator, day, date (on both dials), month, leap-year cycle aperture, four-digit year display, and a 24-hour and minute subdial. To control all that from a single crown requires a crown position indication (R,A,H), which puts the watch into three separate setting modes. Price is available only on request.
Golden Ellipse Collection
When these watches came out in 1968, there really wasn’t anything like them on the market. Ultra-thin, often paired with dripping gold bracelets reminiscent of an Antoni Gaudi cathedral, and able to jibe with that era’s Armani and YSL suiting, the Golden Ellipse didn’t just depart from Patek Phillip’s aesthetic, but from that of all of horology. Reissued recently in an updated larger size, the Golden Ellipse has been warmly welcomed back into the Patek lineup.
Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738
- Case Diameter: 39.5mm
- Complications: N/A
One model, two colorways — plus an artistic, hand-engraved enamel dial version for 2021. If its minimalist design and elegant shape aren't enough, it's also got one more attractive quality: it comes from the pen of watch design superstar Gerald Genta.
Twenty-4 Collection
Back in 1998, Patek Philippe introduced this line of smaller, mostly jeweled watches. Especially in the bigger-is-better late 1990s, these watches were truly aimed at women, and remain so today. The largest is the round 7300 model at 36mm.
Gondolo Collection
Also aimed at women, these smaller watches come in an assortment of elegant shapes, often encrusted with diamonds. As art-deco watches, they allow Patek Philippe to dip into its storied history, offering early 20th Century elegance in the digital era. Time telling plays second fiddle to the jewels throughout this lineup. Sizes and prices vary.
