Patek Philippe Calatrava

First presented in 1932 with the Reference 96, the Patek Philippe Calatrava is the benchmark for classic men’s dress watches. The groundbreaking reference set the stage for nearly every piece Patek has released since, and became the blueprint for other brands’ approaches to classy men’s timepieces. Heavily influenced by the Bauhaus design philosophy, the Calatrava was then considered extremely modern with its minimalist, ‘less is more’ approach to watch design. In the years since 1932, Patek has released dozens of Calatrava references, each with its own idiosyncrasies. Almost all share the underlying DNA of the 96, prioritizing subtle elegance above all else. In 1985, Patek Philippe was looking to distinguish itself in a post quartz crisis era of the luxury watch market. Patek enlisted help from a brilliant Geneva-based ad man— Renee Bittel— to help Patek define itself for a new customer base. Bittel said Patek Philippe needed a symbol for the brand— something that would capture the cl