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.  The Calatrava 96 was also one of the first pieces the brand released after the Stern family purchased a majority share in Patek Philippe in the early 30s. In many respects, the 96 is emblematic of the Stern family’s contributions to Patek. The 96 was one of the earliest round watches Patek ever made, and was also the very first serially produced piece to receive its own reference. In the years since 1932, Patek has released dozens of Calatrava references, each with its own idiosyncrasies. Almost all share the underlying DNA of