In big news today, one of the most legendary brands in the Swiss watch industry, Patek Philippe unveiled its first new collection in 25 years: Cubitus.
Most luxury brand release new collections on a fairly regular basis, at least every five years or so. Not Patek Philippe. This is, after all, the brand that touts the fact that you never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation. Maybe that is why it took an entire generation for a new series to make its mark on time.
The new Cubitus line (with a name derived from its square, or cube, shape and perhaps also from the brand’s beloved “Nautilus” line that was the “impetus” for the collection), is actually a strong and much needed evolution of the beloved Nautilus sports watch. From a brand rich in haute horology, calling a timepiece a sports watch is really a misnomer. But there is no known name for a luxurious, sophisticated haute horology sport look.
The new collection consists of three versions. Let’s face it, the three models will be in high demand despite many naysayers shrugging their shoulders and wincing, so why make more. Additionally, with incredibly limited production annually, the brand can’t make more than three styles to start with and still satisfy what will be incredible demand.
The new watches boast all-new movements, including one that was years in the making and required the filing of six patent applications. But the true essence of the new collection lies in its square case.
While Patek Philippe has created square cases before for several of its lines, it hasn’t had a square-shaped sports watch ever before. Not only that, but the cushion-cornered square case is accented by extended sides, or case flanks, that recall the look of the round Nautilus crated by the famed Gerald Genta for the brand in the mid 1970’s.
This is where watch pundits start to stick out their tongues. A square watch? Maybe, but one that measures 45mm in diameter when most brands are slimming and trimming millimeters off the size of the cases? Yes, because the watch also measures just over 8mm in thickness, making it thin and wearable.
On one watch, Ref. 5822P-001 – the star of the show thanks to its technical features – boasts a Grand Date, day and moon phase indication. It is powered by the aforementioned all-new self-winding movement, caliber 240 PS CI J LU, with grand date displayed via a two-window aperture at 12:00. There is also a day indication and moon phase display in a subsidiary dial between 6:00 and 7:00 opposite a seconds-hand subsidiary dial. This watch is crafted in platinum and boasts a rich blue dial with horizontal stripe motif. It is finished with a composite material strap.
The other two versions include the Ref. 5821/1A-001 – crafted in stainless steel – making it extremely coveted (it’s hard to find Patek Philippe sporty chic watches in steel) and the 5821/`AR-001 watch in two-tone rose gold and steel. This is another rarely executed material motif for the brand, also propelling it to the top of the must-have list. These materials are not as in demand for their rarity as for their relatively “affordable” prices compared to gold or platinum Patek Philippe watches.
The steel watch boasts a green dial with date aperture at 3:00, while the two-tone watch features a blue dial with date at 3:00. Both watches are powered by the brand’s self-winding 26-330 S C caliber with stop-seconds function and 21-karat gold rotor. They also boast a patented Patek Philippe fold-over clasp.
Each of these watches in the new Cubitus series boasts all of the attributes of any Patek Philippe watch, from meticulous hand craftsmanship and assembly, to bearing the Patek Philippe Seal attesting to its robustness and technical prowess.
The watches retail from $41,243 to $88,378.
