Among Patek Philippe’s 11 novelties—populated by perpetual calendars, two Aquanaut travel time models, a Nautilus flyback chronograph and other more complicated timepieces—the pared-down watches hold their own.
The Golden Ellipse receives an update this year with a chain-style bracelet that expands upon the existing Golden Ellipse models, which are fitted with shiny alligator-leather straps. The Golden Ellipse Reference 5738/1R-001, in rose gold, is held in place with a new chain-style mesh bracelet—comprising over 300 links manually assembled, with an engraved clasp and three adjustment notches—that closely follows the contours of the wrist.
The gleam of the bracelet and case and their pink hue is contrasted against the black sunburst dial, with rose gold applied hour markers and cheveu-style hands. Under the dial beats the Calibre 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement, making this the slimmest watch (measuring 5.9mm) in Patek Philippe’s regular collection.
With this year being the 25th anniversary of Patek Philippe’s Twenty-4 collection, it receives an injection of colour in the form of the vibrant purple that popped up in the rose gold Nautilus models late last year, which has now migrated to the Twenty-4 Reference 4910/1201R, specifically its lacquered dial with an embossed pattern, and brightens up the collection that’s currently dominated by subdued blues, olive greens, and browns.
Meanwhile, technically innovative novelties include the first World Time watch with a date display synchronised to local time, made possible by the new movement, the self-winding Calibre 240 HUC with a mini rotor. The Reference 5330 unveiled last year at the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo and intended as a limited-edition timepiece now joins the manufacture’s regular collection as the World Time Reference 5330G-001, dressed in an opaline blue-grey dial with a checked pattern.
And introducing a new iteration of the 2019 Alarm Travel Time, the Alarm Travel Time Reference 5520G-001, now in rose gold and white gold, powered by the self-winding Calibre AL 30-660 S C FUS (the 24-hour alarm mechanism has been granted four patents alone), which sits beneath a grey sunburst dial and white gold sword-style hour hands (the skeletonised one representing home time).