Patek Philippe is enriching its vast array of timepieces with a new collection that stands out by its unique alliance of daring and elegance.
Endowed with a highly original square-shaped case with rounded corners and a dial adorned with horizontal relief embossing, the new Cubitus (registered design) makes its debut in three versions, each with its own strong character. The technical model, Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases, Reference 5822P-001 in platinum, powered by a new movement with instantaneous displays for which six patent applications have been filed; the vintage touch of the two-tone Cubitus model Reference 5821/1AR-001 in steel and rose gold with a blue sunburst dial; and Cubitus Reference 5821/1A-001 in steel, the very essence of sporting elegance, with an olive-green sunburst dial. While it has made its mark as the virtuoso of complications, Patek Philippe has also achieved distinction in the design sphere, developing its own aesthetic style and creating some of the most renowned and immediately recognizable watches in the entire horological universe.
Creativity has always been at the heart of the Patek Philippe spirit, as evidenced by the vast array of collections and models spanning every segment of the watch market. Each new watch model is the occasion for the manufacture to express its unique vision of fine watchmaking, and to give free rein to its imagination and zest for invention, by drawing on numerous sources of inspiration and replying to the Patek Philippe customers’ wide variety of tastes. And so the collections emerged, each with its own character. The Calatrava, in 1932, archetype of the round wristwatch; the Golden Ellipse, in 1968, its harmonious proportions inspired by the Golden Section; the Nautilus, in 1976, leader in the field of sporting elegance; the Gondolo collection, in 1993, contemporary embodiment of the Art Deco spirit; the Aquanaut, in 1997, emblematic of modern, casual chic; the Twenty~4, in 1999, timeless feminine elegance incarnate, completed in 2018 by the launch of the Twenty~4 Automatic. All of these models, with their pure, clean lines, destined to rise above passing fashion while losing nothing of their beauty and appeal Each an enduring icon of watch design, evolving by subtle touches, while retaining its powers of seduction as the years and generations pass.
A new exclusive square-shaped case with an elegantly slim profile
With the launch of the Cubitus collection Patek Philippe’s aim was to offer a new reinterpretation of the “elegant sporty” style. To do so, the manufacture chose to explore an original geometry based on the square. A visit to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva reveals that the company has already proposed, in its collections, a number of quadrangular-shaped cases (squares, rectangles, trapezoids, cushions), particularly in the Art Deco period, when this type of aesthetic flourished. For the new Cubitus collection, however, Patek Philippe developed a completely original, innovative design in which the square bezel adopts rounded corners: a shape both daring and subtle, blending the square, the circle and the octagon. The new Cubitus case also stands out by its two attachments, one on either side of the case and its two-part construction (back/caseband + bezel) with casing-up done from the front. The 45 mm diameter combines with an extremely slender profile, ensuring timeless elegance. Another particularity: the bold geometry of the design is enhanced by the use of contrasting finishes – “vertical satin-brushed” on the flat of the bezel and the front of the case, and polished on the bezel’s chamfer and the case flanks. These finishing techniques require some 55 manual operations per watch, performed with the painstaking devotion to fine workmanship that distinguishes all Patek Philippe creations. The integrated metal bracelet equipping two of the three Cubitus models features this same pattern of alternating finishes – vertical satin-brushed on the main links and polished on the central links.
A dial and a rotor enriched with a horizontal decoration
To emphasize the strong character of the new Cubitus collection and play up its sporty air Patek Philippe enriched the dials with horizontal relief embossing, creating fine plays of light. As a signature feature of the collection, this horizontal decoration is also found on the rotors and mini-rotors of the Patek Philippe movements equipping the Cubitus models, accompanied by the Genevan manufacture’s emblem, the Calatrava cross.
Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases Reference 5822P-001 A technical model endowed with a new complication, in a movement for which six patent applications have been filed
To mark the birth of the new Cubitus collection, Patek Philippe is unveiling a completely new model in platinum with original displays uniting a large-format date, the moon phase and the day of the week, all changing instantaneously. The manufacture developed for the purpose a new caliber 240 PS CI J LU self-winding movement for which it has filed six patent applications, such as those relating to the distribution of the energy required for the different displays and their simultaneous jump in 18 milliseconds. These innovations guarantee, in particular, perfect alignment of the large-date digits, and the possibility of correcting all the indications at any time of the day. The grand date is displayed in a double aperture at the 12 o’clock position by means of two co-planar disks (that is, placed on exactly the same plane). The coaxial day and moon-phase indications are positioned at 7 o’clock, complemented by a small asymmetric subsidiary seconds counter at 4:30. On the blue sunburst dial, adorned with horizontal relief embossing, legibility is ensured by applied baton[1]style hour markers and rounded baton-style hour and minute hands, all in white gold with a white luminescent coating. The distinctive design of the platinum case as a square with rounded corners, a 45 mm diameter and an elegantly slender profile, gains further finesse from the contrast between its polished and vertical-satin[1]brushed finishes. A transparent sapphire-crystal case back affords a private view of the movement, with its 22K gold off-center mini-rotor presenting the same horizontal decoration as the dial. Like all the Patek Philippe models in platinum, this timepiece has a diamond, here a baguette cut for the first time, set into the bezel at 6 o’clock. The modern, casual chic style with a technical edge continues through to a navy-blue strap with cream contrasting stitching in an ultra-resistant composite material embossed with a fabric motif, and a Cubitus fold-over clasp in platinum.
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