Hodinkee Radio

Today: the vintage Patek Philippe Calatrava episode. Introduced in 1932, though it wouldn't be called the "Calatrava" until years later, the Patek Philippe Calatrava is perhaps the most iconic watch ever, laying the blueprint for the modern dress watch. It was also introduced at a pivotal time in the history of Patek Philippe, just after it had been acquired by the Stern family. After the acquisition, the Stern brothers hired Jean Pfister, a technical master who would lead the development of the first serially produced complications that defined so much of Patek's collection during the mid-20th century. But first came the Calatrava ref. 96, Patek's first serially-produced reference. I called up founder Ben Clymer and client advisor Rich Fordon to discuss the Patek Calatrava. We start by asking: what even is a "Calatrava," and what isn't? Then, we jump through the history of the line, from the original reference 96 through the golden era of the refs. 570, 565, 2508, and others (depending on your definition of