Patek Philippe takes on a different altitude

THE most accurate test of success for a new watch can be measured by two things. First, by the amount of pushback it receives. And second, by how quickly its naysayers take back their words.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time generated pretty intense debate when it was unveiled in 2015. Its hulking 42 mm case and 1930s-inspired pilot’s watch aesthetic was unlike anything that the brand had done. In fact, detractors deemed the watch “too un-Patek”.

But you know how the story goes. The unlikely contender has gone on to prove its mettle, so the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is now a coveted collection piece that wins bragging rights.

Indeed, the very features that once divided collectors are now the watch’s most arresting qualities. The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time’s imposing 42 mm case features over-sized pushers, and a dial that resembles old-school military watches. It was, admittedly, an anomaly in Patek’s catalogue.

The watch’s mechanical sophistication, however, is instantly recognisable. Core to the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is an intelligent dual-time-zone system. You can set the local time (the time at where you are now) forward and backward via screw-down pushes to the left of the case. When doing so, the movement automatically computes the date display, so you don’t have to make additional adjustments. In the meantime, a separate, skeletonised hour hand continues to display the time at your previous location.

After previously endowing the watch with a 24-hour alarm feature, Patek has added a flyback chronograph to the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time this year – a first for the collection. If you think the setup looks familiar, you are not wrong. The two-time-zone and flyback chronograph combination first appeared on the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph 5990A, and on the Aquanaut Travel Time Chronograph 5164A.

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Where the Nautilus and Aquanaut models express characteristic aquatic-inspired designs, the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Chronograph remains wedded to aviation-inspired nostalgia. In fact, the dial is accorded greater balance, now that the date counter has been relocated to the 12 o’clock position to accommodate a seconds counter at 6 o’clock. Meanwhile, the push buttons, which are repositioned to the right of the case, are employed as chronograph pushers. To adjust the home and away time on this model, one needs to now use the recessed buttons to the left of the case. 

Driven by the automatic CH 28-520 C FUS movement – the same calibre in the Nautilus and Aquanaut models – the watch stays wearable. Housed in a 42 mm white-gold case similar to that of its predecessors, it is just about 2 mm thicker despite the dual-complication. There is a choice of a sunburst blue-grey or lacquered khaki green dial. Either way, though, the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Chronograph is sure to elevate any watch collection.