Making a fashion statement
Patek Philippe may not be the first to jump on the green watch bandwagon, but its influence goes much further
ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE watch world has gone green with envy over the past 2 years, and Patek Philippe has been the main reason for it. Specifically, Patek’s Ref 5711 Nautilus with its olive green dial. It might not be the first watch to kick off the latest craze for dials in the colour of sustainability, but when it’s a Patek – arguably the most desirable timepiece in the world today – the impact reaches far and wide. On top of that, the olive green Nautilus is officially the last of the ultra-hot Ref 5711 in production – hence the frenzy.
But fans needn’t fret. Patek has since launched other models with olive green dials, with at least 3 to lust after.
Ref 5270P-014 Chronograph with Perpetual Calendar
First introduced in 2011, this iconic double complication has been given a facelift – literally. It replaces the current Ref 5270P-001 whose ‘salmon’ dial has been updated with a green lacquered face and a black gradation framed in, like before, a 41 mm-wide platinum case. The new green dial is “a revisited, classic nuance colour reminiscent of the bodies of the most beautiful vintage cars”, says Patek.
Set against the green dial, the applied faceted hour markers and dauphine hands in white gold are clearly legible. So are the perpetual calendar windows that are well positioned at 6 o’clock to display the moon phases and a hand indicating the date; and at 12 o’clock showing the day and month. They are complemented by 2 round openings, one for the day/night indication and the other the leap-year cycle. The central chronograph hand is distinguished by its sand-blasted rhodium-plated grey finish.
Powering this grand complication is the same Patek in-house movement developed in 2011 for the first perpetual calendar chronograph, highlighted by its traditional architecture combined with 6 patented chronograph innovations, as well as an exceptionally slim calendar mechanism. Price: S$279,000
Ref 7130R-014 Ladies’ World Time
This new 36 mm, 24-time-zone timepiece is also a replacement model. It succeeds the current rose gold version with an ivory opaline dial, first launched in 2011, which is dropped for one with an updated olive green face, also encased in rose gold in the same dimensions. The new olive green dial displaying a finely hand-crafted guilloche old basket weave motif pays tribute to rare handcrafts. Its olive green shade is picked up on the city disk, where the white-printed names of cities stand prominently.
Some 89 diamonds totalling 1.03 carats adorn the bezel and strap buckle of this exceptionally refined timepiece, which runs on an ultra-thin automatic movement. A patented mechanism in the movement corrects all displays at a single press of the pusher at 10’clock, without affecting the movement’s precision. Price: S$76,400
Ref 5177G-027 Calatrava Chameleon (Rare Handcraft)
This wristwatch is part of Patek’s “Rare Handcrafts 2022” – a collection of 59 one-of-a-kind pieces and limited editions of dome table clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches.
In a limited edition of 6 pieces, the 38 mm Ref 5177 in white gold showcases the craft of grand feu cloisonné enamel, that has been long used in watchmaking to create motifs in luminous and enduring colours. The miniature painting on enamel, in particular, requires fine artistic skills where tiny motifs are created dot by dot with a minuscule brush, using paint mixed from enamel powder and lavender oil. The vivid depiction of chameleons in Ref 5177 brings to life the magic of a tropical forest. Price: On application
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