Patek Philippe marks new manufacture building with limited edition watch

Only 1,000 of the commemorative 6007A-001 Calatrava are out in the market.

To celebrate the completion of its new production building in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Patek Philippe created an exclusive Calatrava in stainless steel with a unique design that will cause the hearts of collectors to skip a beat.

It is a tradition at Patek Philippe to accompany key events in its corporate history with the launch of limited-edition commemorative watches. Two examples are the famous Ref. 5500 Pagoda and the Ref. 5029 Minute Repeater that were presented in 1997 to highlight the official inauguration of the new manufacturing plant in Plan-les-Ouates.

To pay tribute to the commissioning of the new production building, a flagship of impressive size for the creation, development, and production of Patek Philippe watches, the manufacturer reasserted its tradition by developing an exclusive, unusually designed Calatrava explicitly for this event.

A keepsake in stainless steel
This new Ref. 6007A-001 Calatrava instantly stands out with its case and broad cambered bezel in polished steel, a very rare material in Patek Philippe’s collections that is particularly coveted among connoisseurs. The design of the dial reflects an inimitable and dynamic face. Be it the railway track scale of the hour circle with triangular markers, the pierced baton hands for the hours and minutes that recall the Ref. 6006 Calatrava (part of the collection since 2017), the integration of the self-winding caliber 324 S C movement with an aperture date at 3 o'clock or the applied Arabic numerals: all these elements contribute to a vibrant and exciting dial architecture. The expressly graphic style emphasises the technical personality of the dial. At the same time, the gray-blue hue is a signature element accompanied by the subtle circular satin finish that contrasts visibly against the white dial imprints as well as the applied numerals and the white-lacquered hands in white gold with luminous coatings.

In its center, the dial features a “carbon”-style texture that plays with light and can be interpreted as an enigmatic footnote referring to the world of high-tech. Other special features, such as the calfskin strap with white decorative seams, the prong buckle, and a delicately embossed structure reminiscent of textile fabrics, are coordinated in terms of color and structure to match the dial center.

A limited edition of 1,000 watches
The commemorative Ref. 6007A-001 Calatrava comes in a limited edition of 1,000 watches, with a diameter of 40 mm and a sapphire-crystal caseback specially marked with a Calatrava cross and the “New Manufacture 2019” inscription. 2019 is the year when the first work groups moved into the new production building. The exclusive styling of the watch stands as a lasting symbol for this new chapter in the history of Patek Philippe.