Not just any Pink gold Calatrava; the 2526 sports an enamel dial.

When introduced, the 2526 came with quite a hefty price tag of 3400CHF. That might sound like a joke, but this was a lot of money for a watch in the 50’s. For comparison, the almighty 2499 retailed for just 400CHF more. And the 2526 was merely a time-only dress watch, not a Grand Complication like the afore mentioned. It was immediately received with high regard, demonstrated by the clientele that obtained one. Besides the famous Andy Warhol, the distinguished collector JB Champion got his hands on the very first one that saw the light of day. A watch like this has never been made before and unfortunately it turned out it will never be made again. In 1960 the production ceased after a few thousand pieces in different configurations.

Let’s start with the case, created by Genevan master F. Baumgartner. It comes in at 36mm and has a slightly amorphous shape. It’s quite thick and unlike most previous Calatrava’s, it features a screw-back rather than a snap-back, making the watch somewhat waterproof. Adding to the sportiness, a small domed bezel is mounted on the case. Although it has quite fat lugs, the overall design remains stylish and elegant since it's pretty straight-forward. Our specimen is executed in 18K pink gold, around ten times rarer than the yellow gold variants. Moreover it remains in a strong shape. Details do matter, especially when it’s as cool as this crown. All Pateks with this caliber are fitted with the “Double P” signed crown. Whilst not unique to the 2526, it is something that definitely catches the eye. The sizing is spot on and the detail is eminent.

Now on to something really interesting: the dial. Most collectors know the 2526 as the Calatrava with the double baked enamel dial. The use of enamel for dial making is something we rarely see and is only being done by the very top of the brands due to the fact that it’s rather costly and difficult to produce. Today, Patek still create specials with “Cadran Email”, but back in the days it was really unique, even more so because the 2526 was not a limited edition, nor a super complication nor only available upon special request.

But what is so special about the decorative art that is enameling. First of all, aesthetically it adds so much charm to the watch. The way the light reflects on the surface is fascinating. The thick glaze creates dimples near to the batons and base of the hands. In combination with the deep brown text and second markers it gives it an unparalleled depth. Secondly, the durability. The Patek brochure read: “The dial, of baked enamel, is impervious to the action of outside agents, such as tarnishing produced by sunlight”. Whilst it was meant to last forever, the result turned out to be quite different. Enamel is hard and strong but has the tendency to break or shatter since it does not react well to the slightest bending, something that could happen when dropped for example. Unfortunately many have service replacement dials, later installed by Patek Philippe, and those are not enamelled. We are proud to say ours stills sports the original dial.

The movement does a lot of the heavy lifting to maintain the prestige the 2526 is known for. I’m myself, not that much of a movement geek but I’m inclined to make an exception for the 12-600AT as it is, what I believe: the best time-only movement ever! It was launched in 1953 and straight away featured in multiple references, including the 2526, as their first self-winding caliber. It is not like Patek Philippe wasn’t able to produce an automatic movement earlier on, but Rolex had a twenty-year patent on this mechanism. If you witness the construction and finishing of this movement, my best guess would be, is that they used these 2 decades to develop and finetune the 12-600, quality wise resulting in a caliber that stands in a league of its own.

And this is where it gets really interesting and, in my opinion, elevates Patek Philippe from other brands. I said “witness” because you had to unscrew the case back in order to behold the beauty, since see-through case backs weren’t invented yet. So basically, the hand-finishing they applied, to decorate the 18K rotor for example, was something the customer would probably never see nor had any practical reason, but they did it anyway. Talking about going the extra mile and not bragging about it. But it must be a real joy for a watchmaker to open this watch and discover the swan-neck regulator and Gyromax balance wheel, making sure the watch can be adjusted to extreme precision, with just a 1 second variation in 24 hours.

This is what we mean when we say there is so much more to a watch than telling time. Putting it in historical perspective and after thorough examination we are ready to jump to the conclusion that the 2526 is in many aspects a perfect watch. Ours is coming with vintage Patek buckle and extract of the archives, dating the watch to 1960.