A very early waterproof Patek Philippe in stainless steel. Every collector knows the aforementioned sentence is going to be something desirable. But if you are not yet aware of how special the 565 is, allow me to elaborate.

Mostly it has to do with the case. Historical and in-depth information will follow later but to summarise: it is waterproof due to the FB-case with dustcover and screw-down caseback. Furthermore unusually large for the time as it measures 35mm in diameter. Besides the incredible and advanced construction, the case of this Calatrava is also extremely appealing. The facet on top and the wat the lugs are integrated into the case creates a stylish but also very sporty look. Enhanced by the fact that this example is executed in steel.

There are 2 different variations regarding the seconds. Either a central secondhand or it is displayed in a sub-dial at the 6 o'clock position. Ours is the later, which -arguably- provides more depth to the dial as it is also lowered. Another major contribution to the beauty of our specimen, has to be the dial color. Firstly, the finish of the chapter-ring is different, but furthermore the dial discoloured to a warm and creamy hue. The dial has applied Arabic numerals and 'Feuille' handset.

As this is a very early Calatrava, dating back to 1941 according to the extract, it has the 'long signature': Patek Philippe & Co. The cal.12-120 has been serviced and is ready to be enjoyed. It comes on a brown PP alligator bracelet and still has its original steel buckle.

As described by The Italian Watchspotter: 'The introduction of the 565 reference highlights the pioneering spirit that distinguishes Patek Philippe since its birth'. Allow me to share some historical backstory from their article, dedicated to this amazing model. At the beginning of the 1930s much of the world licked its wounds following the 29th’s crisis, which, in addition to a general collapse of all economic sectors, had also caused a decline in demand for goods. In this regard, each company had to rethink itself to offer products at lower costs but that were, in any case, in line with their own quality standards. Well, even Patek Philippe, already known as one of the most prestigious maisons, had the need to design models, which could satisfy the lower propensity to spend, on the part of its customers.

This met with another trend of practical nature, the desire to have watches with waterproof cases. Through this maneuver Patek hoped both to acquire a new category of customers and to fulfill the requests of those, already customers, wanted to wear a Patek even in less formal situations. However, the Geneva-based maison project was not easy to implement, because of two elements.

First of all, the production of the waterproof cases was not yet fully prepared and only a few companies could guarantee a quality product. On the other hand, steel was a material, until then, ignored by watchmaking but that was making its way, as it was less expensive than gold. Its great problem was the difficulty of processing, due to the greater hardness compared to the gold and silver canons. All this assumed that the manufacturer was equipped with special machinery and tools, which was not a given at the time.

From this situation it is inferred that the number of companies was really small. The choice fell almost immediately on a unique company of its kind, in terms of innovation and foresight, namely Taubert & Fils, better known for the company they acquired in 1924 from Francois Borgel. Thanks to the capital of Taubert & Fils and the ideas left by Borgel, the company became a leader in both the production of waterproof cases and in the processing of steel for watchmaking.