Patek Philippe Calatrava 2526
We are going to dig deep in the beauty of a specific reference. Yet the 2526 isn’t just another Calatrava, in fact; it might be the most refined time-only dress watch in history! Today we will guide you through the different aspects of this incredible PP. Let’s share our love in today’s Watch guide of the Patek Philippe Calatrava 2526.
We are starting off with the model line: the Calatrava. In the early 30’s this line was immediately introduced by the Stern brothers, that just took over a large part of Patek Philippe as the company found itself in a financially troubling position. This wasn’t the time for more innovative and highly complicated movements, because of the great depression, but a simple and elegant design instead, based on the Bauhaus principles. Time-only but reliable and accurate: the ref. 96 was born.
The name derived from the Calatrava cross, a symbol used by knights in the 12th century. Both the name and the symbol were already registered by Patek Philippe in the very beginning of the company but haven’t been used until the 96 launched in 1932. As by the name one can guess the significant role it has played for Patek throughout their history up to this day. In almost 100 years of production it has seen many different variations but all true to the value: form follows function.
History
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. To fully understand why this exorbitant asking price is just, we divided the watch in separate chapters to examine all parts of this precious Patek.
But back in 1953 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. It has no predecessor or successor. 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. Today we have the pleasure to demonstrate the different aspects.
Case
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 its pretty straight-forward. Depending the material and country it was delivered to, hallmarks can be found on both the case as well as the lugs.
As you can expect from Patek Philippe, none in stainless steel ever saw the light of day, this metal was seen as inferior for a refined wristwatch like the 2526. But you could instead aim at one in Platinum or white gold. These are the rarest executions and approximately less than 25 of each of these metals rolled out of the factory. Most of them had the traditional 18K yellow gold case, whilst the rose gold was slightly more uncommon with a ratio of approximately 1 to 10 compared to the yellow gold.
Crown
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.
Bracelet & Clasp
I would say the bracelet is subordinate to a dress watch as this usually isn’t taken into account when designing a piece like this. They are more frequently fitted with a leather strap of choice anyhow. But I believe the bracelet plays an important part of the 2526 and curiously, the majority of them where actually sold on a solid metal bracelet matching the material of the case. Designed by the famous Gay Freres. Among the variations is the beloved “Lobster” bracelet, mostly associated with the 2526.
In the clasp one can find the “GF deer” as the hallmark and oftentimes but not necessarily it’s also signed by Patek Philippe, again with the Double P logo, matching the crown.
Dial & hands
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, especially on the first series dials. 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. Service replacement dials, later installed by Patek Philippe, were not enameled.
The enamel dial is iconic to this Calatrava but not all of them were fitted with one. In fact, the most special ones aren’t; like the famous LBJ dials that read: “Do unto other as you would have them do unto you”. The ones with diamond markers instead of the batons aren’t enamel either. There are a couple more special dials, for example with applied Breguet numerals, luminous Arabic hour markers, retailer signed or black dials rather than the eggshell enamel.
Movement
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. The Gyromax still is a trademark up to this day and Patek Philippe’s own seal of quality (introduced in 2009) is inspired on the PP crest engraved on the rotor of this movement.
Conclusion
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. I mean, what is there not to love? I hope my appreciation for this Calatrava is shared and next time you look at it you might feel the same warm feeling it gives me when seeing the Patek Philippe Calatrava 2526.