BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
Expect an exciting Baselworld this year especially that there is a new complication from Patek Philippe featuring vintage inspiration and of course in stainless steel case.
So without further ado, here is the Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A. The brand certainly knows how to attract potential collectors by throwing in a nice retro style package. The choice of steel is surprising since we know for a fact that Patek seldom uses steel except on the Aquanaut and Nautilus watches.
So let’s talk about the steel case, at 40 mm it is by design a dressy watch, really smallish for me to be honest but it does look beefier thanks to its polished bezel and the brand’s signature stepped lugs. It is elegant in all angles and very neat saved by its busy retro watchface which I will talk about in a jiffy. One thing I know for sure is that the case somehow resembles the design of the brand’s newer creations such as the 5320G, making it pretty much modern. Moreover, the case is protected by sapphire crystal front and back with 30 m of water resistance.
Moving on, the vintage dial appears in silvered shade featuring facetted applied markers for the hours and dauphine hands that are darkened resulting to a nice contrast. What I really like though is the functionality of the watch thanks to its indication of the week and the month. It is very easy to read with fantastic red colored curved bar tipped hands. For business or leisure travels, this watch is just perfect. The legibility is quite superb and the vintage appeal is really enticing for me. Furthermore, there is also the date at 3 o’clock.
Powering the Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A is the self-winding Calibre 26–330 S C J SE with 45 hours of power reserve. The brand says it features an optimized performance thanks to its novel tech like the central 22k rotor and the Gyromax balance and Spiromax balance springs. Of course, it comes with the Patek Philippe Seal.
Finally, a vintage brown calfskin strap on a steel prong buckle further compliments the vintage look of the Calatrava Weekly Calendar 5212A.
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