Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738/50P-001 (Left), Patek Philippe 5067A_025 (Center), Patek Philippe 5207G_001 (Right)

For most people, a watch is a tool to tell the time, a relic from an age where you looked at a watch’s dial instead of a capacitive touch screen to remind you it is time for supper.

For others, a watch is a work of art, vastly outstripping a mere phone in exclusivity and a status symbol signifying the wearer’s opulent taste.

 Switzerland is known for two things: its neutrality and its watches. A Patek Philippe watch is certainly a sight to behold in its simplicity. For those in the know, the craftsmanship that goes into a timepiece worn by royalty and heads of state alike may justify its almost-too-vulgar-to-divulge prices.

 For 2018, the Geneva luxury watch manufacturer has launched 14 new models: 11 men’s watches and three women’s watches. The new models range from reinterpretations of classical pieces to timepieces combining art and innovation.

The second-oldest Patek Philippe model in the collection, the Golden Ellipse, was launched in 1968. The elliptical case is said to be inspired by the golden section, the “divine proportion” studied by mathematicians in ancient Greece and believed to be aesthetically pleasing.

 To celebrate the Golden Ellipse’s 50th anniversary, two new models are being launched. The first is the 5738/50P, a limited edition of 100 timepieces finished in platinum, with a hand-engraved volute patterned enamel dial reminiscent of the Calatrava cross, the logo of Patek Philippe.

 Also joining the collection is the 5738R, a version finished in rose gold with a black hand-stitched alligator strap, touted as the thinnest watch in the current collection at 5.9 millimeters. The rose gold model compliments the earlier 5738P, a platinum model with an alligator strap in navy blue.

The Golden Ellipse watches are offered with matching cufflinks sold separately, with the exception of the anniversary model, which is sold in a set.

 One of Patek’s flagship models, the 5531R World Time Minute Repeater, is billed as the first minute repeater watch that can strike local time in any location around the world, as opposed to other minute repeaters that can only sound their home time.

 The 5531R will strike local time for the time zone of the world city aligned with the 12 o’clock position through a patented mechanism that consists of 462 parts. The movement is also equipped with 24-hour day/night indication for its 24 time zones.

 Meanwhile, the dial of the watch uses a cloisonné enamel center depicting the landscape of Lavaux on the shores of Lake Geneva, and finished with a hand-stitched strap in shiny brown alligator hide.

 The novelty of collecting watches is certainly unusual in the era of the smartwatch, which with a tethering capability can offer infinitely more functionality than an analog chronograph. The stratospheric asking prices as well as the waiting list would certainly turn off most millennials who might opt for a more sensible purchase, such as a house.

 However, these kinds of watches are more than timekeepers. Just as many collect vintage cars or designer handbags, it is clear that they appreciate the objects as the work of a gifted artisan.

 Viewing a Patek Philippe timepiece merely as a tool to tell the time is absurd, as the advent of technology has provided consumers with better functionality at friendlier prices. (jlm)

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