Last October, Patek Philippe, perhaps the world’s most important high-end watchmaker, unveiled its first new collection in 25 years, swiftly making news for its bold, squared-off design.
The Cubitus collection, as it will be known, debuts with three distinct models. Reference 5821/1A-001 is crafted from stainless steel and features an olive-green sunburst dial (the same shade as the ultra-rare green-dial Nautilus 5711), housing the self-winding calibre 26-330 S C with hacking seconds. At 45mm in diameter and just 8.3mm thick, it is the model poised to attract the most attention, thanks to its more minimal aesthetic. By contrast, ref. 5821/1AR-001 is a two-tone steel and rose gold variant that shares the same movement and features a striking deep-blue sunburst dial. Ref. 5822P-001 – the most intricate model in the initial line-up – is crafted from platinum and features a grand date, day indicator and moon phases. Powered by the advanced calibre 240 PS CI J LU, it is paired with a navy-blue composite strap.
The Cubitus collection represents a natural evolution of Patek Philippe’s exploration of sporty, shaped timepieces. Much like the Aquanaut, it is a direct descendant of the Nautilus – arguably one of Patek’s most coveted models in its modern catalogue. The Cubitus, with its newly designed geometric shape, offers a square form softened by rounded corners, infusing a bit more 1970s flair into a 21st-century reimagining of a watch first introduced in 1976. Indeed, one could easily mistake the Cubitus ref. 5821 for a model born alongside the original Nautilus, rather than half a century later.
That said, the retro-shaped Cubitus sticks out as a larger case size watch in the midst of a rally for smaller sizes amongst vintage enthusiasts. (Is this writer alone in hoping the ref. 5821 could be shrunk down to a Nautilus ref. 3800, sized 37.5mm?) Still, bigger seems to continue to work well at retail for most modern watches, and that’s what Cubitus definitely is.
Good to know
A diamond is placed at six o’clock to denote a platinum case in all Patek Philippe watches, distinguishing them from white gold or other white metals. Previously, a small princess-cut diamond was inlaid into the case. Now for the first time, the platinum Cubitus ref. 5822P features a baguette-cut diamond, a fun nod to the geometric design of the new collection.