Category: Patek Philippe

Thanks to the transparent sapphire case-back, there is also a lot to see on the back. The self-winding Manufacture caliber 324 S C FUS features a gold oscillating weight with circular graining. The bridges are decorated with Geneva dots and the edges are beveled and polished. The screw heads are carefully polished in-house by Patek Philippe. This is yet another example of why Patek Philippe replica watches command such a high price – the impressive hand-crafting and hand-finishing that goes into each watch.
We had the opportunity to test this extremely robust spring. Unlike a metal spring, it can be pulled far out of its original shape, but still steadily returns to its original shape. Impacts also had little effect. It eventually broke into many pieces when the spring was pulled almost completely straight with tweezers.
The base movement itself is from an earlier generation, as can be seen from the relatively low power reserve of 35 to 45 hours. For some time now, Patek Philippe has relied on Gyromax balance and fine adjustment via positioning weights, which allows the hairspring to expand and contract freely for improved results. The Patek Philippe Seal set the decoration standard and the strict rate accuracy specifications.
But the quality of the finishing of the case, dial, hands and strap is outstanding in every respect. A closer look, even with a watchmaker’s magnifying glass, reveals the flawlessly polished surfaces of the case, the fine sunburst decoration on the dial, and the perfectly stitched calfskin strap that wraps very comfortably around the wrist.
For this price, purchasers can rest assured of excellent finishing and outstanding value. While the Calatrava Pilot does not reach the aftermarket price of the steel Aquanaut Travel Time (which can be almost twice the price of a new purchase), it also does not immediately depreciate in value by 30% as other brands do.
Our test watch convinced us in every way – its attractive, easily recognizable, slightly sporty design, practical and easy-to-use second-time zone, clever locking pushers, plus its superb execution and attention to every detail.

Initially released in white gold with a blue dial, what makes this new version of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time really attractive is the way it was mysterious, and the sister piece that accompanies it. It’s hard to believe, but the replica Patek Philippe eventually joined the modern world of social media in the week, and their first big announcement through the channel was this new release, alongside a “ladies version” measuring 37.5mm in diameter, which has been dubbed the fake model. Both sizes are powered by the same caliber, and, quite frankly, both are within a conservative size range that could be worn by either gender without the faintest question.
Firstly, when images were released of the new Calatrava Pilot I wasn’t quite sold. There was quite a bit of debate out there when the initial Calatrava Pilot surfaced, and what business Patek Philippe really had in getting into this segment at all. The brand did produce some pilot’s watches back in the day, but nothing on the scale seen by the likes of replica Zenith, IWC, and even Breguet. Setting the lineage debate aside for a moment and looking only at product execution, the brand has done an excellent job with the new release. The combination of its bright and reflective sunbrushed brown dial and warm pink gold case works very nicely in person, standing out as a much better brown/gold combo than we saw from the replica Rolex with the Everose GMT that was just released.
I’ll be confused, I really wasn’t expecting to like the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time on the wrist, but having strapped it on for a while during my press appointment, the new piece turned into a pleasant surprise. At 42mm across and a reasonable 10.78mm thick, it’s surely a bit chunky compared to much in the fake Patek catalogue, but for a pilot-style piece it’s still on the more modestly sized end of the spectrum. People love drawing parallels between this and the Zenith Type 20 models; however, other than its numerals and hands, these amazing watches are miles apart. My biggest stumbling block with every Type 20 In my experience is how flatly and awkwardly they wear on a smaller wrist — a total non-issue with the Calatrava Pilot. That said, the pieces are also miles apart in terms of finishing, therefore only a fool would ever consider cross-shopping the two.

Patek Philippe launched two new models at the same time in 1938, six years after the first Calatrava, and both types had a lot in common. Both were 35mm, making them significantly larger than the other one and both retained the timeless, honest elegance of the Calatrava. But they were important different in other ways. 
While the first model was produced mainly in gold, its objective clearly being to build on the success of the fake Patek’s classic dress line, and it went in another direction and addressed the demands of a new clientele. This model was one of the first Patek Philippe wristwatches to be made in series with a stainless steel case. It was introduced during an era when gold watches were in fashion and precious metals were surely thought of as better investments. So these watches had to provide something else. And they did.
To begin with, the cheap watch had a screw-down caseback, making it the first huge water-resistant Calatrava, and the watch offered better resistance to magnetic fields than most thanks to a soft iron inner case. These traits are the reason why people like Briggs Cunningham picked a stainless steel model over the more luxurious model. These watches could be enjoyed whatever the circumstances, and so their owners could be as carefree as one could be in the 1940s with a Calatrava.
One reason I find these watches fascinating is the variety of styles in which they come. Very seldom have I seen the same watch twice, and my reaction to them is almost always different. As a matter of fact, I don’t like all 565s equally, but that’s sort of the point with this watch.
Patek Philippe replica didn’t set itself too many rules when it came to making the fake watch. Many came in steel, but some were manufactured in gold. Some featured Arabic numerals, others occasionally had Roman numerals, and traditional Calatrava indexes even got the nod sometimes as well.
Quite a large number of the replica watches had seconds’ hands at six o’clock, but actually, there are exceptions – Patek Philippe also made examples with central seconds. During its 14-year production run, the original watch would receive only one movement update, at the very end, when Patek decommissioned caliber 12”’120 and replaced it with caliber 12”’400. It is the same thing with the other version.