Patek Philippe’s Cubitus collection is its first new line in 25 years

Patek Philippe’s line of Cubitus watches, its first new collection in 25 years, landed with a bang, but not the kind the brand was hoping for.

It was leaked a few days before today’s release due to an ad that debuted before the embargo the fortune magazine (much to Patek’s dismay), the revelation so stunned watch enthusiasts that there are entire YouTube videos devoted to whether or not it’s fake. In fact, even serious collectors we spoke to before the reveal said they also thought it was fake. Some even thought the company had leaked the release on purpose. “We don’t make many surprises in our strategy,” a Patek Philippe executive said at a pre-launch dinner in Munich on Wednesday.

Thinking outside the box for a top-of-the-line luxury brand like Patek Philippe instead meant the drop of a new collection of watches that seemed very close to its longtime best-seller, the Nautilus. “You don’t always have to reinvent everything from scratch,” says Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern from the company’s German headquarters in Munich. “Why? Take the best of what you know and make it better.” The leaked model, the 45 by 9.6mm platinum Ref. 5822P ($88,378), has the same navy horizontal embossed pattern, hour and minute hands , minute track with similar, if not more angled and pronounced indexes.Like all platinum Pateks, it has a diamond on the edge of the case, but this time it is baguette-cut to make a gesture with the bolder elements. of this watch. The most notable difference is a squarer shape of the octagonal case, which differs from the more rounded Nautilus. Some have accurately described it as a mix between the Nautilus, a Gerard Charles and a Cartier Santos Dumont case.The second striking difference is the large date at 12 o’clock.The platinum model is the only reference to include a strap, made of an ultra-resistant composite material a fabric motif Stern says the original prototype was fitted with a platinum bracelet, but it was too heavy. (Indeed, even without the metal bracelet, the platinum case adds significant weight.)

Beyond the shape of the case, the great novelty for the Ref. 5822P is their new movement, the Caliber 240 PS CI J LU, which is based on the 240PS IRM CLU. It combines a large date window, moon phase and day of the week indications that change simultaneously in 18 milliseconds. The caliber resulted in the filing of six patents for its tangential brake, double-function spring mechanism, flexible corrector, double-function spring, flexible plate and positioning mechanism. Many of these serve to facilitate perfect alignment of the date digits and the ability to correct all indications at any time of the day.

Otherwise, the platinum model features the same design as the Nautilus Ref. 5712, with the date and moon phase indicator sub-dial between 6 and 8 o’clock and the seconds sub-dial between 4 and 5 o’clock, minus the power reserve indicator. Two other sports time only watches that look the same as a 5711 with a full size date window at 3 o’clock. The 45 by 8.3 mm Ref. 5821/1A ($41,243) comes in steel with an olive green dial, while the Ref. of 45 by 8.3 mm. 5821/1AR ($61,276) is a steel and 18K rose gold model with a marine dial. Both colors have already appeared in previous Nautilus and Aquanaut models and continue in the company’s third collection of “sporty and elegant” watches, as they call them.

Early reviews at the time of the leak were unfavorable. On the Instagram of vintage watch specialist and influencer Mike Nouveau, who was among the first to discover the leak, comments ranged from “It’s just a squarer Nautilus. I’m not sure if I like it or not lol” , by @anthony_gio7 to “Time to sleep, thanks for giving me another nightmare,” by @davidecanter. However, @watcheskick may have said it more accurately: “How many here will comment that it’s ugly but text their ads immediately to get on the waiting list?” Although the frenzy for watches experienced during the pandemic has subsided, Patek Philippe watches, especially the Nautilus, have decades-long waiting lists. Even if the Cubitus doesn’t initially have the same convenience as its sibling, it’s likely that potential customers still won’t be able to find it easily.

Stern is unfazed when faced with comparisons to the Nautilus. In fact, he says “they’re right.” He adds that he absolutely looked at both the Nautilus and the Aquanaut to create the Cubitus. He also considered pieces of Patek Philippe history. “We had some from the past,” he says, referring to previous square-shaped models. “I even created one a long time ago for 1599, the most complex case we’ve ever made to date.” He even looked at square models from other brands. “I saw some really cool ones, like the TAG Heuer Monaco, but it’s too thick; it doesn’t really fit when I put it on my wrist.” Mostly, the impetus was that he simply wanted a square watch and came up with the name Cubitus and that’s itWell, he was born. It sounds simple, but it was years in the works.

To plan for its arrival, Stern slightly reduced the number of Nautilus produced last year and discontinued the 5711 in 2021. When asked whether or not he was concerned whether the new collection would only serve to further induce the hype around the Nautilus, he said: “No, because it’s already done. The amount of Nautilus this year is the same as next year, so no, I don’t think it’s a problem. We anticipated it. We didn’t want to be in this problem.” He adds that the company has generally reduced the number of new models from 20 to 30 per year to 15.

So how did the Cubitus go in person? Honestly, it’s much more attractive on the wrist. And yes, it looks like the Nautilus. A fellow journalist wore a Nautilus and neck to neck they are even more similar than one would have thought from the leaked images. The slimness of the case size will certainly appeal, and despite the case being 45mm (the diagonal line from one edge to the other), it’s smaller than you might think. Our prediction is that the rush will only be for the olive green, but the platinum model will no doubt still appeal to some heavyweight collectors.

Even if you think it’s too square, in both senses of the word, the Cubitus is bound to have its moment in the spotlight. And if you love it, you won’t be able to get your hands on it anytime soon unless you’re part of Patek’s elite inner circle. While Stern says the new collection is meant to bring in a new crop of younger clientele, Patek newbies will still be up for grabs. “The first ones will go to all the VIPs and big retail customers,” admits Stern. “And they’ll come and say, ‘Oh, I’m a great customer. I am a big collector. I’d like to be the first to have it’. And guess what the retailer will say? Yes.” Patek Philippe may be taking big risks, but rest assured that the Cubitus launch is nothing but calculated.

For more images of the Patek Philippe Cubitus collection, click here.