Beyond the Calatrava: The Forgotten Shapes of Vintage Patek Philippe

Mention Patek Philippe to most watch enthusiasts and a certain image comes to mind: a beautifully proportioned round case, restrained dial, thin profile and perhaps a pair of elegant lugs.

In other words, something resembling a Calatrava.

There’s good reason for that. The Calatrava became one of the defining expressions of Patek Philippe design. But spend enough time looking through the company's earlier catalog and another side of Patek begins to emerge.

Rectangles. Squares. Cushions. Tonneau cases. Dramatic stepped cases. Sculptural lugs. Watches that look more like miniature pieces of architecture than traditional wristwatches.

Vintage Patek Philippe was considerably more adventurous with shape than many collectors realize.

And for us, that's part of the fun.

There Was Never Just One Patek Philippe Look

The success and longevity of the Calatrava can sometimes create the impression that Patek's design philosophy has always revolved around the classic round dress watch.

It hasn't.

During the 20th century—particularly during the Art Deco period and the decades that followed—Patek Philippe produced an extraordinary variety of shaped wristwatches.

Some were rectangular and elegantly restrained. Others featured exaggerated cases and unusual lugs. Certain designs embraced the geometry and architecture of their era so completely that it's difficult to imagine them being produced today.

References such as the rectangular Ref. 425, often nicknamed the "Tegolino," the sculptural Ref. 1450 "Top Hat," and the extraordinary Ref. 1593, commonly known as the "Hour Glass," demonstrate just how broad the Patek design vocabulary once was.

These weren't novelties.

They were Patek Philippe's interpretation of contemporary design.

When Watches Became Architecture

The rise of the wristwatch coincided with enormous changes in architecture, industrial design, fashion and decorative arts.

Art Deco rejected much of the ornamentation that preceded it and embraced geometry, symmetry and strong architectural forms.

Watchmakers followed.

Cases became canvases.

Rectangles could be elongated. Case sides could be stepped. Lugs could become integral parts of the overall design rather than simply attachment points for a strap.

Look closely at some of Patek's shaped watches from this period and the architectural influence becomes obvious.

The watch wasn't merely a round dial placed inside a case.

The entire object was being designed.

The Top Hat

Few vintage Patek designs demonstrate this better than the Ref. 1450.

Collectors know it as the "Top Hat," and the nickname makes sense the moment you see one.

Its stepped rectangular case has a distinctly architectural quality. Viewed from different angles, the geometry changes. What might initially appear to be a relatively simple rectangular watch becomes considerably more complex.

It's elegant, but certainly not conservative.

That's an interesting combination—and one that appears frequently in vintage Patek.

The Hour Glass

The Ref. 1593 takes the idea even further.

Its dramatically curved case narrows through the center, creating the silhouette that gave the watch its "Hour Glass" nickname.

It is unmistakably a dress watch, yet there's nothing ordinary about it.

For collectors accustomed to thinking about Patek Philippe primarily through the Calatrava, Nautilus or Aquanaut, discovering watches like the 1593 can be a revelation.

Patek wasn't simply making restrained watches.

It was making interesting ones.

The Tegolino

Then there's the Ref. 425.

Its long rectangular case represents another expression of Patek's shaped-watch design.

Often called the "Tegolino"—a nickname derived from its resemblance to the shape of an Italian roof tile—the 425 feels particularly elegant on the wrist.

And this is where measurements can once again become misleading.

With shaped watches, diameter tells you almost nothing.

Case length, width, curvature and lug design determine how the watch actually wears. A rectangular vintage Patek can have considerably more wrist presence than its dimensions suggest.

It's another reason we encourage collectors not to evaluate vintage watches using modern measurements alone.

Shaped Watches Change the Conversation About Size

We've written before about the smaller proportions of vintage Patek Philippe watches.

Shaped watches make that conversation even more interesting.

A 30mm rectangular watch and a 30mm round watch are completely different objects.

The rectangular watch may extend farther across the wrist. Its dial may appear larger. Its case architecture may create substantially more visual presence.

This is one reason vintage watches really need to be experienced rather than judged from specifications.

How a watch wears matters considerably more than the number printed beside "case diameter."

Why Don't We See More Watches Like These Today?

Modern watchmaking operates in a very different market.

Round watches are familiar. They're easier for consumers to understand. They're also easier to size, photograph and compare.

Unusual shapes ask more of the buyer.

You need to try them.

You need to look at them from different angles.

Sometimes you need to spend a little time with them before the design makes sense.

That may actually be part of their appeal.

An Opportunity for Collectors

The dominance of round watches also creates an interesting opportunity.

Some remarkable shaped vintage Patek references remain less immediately recognizable than their round counterparts.

For collectors willing to move beyond the obvious, that opens an entirely different part of Patek Philippe's history.

You can discover watches with genuine design significance, remarkable casework and enormous personality.

And because fewer people recognize them immediately, they often possess exactly the kind of quiet individuality that makes vintage collecting interesting in the first place.

Look Beyond the Familiar

There is nothing wrong with starting a vintage Patek collection with a Calatrava.

There are good reasons it became an icon.

But don't stop there.

Look at the rectangles.

Look at the cushions.

Look at the strange lugs and stepped cases.

Look at watches that initially seem too small, too unusual or simply unlike the Patek Philippe you thought you knew.

Some of the most interesting watches Patek Philippe ever produced are hiding there.

And sometimes becoming a better collector simply means learning to look in a different direction.