Patek Philippe’s Calatrava watch gets a speedy new design

Traditionally, the Calatrava line has been one of Patek Philippe’s more classically designed collections. Its elegant, clean dials — paired with gold or platinum cases — are the picture of refinement.

But this year’s three new Calatrava 6007G references put the pedal to the (white gold) metal with their racy design: textured black dials and straps, accented with vivid colors.

They’re an update to the bold Calatrava introduced in 2020 to celebrate the completion of the brand’s new production facility in Geneva.

Those 6007A-001 limited-edition watches had cases crafted of steel (a metal not available in the permanent line) and woven-textured, gray-blue dials, novel design twists that created astronomically high demand among aficionados.

This year’s Calatrava 6007s have cases crafted in white gold, a metal more in line with a traditional Calatrava, but feature the same sporty design accents as the original, with some additions.

The new models have black dials and straps, a departure from their predecessor’s blue-gray. The center of the dial has the same woven texture, but this time ebony in color — evoking the look of carbon fiber, a material more often found in airplanes and race cars than in watches. The carbon-fiber texture extends to the watch’s strap, which is embossed to match the dial.

Bold accent colors, available in either red, yellow, or sky blue, give this new watch a decidedly sporty flair, and an additional nod to auto racing. The hues appear on each watch’s triangular dial counters and sweep seconds hands. Colored topstitching on the black strap and a matching-colored lining complete the 6007G’s jaunty style, which pairs well with everything from business suits to weekend warrior athleisure.

But it’s what’s under the hood that truly impresses. The mechanical “engine” that powers the new Calatrava boasts exceptional performance and reliability.

The 40 mm timepiece is fitted with Patek Philippe’s Caliber 26-330 S C movement, visible through the watch’s sapphire caseback. It’s self-winding, with a minimum of 35 hours of power reserve and 212 individual parts.

So does this new addition mean more sporty styles might be forthcoming from Patek Philippe? The privately owned brand doesn’t divulge its plans for the future, so only time will tell.