Patek Philippe Calatrava

First presented in 1932 with the Reference 96, the Patek Philippe Calatrava is the benchmark for classic men’s dress watches. The groundbreaking reference set the stage for nearly every piece Patek has released since, and became the blueprint for other brands’ approaches to classy men’s timepieces. Heavily influenced by the Bauhaus design philosophy, the Calatrava was then considered extremely modern with its minimalist, ‘less is more’ approach to watch design. The  Ref. 96 was also one of the first pieces the brand released after the Stern family purchased a majority share in Patek Philippe in the early 1930s. In many respects, it's emblematic of the Stern family’s contributions to Patek: The 96 was one of the earliest round watches Patek ever made, and was also the very first serially-produced piece to receive its own reference. In the years since 1932, Patek has released dozens of Calatrava references, each with its own idiosyncrasies. Almost all share the underlying DNA of the 96, prioritizing subtle elegance above all else. This particular Calatrava, a Reference 3893 dating to the late 1980s, is emblematic of the model's pared-back aesthetics and classic silhouette: Measuring 33mm in 18K yellow gold and featuring short lugs, a sapphire crystal, and a signed crown, it boasts a white dial with an outer 'railroad' minute track, 'baton' indices, a small sub-seconds indicator above 6 o'clock, and a thin baton handset. Powered by the hand-wound Patek Philippe Calibre 215 movement, it comes paired to a brown leather strap with a yellow gold pin buckle.  Accompanied by its folio as well as a Certificate of Origin dating to April of 1989, this elegant Calatrava — dating to roughly the era in which Patek gave it dress watch collection the 'Calatrava' moniker — looks as classic and timeless today as it did when it was born. Perfect for either a man or woman, it's poised to project that same sense of elegance decades into the future.