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Patek Philippe Masterpiece

The Calatrava Travel Time is a complicated wristwatch by Patek Philippe that combines two venerable traditions of the last independent Geneva watch manufacturer. It unites the classic form of the Calatrava line with the complication of a movement that simultaneously indicates the time in two different zones.

With its two superimposed hour hands, the Calatrava Travel Time displays the time in two different time zones at a single glance.

It thus ranks among the particularly convenient complications which serve a useful purpose in everyday life. For decades, Patek Philippe has been crafting wristwatches that simultaneously display the time in different zones and today, its famous World Time watches built from 1930 to 1960 fetch record prices at auctions.

As a dual-time-zone watch, the new Calatrava Travel Time offers a uniquely practical benefit. In our era, travel across all 24 time zones has become commonplace, particularly for people involved in global business. For them, the Calatrava Travel Time is an ideal watch. It instantly informs them not only of the local time at their current location but also lets them keep track of the time at home.

Calatrava
The case of the Calatrava Travel Time conceals the manually wound calibre 215 PS FUS, a mechanical masterpiece composed of 178 individual parts, each one meticulously finished by hand. All movement edges are bevelled and each individual tooth of every single gear is hand-polished in an additional process using a rotating hardwood disk.

This degree of perfection is not an end in itself. Polishing reduces friction at the tooth contact surfaces, thus contributing significantly to the timekeeping precision and longevity for which Patek Philippe watches have a legendary reputation. Because of the painstaking processes and work-intensive steps needed to test timekeeping accuracy, it takes months to complete each movement. The result is a flawless marvel of precision engineering worthy of the prestigious Geneva Seal embossed on its bridge, the highest official hallmark of quality awarded to mechanical timepieces.

A movement of rare excellence deserves a similarly unique exterior: a precious case crafted from 18K yellow, rose, or white gold reflecting the classic Calatrava design. The Calatrava line dates back to 1932 when Patek Philippe created the Ref. 96, a round watch in a compellingly modern style. Given the simplicity and perfection of its design, the Calatrava soon became an icon of the classic art of watchmaking.

As the first model in the line, the Ref. 96 inspired the exquisitely aesthetic styling of all subsequent models. The clarity of its lines was perpetuated throughout several collections and today is still considered archetypal. Calatrava, incidentally, is the name of a Spanish Order of Knighthood established in 1158. Its emblem - the Calatrava Cross - was adopted by Patek Philippe as the company's brand logo.

The current Calatrava shape with the larger case diameter of 37 mm and wide, mirror-polished bezel was launched a year ago and instantly became a success. The Calatrava Travel Time has two elongated buttons on the left side of the caseband, allowing local time to be advanced or set backwards, depending on whether the owner travels east or west. The wedge form of these buttons and the extended ridges that protect the crown on the opposite side accent the irresistible symmetry of the case. To expose the equally aesthetic appeal of the exquisitely decorated movement, a sapphire crystal caseback reveals the Gyromax balance and the beautiful Côtes de Genève decoration of the bridge. The watch is on a crocodile strap with a folding clasp made of 18K yellow, rose, or white gold.

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