You might be familiar with the famous slogan “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” The watch behind that ad campaign is the Calatrava.
Among timepiece aficionados, no brand confers greater status than Patek Philippe. The maker’s headline watches can seem beyond reach, existing in a dream world of perpetual calendar chronographs, minute repeaters and grand complications. But if you look beyond the rare limited editions and the record-breaking auction pieces, there are some vintage Patek Philippe models on the market at tantalizingly attainable price points.
Patek watches made as far back as the 1930s can be found in pristine condition and good working order. That’s because the firm’s pieces are so well made, and have been for more than a century. Among those vintage Pateks, perhaps the most coveted is the Calatrava 3919.
The Calatrava collection launched in 1932 and has remained in the catalogue ever since. It has endured because of its timeless design, an aesthetic epitomized by the reference 3919. That iconic Calatrava model is immediately recognizable by the Clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the gold bezel framing its elegant time-only dial, with a discreet seconds subdial at six o’clock. It has come to represent the quintessential entry-level Patek Philippe.
“The Calatrava was one of the first Pateks ever made that actually had a collection name attached to it,” says Joe DeMesy, president of DeMesy Fine Watches & Jewelry, in Dallas, who is offering this watch on 1stDibs. (He sold a nearly identical Calatrava 3919 on the site earlier this week.) “It’s the watch they used for decades in the brand’s famous advertising campaign that emphasizes its watches as heirlooms. It was a testament to the quality, reliability and classic design of Patek Philippe, and an assurance that it would be there for the long haul, for generations.”
The 3919 was produced from 1985 to 2006 and so featured heavily in the ad campaign, which debuted in 1996. In addition to the distinctive bezel and clean design, the model is characterized by a lean profile and a very wearable diameter. The example here is 33mm wide. It thus hits the mark at a time when slim, gold dress watches are once again in style for both men and women.
“It’s a classic men’s dress watch, and men are going back to that,” says DeMesy. “But because of the size, more women are looking at these vintage Calatravas, because they add a huge wearability factor to a brand that carries a lot of prestige.”
