Calatrava

Many collections tend to overlook, or take for granted, the simple time only watch, but one cannot really understand Patek Philippe without appreciating the variety and interest that Patek is able to coax from a two or three handed timepiece. 

The Calatrava range, which began with the reference 96 is highly important to the history of the brand, as it represents the start of the Stern era.  The family (formerly dial makers supplying Patek among others) rescued the brand from financial collapse and instituted the custom of assigning reference numbers to models.  This was the time at which the brand began its march to greatness under the technical directorship of Jean Pfister. 

As well as having been able to assemble a collection of some truly beautiful examples of the simple Calatrava from the earliest years, the Oak Collection is fortunate enough to have been able to commission unique Calatrava pieces from Patek Philippe. The range of Calatrava the Oak collection displays, pays tribute to the aesthetic versatility that is possible while still respecting the most classic form of the personal timekeeper: there are examples in steel and steel and gold as well as the more conventional yellow gold.  Of particular interest is the range of Ref 570, this model was kept in production from the late 1930s until the early 1970s and the Oak collection boasts examples from all important periods of this model and includes the Ref 570J owned by Andy Warhol, which is given additional importance by the signature of the Roman retailer Hausmann and Co on the dial: thus this watch with its double signed dial links the world’s greatest watchmaker with the world’s most famous pop artist and one of the world’s most historically important retailers.