Patek Philippe chose the fashion capital of Milan, Italy, to unveil its new Twenty-4 Automatic, a round evolution of its flagship Twenty-4 that launched 19 years ago. Its unusual name reflects the fact that it was a perfect companion for any time of day or night.
The Twenty~4 has been one of Patek Philippe’s best-selling collections since its release 19 years ago, but no one in serious watchmaking circles ever talks about it, because it is quartz. But in this new age, Thierry Stern, the brand’s president, felt it was time for a mechanical update of the popular design.
“Today it is time to evolve,” Stern said at the unveiling on Wednesday night in a glass pavilion built in the courtyard of its Milan office. “We decided women should also have their own watches. Not gimmicks, not something that looks like a man’s watch. I needed to adapt the movement, I needed to adapt the size.”.
With a totally new round case measuring 36 mm in diameter, the beveled, diamond-set bezel echoes the profile of the central bracelet links at 12 and 6 o’clock, emphasizing the harmony of the overall design. The new model is powered by Patek’s reliable caliber 324 S C automatic winding movement with a Spiromax balance spring in Silinvar. The movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.
The new Patek Philippe Twenty-4 Automatic is available in five versions, all fitted with a 36 mm case and a diamond-set bezel. There are two stainless steel models and three 18K rose gold ones. The reference 7300/1201R-001 is for ladies who prefer a ‘dressier’ watch lavishly adorned with 469 diamonds for a total of about 1.88 carats, where diamonds go beyond the bezel to the crown, the lugs, and the outer links of the bracelet. The version in stainless steel comes in two dial colors, one sunburst blue as ref. 7300/1200A-001 and the other in sunburst gray, delicately gradated from the center as ref. 7300/1200A-010. Prices range from US$26,083 to US$56,702.