The Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524G is the watch no one expected in Baselworld 2015. Radically different in design to what we have come to expect from the de facto king of Swiss watches, this release signalled a shift in focus to younger consumers.
While you might be wondering what business Patek Philippe might have in producing pilots watches, they actually produced some in the 1930s and today they sit in the PP museum in Geneva. Even I didn’t know this until further reading!
Powered by the self- winding Caliber CH 324 S C FUS, the 5524G is a travel time watch and has the same calibre found in the 5990 Nautilus and 5164 Aquanaut. On the left of the case, there are two pushers which allow the user to set the hour hand independently. They have patented screw down ridges to prevent accidentally setting the time. There are two-hour hands on the dial, one skeletonised that represents the home time when travelling and can sit hidden beneath the main hour hand when it is not needed. Two apertures sit in the middle of the dial that acts as a day/night indicator for both local and home time and there is a date subdial at 6 o’clock. The dial is a beautiful dark textured blue and there are large pilot style applied Arabic numerals with white gold surrounds.
The 42mm white gold case sits quite flat on the wrist with its relatively thin 11mm case profile and it comes equipped with a brown calfskin strap and white gold tang buckle. I have always said that a GMT function is the most useful complication for modern times and this takes it a step further with the easy setting of the hour hand. The Patek Philippe 5524G is the perfect travel companion.
