Once upon a time, the name Patek Philippe was synonymous with the Calatrava, complications, old money, class, and elegance, among other things. These are aspects that still form the core of what Patek Philippe is today, but we do also live in a rapidly changing world. The brand has been immensely keen to appeal itself to younger clientele in recent years, by diversifying from what it did and still do best, dress watches, and into sportier pieces with increasingly bolder design. We’ve seen numerous variations of the Nautilus and Aquanaut arise of late, catalysed by the skyrocketed demand for sports watches, as well as pilot’s watches and casual Calatravas. Perhaps history is repeating itself, for it wasn’t too long ago that the original Nautilus was inducted into the halls of a brand that – outside of the World Wars – had then only ever made classical pieces.

Two months ago, Patek Philippe furthered its eternal goal of staying relevant no matter the era, by introducing an all-new collection that it hopes will secure the hearts of the next generation: the sporty-elegant Cubitus. The official announcement came on the back of clues and teasers that culminated in a leak a week before the release. Truly, it’s been a long time since the presentation of a new Patek collection, the last ones being the Twenty-4, 25 years ago, and the Aquanaut, 27 years ago. Unsurprisingly, emotions were high and opinions were divided when the curtains were raised. This is Patek Philippe after all and everyone’s got different expectations of the brand that’s long been considered the industry gold standard. Of the three references that were introduced, one stood out as the piece that is obviously going to be the most in-demand. Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the new Cubitus Ref. 5821/1A in stainless steel with green dial.

The Case, Dial and Hands

By far the biggest highlight of the new Cubitus is its case. Patek Philippe introduces yet another shaped watch, joining other non-round timepieces in the catalogue like the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Ellipse, Gondolo and Twenty-4 (some of it anyway). The case of the Cubitus, simply put, is a square with the vertices clipped off. It’s technically an octagon based on the number sides, but really, it is much closer to a square. In a vacuum, it’s a pleasant looking case. The shape and proportions are perfect. The squarish case looks more elegant than that of the Nautilus and, importantly, avoids looking like an antiquated TV set. Finishing on the case surface alternates between brushed and polished. It’s nothing groundbreaking but it is devastatingly effective as the brushed and polished surfaces accentuate one another. This extends to the bracelet where it is brushed with only the centre links and bevels polished. Patek Philippe takes the design, construction and finishing of its cases and bracelets very seriously and the Cubitus is further evidence of this notion.