Patek Philippe Twenty~4; Evolution Through Revolution
In our previous article, we already reflected on the history of the Patek Philippe Twenty~4. This ladies watch was launched in 1999 and quickly became one of the most prominent ladies watches in the market’s top segment. Patek Philippe had nurtured the collection by letting it slowly evolve, until 2018 when a revolution replaced evolution.
With Ref.7300, the Twenty~4 collection was expanded with a new model, housing the first automatic movement for this range. Calling it round would not do it justice, as Patek Philippe opted for a very complex case shape. While the diamond-set bezel gives the impression that it is round, does it flare out at the top and bottom, towards the integrated bracelet. This gives it, in fact, more of a tonneau shape. The bracelet resemblance that of the rectangle Twenty~4, preserving the family-DNA. Patek Philippe is offering the Ref.7300 in either stainless steel or rose gold. The dials not only feature a central seconds hand but a date window at six o’clock as well. They have bold Arabic numerals to match the hands, placed against a sunburst dial in either gray, blue, or brown. The rose gold model is also available with a silver-colored dial that has a linen-like texture.
This new generation of the Twenty~4 is powered by caliber 324 S C. This beautifully finished movement has a prominent gold rotor made from 21k gold and is fitted with a Gyromax balance and Spiromax balance sping for optimum precision. The movement can be admired through the sapphire caseback of the Twenty~4. With a diameter of 36mm is the watch perfectly proportioned and can even in the rose gold version, be worn with a casual or a more formal outfit. By applying a revolution in design, Patek Philippe is expanding the reach of the Twenty~4 collection to appeal to women who prefer a slightly more traditional-looking watch with a mechanical movement, without sacrificing the model’s powerful DNA.
The new, round models did not mean that the original rectangle Twenty~4 was gone and forgotten. This year Patek Philippe launched two new models, showing that the original design from 1999 is still very strong. Slightly bolder hands, Arabic numerals, and luminous hour markers replacing the diamonds on the dial give this Twenty~4 a contemporary touch and make you forget that the model has already celebrated its 20th anniversary. With the current collection, Patek Philippe has shown that the Twenty~4 can effortlessly age the next two decades without looking any older.
