New release: The Cubitus watch from Patek Philippe is the brand’s first new collection in 25 years

Since the latest leaks on October 13th surrounding the launch of a new series from Patek Philippe, the collective watch community has been buzzing with gossip, speculation and rumors about a new sports watch with an integrated bracelet – the Cubitus. Now the Patek Philippe Cubitus watch collection is finally here, and with it will undoubtedly come even more heated debate. The first all-new Patek Philippe collection in a quarter of a century will almost certainly cause controversy among enthusiasts, but the Cubitus line seems particularly apt to divide opinion and stimulate debate. With that in mind, let’s dive straight into Patek’s new second integrated sports watch line, including the Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 5822P-001, Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1AR-001 and Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 5821/1A-001.

There are certainly cynical (and popular) views about the style and positioning of the new Patek Philippe Cubitus line. Since the discontinuation of the highly desirable Nautilus Ref. 5711 in 2021, there was no longer a pure time model made of stainless steel for the Nautilus, which was popular with fans, but only precious metal models and complicated models. With no replacement in sight, the brand’s strategy seems to be to push the Nautilus even higher, but that leaves a big gap in the entry-level model (if any Patek Philippe sports watch can truly be called an entry-level model, then) . Is).

Enter the Cubitus line – a new series with more than a passing resemblance to the Nautilus, but with more aggressive, modern, “youth-oriented” styling, a lower starting price (not to say “low”) and – crucially – a complete Three-handed sword made of stainless steel. If this sounds a little familiar to long-time enthusiasts, it should be: on paper, it’s a very similar strategy to when the Patek Philippe Aquanaut was first introduced in 1996. Still, there’s an important difference. At the time of the Aquanaut’s introduction, there was still a readily available steel Nautilus that buyers could choose in place of the new offering.

2024 is a very different luxury watch landscape than the mid-90s, and thanks to these changes (and the lack of a stainless steel Nautilus base), the Cubitus may seem a little more like another major luxury launch from 1996: the Porsche Boxster. Despite being light, sporty and mid-engined, the early versions of the Boxster were never able to escape the shadow of its larger, more expensive and more iconic sibling, the Porsche 911. There was always a feeling among critics that the Boxster was a car built to a very specific price, that it was never allowed to be as nice as it could be, and that anyone who drove one did so because he couldn’t afford (or assign) a 911. That’s not necessarily the truth behind the Cubitus, but it is a hurdle in public perception that Patek Philippe will likely have to overcome.

As for the watches themselves, there are initially three Patek Philippe Cubitus references that are sure to divide opinions. All three have the same 45mm wide case architecture, which at first glance almost looks like a low-poly version of the classic Nautilus. Instead of the gentle, sweeping curve of the Nautilus’ iconic porthole bezel, the Cubitus’ bezel is instead a beveled square. Long, straight edges are punctuated by gently curved corners, creating a harder, more faceted mix of brushed surfaces and slanted polished sides that still immediately feels like Patek Philippe in pictures. Likewise, the side “ears” or hinges of the Nautilus case are reinvented here, with a wider, sharper appearance that still incorporates the classic rounded case side profile and polished inserts. While the design itself is subjective, one could argue that the near-perfect proportions of the Nautilus are lost on the Cubitus, with its slightly overly thick bezel, wide hinges, and short, short lugs.

Interestingly, the area around the integrated, beveled tabs is almost unchanged from the Nautilus design (more on that later). Figures and official images suggest that the Cubitus will be both wide laterally and extremely slim – the overall thickness for the three-hand variants is just 8.3mm, while the height increases for the day/date and moon phase-equipped reference. 5822P-001 is minimal for a total thickness of 9.6mm. Not Octo Finissimo, but it’s still thin. From here, each model is slightly different. The reference made entirely of stainless steel. 5821/1A-001 offers the design in pictures in its purest form, while the Ref. The Ref. 5821/1AR-001 increases the visual volume thanks to a case silhouette made almost entirely of gold from above. Expect the first class referee. 5822P-001 shines extremely brightly on the wrist thanks to its platinum construction. All three models feature a sapphire crystal case back and, despite their sporty positioning, are designed to be water resistant to 30 meters – a recognition of Patek Philippe’s recent standardization of this rating.

Like the cases, the dials of the new Patek Philippe Cubitus watch collection should look more than familiar to experienced enthusiasts. Each model uses the same combination of paddle hands, sunburst finish, and horizontal “deck plank” or “garage door” dial texture that we’ve come to know and love on the Nautilus, but there are a few minor tweaks here. What’s most noticeable is that the applied hour indices in the first images are wider and more prominent and have a more angular shape that matches the angular case design. Each model offers a slightly different interpretation of the theme: The Reference. 5821/1A-001 combines its stainless steel case with the same much-hyped sunburst olive green color that also adorned the Ref. 5821/1A-001. 5711 Nautilus a few years ago, while the traditional deep, oceanic blues on the reference. 5821/1AR-001 goes perfectly with the warm rose gold dial elements. The more complicated reference. The reference 5822P-001 features an intriguing asymmetrical dial layout with a large dual-aperture date window at 12 o’clock, a combined hand day and moon phase subdial at 7 o’clock and a small azure seconds subdial at 4:30 o’clock. Not only are these subdials recessed to the bottom of the dial, but they also mesh with the otherwise large and prominent hour markers – a bold choice to say the least for the most expensive model in the collection.

Both three-hand variants of the Patek Philippe Cubitus are powered by the brand’s own automatic movement 26-330 SC with date indication. Already seen in the Nautilus, Aquanaut and Calatrava model lines, the Caliber 26-330 SC offers surprisingly antiquated performance, including a power reserve of 35 to 45 hours and a beat frequency of 28,800 bph. The 26-330 SC is crafted to the same impeccable standard we’ve come to expect from Patek Philippe in pictures, with an intricately engraved 21-karat gold rotor with perlage, polished angle, the brand’s engraved Calatrava cross, sunburst finish and a matching recessed horizontal line structure the dial. From then on additional Geneva coast About the bridges, perlage on the main plate, polished sinks and angles complete the picture.

However, it is the movement inside the Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 5822P-001 that really steals the show. The new in-house 240 HP CI J LU movement in this watch features no less than six new patents related to power regulation and synchronized instant jump for its complications. Despite being a simple calendar as opposed to an annual or perpetual calendar, it is still a truly impressive piece of watchmaking, with the same great range of finishes as its three-hand counterparts and an attractive micro-rotor winding system. The power reserve of the 240 hp CI J LU is between 38 and 48 hours at a beat frequency of 21,600 bph.

Of course, every new integrated watch design depends on the bracelet, and the Patek Philippe Cubitus is no exception. What’s fascinating, however, is that the three-hand Cubitus models use a bracelet that is visually more or less identical to the classic Nautilus bracelet in the pictures – making this square case more like an optical illusion or a late addition and less coherent new design appears. While the case and dial certainly share a similar silhouette to the older, more famous model, the changes here to the integrated bracelet are negligible, if any. This is the same familiar rounded H-link bracelet with polished center links that has characterized the Nautilus since 1976, here placed next to a much sharper, more angular case. This is where the extremely Nautilus-like integrated lugs start to make more sense and can be combined naturally with this well-known bracelet. That’s not to say that an interpretation of the Nautlius design wouldn’t fit in naturally here, but perhaps more angular center links to match the bezel would give the Cubitus a more cohesive, clean character. The effect is obviously much less pronounced with the reference. 5822P-001, which uses a navy blue textured fabric folding bracelet with white stitching instead of a platinum bracelet.

The launch of Patek Philippe’s Cubitus line has understandably attracted a lot of attention, and given its full unveiling to the public, it’s unlikely that the discussion surrounding the brand’s first all-new product line in 25 years will die down or cool down in the near future. On paper, this watch – particularly the stainless steel model – is a checklist of everything hype-driven collectors might have been looking for at the height of Patek mania in 2022 (when this concept was undoubtedly conceived). This would have been a new, instantly recognizable, no doubt hard-to-achieve stainless steel Patek Philippe integrated sports watch with a beautifully crafted in-house automatic movement and the coveted green dial. In reality, however, only time will tell how the enthusiast community and market as a whole will react to the Cubitus line. One way or another, it’s hard to deny that this is a historical release. The Patek Philippe Cubitus collection will be available at authorized retailers from October 18, 2024. The Patek Philippe Cubitus watch is priced as follows: The steel watch is 5821/1A-001 $41,243the steel-gold 5821/1AR-001 costs $61,275and the platinum 5822P-001 retails $88,378 at the time of printing. For more information, visit the brand’s website.