Patek Philippe introduced the second version of its Calatrava Pilot Travel Time model Ref.5524 this time with the option of 18K pink gold case.
Patek Philippe and Pilot words seem to be not very harmoniously side by side, but the brand’s efforts in this watch type are actually started years ago. Being one of the very few watchmakers that produced military purpose pilot watches during World War II, no one expected a new Pilot’s Watch from Patek Philippe in 2015 designed with the same theme. It is not hard to imagine the excitement emerged by the new Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time in the watch industry, as issuing a brand-new model is quite a rare approach for the brands with such a large and well-established heritage.
Patek Philippe continues to amaze us with the 42mm x 10.78mm case dimensions. Obviously, we could not expect a 38mm diameter case from a model bearing the word Pilot in its name, but the new model is moving forward with sure steps towards sports watch in from a dress watch. The brown color opted to match with the 18K pink gold case is a spot on. It is a joy of its own to watch the reflections that are formed on the dial which goes slightly darker from center to the edges.
The waterproofness of the model with sapphire crystal on the front and back faces is unexpectedly high for a Patek Philippe. If we leave the models with sporty characters like Nautilus and Aquanaut aside, the 60-meter water resistance is not a substantial rating at all.
The model is powered by the in-house automatic Caliber 324 S C FUS. The movement that can be called a miniature work of art measures 31mm x 4.9mm. 29 jewels movement beats at 4Hz (28.800vph) and offers a power reserve time ranging from 35 to 45 hours. All you need is a well-lit table and a loop to see the tremendous workmanship on the main plate, bridges, and wheels of the 294-piece movement. Of course, accompanied with a glass of Chivas Regal and your favorite classic playing in the background.
The time zone indicator can be controlled separately for the local and desired region. At 6 o’clock, there is a big date display. I cannot stop wondering if it could be a simpler date display instead of a Mono-Compax-like dial layout, but then I got free of these thoughts with the splendor of the brand and keep enjoying the movement.
The calf strap and the standard pin buckle offered with the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, which contrast with the classic Patek Philippe style, tribute to the model’s history. Patek Philippe Ref. 5524R has a cousin with a 37.5mm diameter case –Ref. 7234R. Designed mostly the women users in mind, Ref. 7234R’s technical specs are the same with the Ref. 5524R except the diameter.
