Introducing the Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection

In October 2024, luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe unveiled a new collection called the Patek Philippe Cubitus. A perfect blend of boldness and elegance, the Cubitus was an addition to Patek’s highly acclaimed luxury sports watch lineup with other notable collections like the Nautilus and the Aquanaut.

The launch of the Patek Philippe Cubitus marked a pivotal moment for the luxury watch brand. It was Patek’s first watch collection in 25 years. The new release included two time and date models (one in stainless steel and the other with an eye-catching two-tone design) and a platinum model with technically advanced features.

With the Cubitus, Patek Philippe blends traditional horological craftsmanship with a fresh, contemporary aesthetic. In this post, we will deeply dive into the new Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection, exploring the unique features of each of these variants and the philosophy behind its design.

History of the Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection

Like many heritage luxury watch brands, Patek Philippe takes a measured approach to new releases. While the brand periodically releases new creations, they’re typically models within an existing collection. As for entirely new collections, Patek rarely puts those out.

The last time the watchmaker released an entirely new collection was the launch of the feminine Twenty~4 collection in 1999. For the luxury sports watch category, the last collection in that niche was the Aquanaut, which debuted in 1997. Before that, it was the Gondolo in 1993 and the Nautilus in 1976.

This means that the newly released Cubitus is the first Patek Philippe collection of the 21st century. Yet, this watch doesn’t stray too far from the older Patek Philippe watches, especially in the luxury sports watch category.

Philosophy of the Cubitus Collection

The Patek Cubitus is Patek Philippe’s new interpretation of what a sporty chic timepiece should look like. This new luxury sports watch category niche was created in the 1970s when stainless steel sports watches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek’s Nautilus reference 3700 were released. Today, Cubitus remains the flagbearer of this popular niche in the luxury watch industry.

Anyone familiar with Patek’s luxury sports watch category can tell that there’s an undeniable connection between Cubitus and Nautilus collections, and it goes beyond the rhyming of their names.

By examining both watches side by side, you can spot some obvious similarities between them, such as the famous hinges of the Nautilus, the two-part case construction that Patek debuted with the Nautilus 3700 in 1976, and the shape of the lugs. The embossed dial pattern and even the design of the bracelet are obvious similarities between both watches. And the similarities are not a coincidence. According to Patek’s president, Henry Stern, the goal was to create a watch that aligned with the DNA of the Nautilus and Aquanaut collections.

Patek Philippe Cubitus feels like a Nautilus with all its curves replaced by straight lines, giving the watch a striking and unique appearance. The angular and sharper design of the Cubitus also brings it closer to many other watches in the luxury sports watch category, known for their strong geometric design.

As for the decision to adopt a Square shape for the new watch, Stern admits that he has always wanted a square watch, but there was always something off about the existing square-shaped watches in the market. The Cubitus is unique because it adopts a square shape but has a significantly slimmer profile that allows it to sit comfortably on the wrist.

Models in the Patek Philippe Cubitus Collection

Patek announced three models when the Cubitus collection was unveiled. Two of these are simple time/date models with full stainless steel and two-toned casing. The third is a more complex platinum model with a big date function and a moon-phase complication. Here’s a brief overview of these three models:

• Ref. 5812/1A-001: This stainless steel time-and-date model has a vibrant olive green dial, a date display, and an integrated bracelet. The retail price for this model at the time of its release was $41,240/
• Ref. 5812/1AR-001: The Ref. 5812/1AR-001 is the two-tone version of this watch made from the combination of stainless steel and rose gold, complete with a blue sunburst dial. It is sold for $61,280 in the retail market.
• Ref. 5822P-001: This third version is the most technical of all three models. It is also the only one with a precious metal (platinum casing). The platinum watch has a deep blue sunburst dial with baguette-cut diamonds in the bezel. This model has three complications: a grand date display, a day display, and a moon phase indicator.

Features

All three models of this Patek Philippe watch come in a distinct square case with an ultra-thin profile and sporty aesthetics. This section highlights the unique features of the Patek Philippe Cubitus watches.

Slim square-shaped case

The Patek Philippe Cubitus is often described as a square-shaped watch. However, the shape is more accurately described as quadrangular, formed by combining a square and octagonal shape (a square with rounded corners). The diameter of this watch is 45mm, which gives it significant wrist presence, especially since it isn’t a round watch. However, Patek has ensured that the Cubitus is as comfortable as possible. The time and date versions are only 8.3 millimeters thick, while the platinum model with complications has a thickness of 9.6 millimeters.

Finishing

The cases of all three Cubitus models are characterized by a classic Patek finish. This comes in the form of a vertical satin finish on the bezel, top case, and side links of the bracelet, while the bezel chamfer, case side, and middle links have a polished finish. This unique finish creates a contrasting appearance from the top to the sides of the watch.

Movement

The Cubitus 5821 watches are powered by the calibre 26-330 S C movement. This is an entirely new Patek movement based on the 26-330 introduced in 2019 for the Nautilus collection. The base movement is the same one used for the Nautilus 5811. The new movement has a stop-second feature, a neat trick that makes it possible to control the second hand, setting the time down to the second. Other features of the movement include the Gyromax balance and Spiromax hairspring.

The Ref. 5822P is powered by a different movement. For this watch, Pated developed a new version of the Calibre 240, a popular Patek movement created in 1977. The new movement has several modifications, including six new features that have debuted for this watch. The complications in this Patek Philippe watch include a grand date display (a big date with two separate windows), a day-of-the-week display, and a moon phase indicator. All of these features are designed to jump instantaneously at the same time when the date changes at midnight.

Dial

As far as dial design goes, the full-steel Cubitus 5821A has a more classic design compared to the other three. The olive green sunburst dial is similar to the last Nautilus watch, the reference 5711/1A-014. It has white gold hour markers and features prominent horizontal relief embossing, considered a signature feature of the Nautilus. The hands of the Patek Cubitus also have the same shape as the Nautilus. All the features on the dial are covered in luminescent coating, so they glow in the dark.

The dial of the 5822P is a lot busier than that of the others. It comes in a deep navy blue tone similar to that of the Nautilus Ref 5811G and has a similar layout as the Nautilus 5712 (which also happens to have a moon phase, power reserve indicator, and date function). The week-day indicator for the Cubitus surrounds the moon phase dial, and the grand date display is represented by two big windows just under the 12 o’clock position.

Bracelet

Like its predecessor in the Patek luxury sports watch niche, the Cubitus has an integrated bracelet with a soft, flexible construction. They’re also nicely finished, featuring a vertical satin-brush finish on the side links and polished central links.

Another important feature of the stainless steel bracelet is the comfort extension. This lockable size adjustment system makes it possible to enlarge the bracelet slightly for comfort in warmer weather. It also features Patek’s patented fold-over clasp, which helps keep the bracelet both secure and comfortable.

Unlike the other two, the platinum model does not have a metallic bracelet. Instead, it is paired with a casual strap made from composite material. The strap is the same color as the dial and has contrasting cream stitching.

Conclusion

After 25 years of waiting for a new Patek Philippe, fans have been treated to a brand new collection that doesn’t deviate too far from the true DNA of the other Patek sports watches. The Cubitus is a unique timepiece, and the unusual design has already triggered contrasting views. Time will tell whether this timepiece will be able to consolidate its place in Patek’s catalog.