The Cubitus is without question the hottest watch debut of the year, hinted at by Stern more than a year ago (All photos: Patek Philippe)
After weeks of speculation that Patek Philippe will be launching a new collection after 25 years, thanks to an ad which debuted ahead of the embargo in a magazine (much to the watchmaker’s dismay), it is time to deal squarely with the facts: The maison has introduced an elegant sports line called the Cubitus, or some say, the geometric sibling to the iconic and long-time bestseller Nautilus.
Collectors have been eagerly awaiting a replacement of the celebrated stainless steel blue Nautilus 5711, ever since it was discontinued three years ago (there were, of course, the Olive Green and Tiffany editions that helped tide fans over). If you’ve been following the brand closely for the past decade, you’d know that most of its unprecedented models, such as the aviator Pilot pieces, draw from an existing catalogue. To borrow the words of Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern, “one does not always need to reinvent everything from zero”.
A quick lowdown: The Cubitus collection comprises three variations, two with time/date and one with a complex big date movement. These summarise a new interpretation of a very well-known category — integrated luxury sports watch — that the brand has mastered since the introduction of the Nautilus in 1976 with the reference 3700.
Judging just by the official pictures, the reference 5821A (A here stands for acier, or steel in English) looks to be the most in-demand model. The case is 45mm in diameter, which obviously takes up more wrist estate than the Nautilus or Aquanut. But here’s the kicker: It is only 8.3mm thick. The dial is olive green and horizontally ribbed with a sunburst finish; while the baton-shaped hour marker, just like the hands, are covered in white luminescent coating.
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Powering the 5821A is the in-house 26-330 S C calibre (S C stands for Seconde Central), first introduced around 2019 in the Nautilus collection and is now only available in the 5811G. Consisting of 212 components, one of which is a 22-carat gold rotor that sports the same horizontal motif as the dial, the 4 Hz calibre beats at 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour. Once again, the Geneva watchmaker slips an easter egg into this derivation of the movement — a stop-seconds feature. What this means is, you can pull the crown and set the time down to the second.
The power reserve, with a maximum of 45 hours, still falls on the short side but the Cubitus makes up for it in other aspects, like a sleek integrated bracelet (contrary to the rumoured interchangeable option) and water resistance to 30m.
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A deep blue dial, referenced 5821/1AR, is also available and it comes in a two-tone steel and rose-gold case and bracelet. In this case, the bezel, crown and central bracelet links are solid gold.
To up the ante, Patek Philippe has also released a more complicated and luxurious platinum iteration of the Cubitus, the Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases Reference 5822P, worn on a blue composite strap with fabric pattern and constrasting creams stitching. You would not be wrong to compare the similarities found on the 5712 Nautilus, with its off-centered moon phase/day display at seven o’clock and running seconds at five. The grand date, as if making a visual statement, is parked at 12 o’clock.
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It’s worth noting that the new calibre 240 PS CI J LU fueling the 5822P has no less than six patents to its name. It revolves predominantly around energy management for the grand date, which, according to horologers, is an under-appreciated technical feat in the world of watchmaking. In simpler terms, an instantaneous jump mechanism has been developed — not only for the grand date but for the day and moon-phase indications — so all of them “jump” simultaneously in 18 milliseconds at midnight, using the energy accumulated throughout the day.
Other details you should also know: The case of the 5822P (P for platinum) remains 45mm and the thickness is 9.6mm. Flipping the watch reveals the classic demeanour of the 240 base calibre, with its refined finishes and a micro-rotor in solid gold with the same horizontal decoration as the dial. The movement is regulated within a range of -1/+2 seconds/day, according to the new criteria of the manufacture since spring 2024.
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Although the maison claims that the new collection is aimed at bringing in a fresh crop of younger clientele, we all know that it will be a long time for anyone to get their hands on any of the pieces unless you are part of Patek’s inner circle.
We’ll be discussing more about the Cubitus soon. Stay tuned for updates as well as reactions from the industry.
The steel Patek Philippe Cubitus 5821/1A will be priced at CHF 35,000 or EUR 40,575 and the steel-and-gold Cubitus 5821/1AR at CHF 52,000 or EUR 60,257. Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date 5822P starts from CHF 75,000 or EUR 86,908. For more details, visit patek.com.
