Baselworld 2018: Celebrating 50 Years of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse

Perfect Proportions: The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse

While the Patek Calatrava is the manufacture’s oldest collection still in production, the Golden Ellipse, also known as just the Ellipse, is the second oldest. First presented in 1968, the classic watch takes inspiration from the golden ratio formula popular in art and architecture.

As its name suggests, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watch sports an elliptical case–a design that transcends fleeting trends. While Patek has offered white gold and leather Ellipse watches, full yellow gold Ellipse watches, and classic yellow gold and blue dial Ellipse watches, the watch is instantly recognizable thanks to its slim case that is a cross between a circle and rectangle.

Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/50P-001

The first of the two 50th anniversary Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watches is the Ref. 5738/50P-001 G in platinum. This special timepiece illustrates Patek’s commitment to preserving artisanal crafts by featuring both engraving and enameling techniques.

Limited to only 100 pieces, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/50P-001 houses a black enamel dial as a backdrop to a manually engraved white gold plate. The elaborate decoration features Patek’s iconic Calatrava cross at its center and took a master engraver hours to complete.

Similar to all Patek platinum watches, the new Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/50P-001 features a diamond set into the caseband at the 6 o’clock position. Powering the watch is the famous ultra-thin Caliber 240 movement with a micro-rotor.

Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738R-001

The second 50th anniversary Patek Ellipse coming out of Baselworld 2018 is the Ref.  5738R-001 in rose gold. The familiar elliptical case measures 34 x 39.5 mm and the warm rose gold hue is the perfect contrast to the black sunburst dial.

Sitting on the dark dial are rose gold applied hour markers and cheveu-style hands. This minimal approach is characteristic of the Ellipse collection and the ideal way to celebrate an important milestone in the watch’s history.

The Baselworld 2018 Patek Golden Ellipse Ref.  5738R-001 also runs on the Caliber 240 automatic movement to maintain the watch’s signature slenderness. Completing the dapper style of the watch is a shiny black alligator strap with square scales and a rose gold buckle.

Fans of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watch will surely be delighted by the two new commemorative models, which do not deviate from the fundamental design details that made the watch so famous. An absolute classic in men’s fine dress timepieces, we look forward to another 50 years of this legendary Patek Philippe watch.