Patek Philippe Watches 2025: Top 3 Complicated Picks

At Watches and Wonders 2025 in Geneva, Patek Philippe introduced 15 new watches (and one clock) plus a bevy of beautiful one-off timepieces decorated with métiers d’art, a comprehensive annual set of new timepieces that Patek Philippe collectively calls “Rare Handcrafts.” Here, however, I’d like to focus on three of the top complicated timepieces that this Genevan brand announced.

Quadruple Complication Reference 5308G-001

Patek Philippe has always been known for its mastery of complicated watchmaking, particularly its “grand complications,” an established horological term that denotes a pocket watch or wristwatch combining at least three large and technical complications, these notably usually being the perpetual calendar, minute repeater and/or grande sonnerie, and some form of chronograph.

The Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Reference 5308G-001 naturally goes above and beyond this definition by making the chronograph a split-seconds version, by making the perpetual calendar an instantaneous one with day, date, month, leap year and day/night indications shown in apertures, and by making Caliber R CHR 27 PS QI not only automatic, but wound using a platinum micro rotor, which adds an extra degree of difficulty. This watch also depicts moon phases (on the 6 o’clock subdial).

Brand-new Caliber R CHR 27 PS QI is particularly notable for its optimized performances and two patented innovations concerning the split-seconds mechanism, including an isolation mechanism and an anti-backlash clutch wheel, whose task is to eliminate chronograph friction.

This watch was first presented in a platinum limited edition at the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo in 2023. This is a format that is by now familiar to fans of Patek Philippe: the brand often introduces a great new watch at one of its Grand Exhibitions in a limited edition and later brings a variation of it into the regular collection. In this case, the collection version is housed in a 42 x 17.71 mm white-gold case with hollowed out lugs that frames an ice-blue 18-karat white gold sunburst-decorated dial with blue metallized white gold applied hour markers and hour and minute hands. It comes with interchangeable sapphire crystal and solid case backs for an extra degree of personalization if desired.

Calatrava 8 Days Reference 5328G-001

For purists (like me), the Patek Philippe Calatrava is one of the brand’s most interesting collections, as it very often does way more with a lot less. And so it is for this admittedly very modern interpretation of a Calatrava with its instantaneous day and date displays and manually wound movement with eight-day power reserve. And while it’s perhaps not as pared down as the new platinum Calatrava Reference 6196P in 38 mm with its beautiful salmon-colored dial (which is really a rose gold-plated opaline dial) and display of only hours, minutes, and seconds, its dial is at least as fascinating with its unique texture and blue-black gradient periphery, syringe-style white gold applied numerals and hour and minute hands emphasized by a white luminescent coating, and original arrangement of displays.

Let’s talk about that cool arrangement of instantaneous displays. The day is shown in a window placed inside the date ring at 6 o’clock, while the large power reserve depicting eight days is placed at 12 o’clock, making it visually the most important sub-display on the dial. This makes sense because eight days is a long time for a manually wound movement to run, and the owner might well otherwise forget to wind it when it’s time.

Patek Philippe’s new Caliber 31-505 8J PS IRM CI J unites classic architecture with several technical innovations, including the brand’s own silicon-based Pulsomax escapement. It also incorporates two serially operating barrels, guaranteeing that the watch will function with its usual precision for eight full days, with a ninth day in reserve that is shown in red on the display. Furthermore, the movement provides instantaneous day and date jumps.

Despite its contemporary aesthetic, this timepiece is a Calatrava through and through: it comes in a 41 x 10.5 mm white-gold case whose case band is adorned with the clous de Paris (also called hobnail) motif characteristic of the Calatrava line. This emblematic decoration – one of the most beautiful examples of Patek Philippe style in my opinion – first appeared on a Calatrava on the bezel of Reference 96D in 1934; it returned to the spotlight in 1985 on Reference 3919, which remained in production for more than 20 years.

This watch comes with two straps, one in blue calfskin leather with a textile pattern and cream stitching, the other in grained taupe calfskin leather, and is equipped with a new patented triple-blade folding clasp.

Desk Clock Reference 27000M-001

Patek Philippe surprised visitors to Watches and Wonders with a return to its traditional desk clock. Even if a unique piece “preview model” showed up at the Only Watch 2021 charity auction (and hammered at a jaw-dropping 9.5 million Swiss francs), it was still something of a surprise for visitors to find a collection version of it at the fair.

This beautiful object was inspired by a desk clock with perpetual calendar and eight-day power reserve delivered in 1923 to American collector James Ward Packard as well as from a model of the same type sold in 1927 to another notorious American collector, Henry Graves Jr.

Effectively combining tradition with innovation, Patek Philippe developed a new manually wound caliber for it that offers a 31-day power reserve (thanks to three serially operating spring barrels) and rate precision of +/- 1 second per day due to a built-in constant force mechanism. It also includes a perpetual calendar and a week-number counter (a very practical function primarily used in Europe). The rectangular movement called Caliber 86-135 PEND S IRM Q SE with 912 components precipitated nine patent applications and is wound by key. The calendars are set and adjusted using a clever set of mechanical buttons located under the hinged lid.

The outside of the beautiful clock is crafted in 925 silver and embellished with panels of green grand feu enamel over a swirling guilloché motif, a combination that is called flinqué in horological jargon. Four applied winged lions, one in each corner of the case, are inspired directly by the 1923 clock; they are crafted in vermeil (yellow gold-plated silver).

Why These Patek Philippe New Releases 2025 Stand Out

Timeless tradition and cutting-edge innovation are on full display in each of these new timepieces, two hallmarks that continue to define Patek Philippe’s singular place in the world of haute horology. Whether it’s the daring complexity of the Quadruple Complication, the contemporarily understated brilliance of the Calatrava 8 Days, or the refined grandeur of the Desk Clock, these 2025 releases prove once again that Patek Philippe remains a step ahead – respecting heritage while constantly pushing the boundaries.

While these newly unveiled models may not be available to the public just yet, collectors can still experience the enduring artistry and precision of Patek Philippe through earlier releases. Bob’s Watches offers a curated selection of pre-owned Patek Philippe watches for sale, each authenticated by their team of experts so you can explore the brand’s legacy of innovation and elegance with confidence.