Among classical Patek Philippe watches, it seems that its the Calatrava range that gets the lion share of attention. Of course, with introductions like the ravishing Chronometro Gondolo, purist watch lovers and Patekophiles will surely want to expand their horizons into the brand’s other collections. Even before the current economic climate which apparently has watch companies diving for cover and going “back to basics”, Patek Philippe was debuting watches like this–which define beauty and timeless aesthetics, regardless of trends or the mood on Wall Street.Exceptional dialwork is one of the most alluring seductions any fine watch possesses, and the Patek Philippe Ref. 5098 Gondolo Chronometro has it in spades. Crafted from solid gold, the dial receives a gorgeous engine-turned pattern that is applied through the expert hand guidance of a master guillocher. It very closely duplicates a historic tonneau wristwatch which Patek Philippe produced for an important Portuguese retailer (Gondolo & Laboriau) in the early 20th century. I particularly love the delicate lugs and narrow strap, which join the exquisite dial to make this a dress watch of scarcely equalled elegance. Its very, very similar to the one Patek employed for its astronomically expensive split-seconds chronograph masterpiece with a single pushbutton.
Of course, Patek Philippe pulled out all the stops for the manual movement found in the Ref. 5098 watch, too. Rather than shoehorning their round 215 caliber into the barrel-shaped case and calling it a day, they developed an entirely new form caliber–the 25-21 REC. In my opinion, this is one of the most pleasing of modern Patek Philippe movements, with its sensually curved bridges, slender balance cock, and broad bars of Cotes de Geneve. A shapely sapphire window gives your eye all it can take in—a thankful situation!
When the 5098P made its debut, a lot of us wished this beautiful Patek Philippe Gondolo watch would make its appearance in warm rose gold. In 2009, our wish became reality. The sublimely lovely 5098R was one of the showcased novelties at Baselworld 2009–and to me, the wait was more than worth it. With its rich dial contrasts, I consider it even more ravishing than the original platinum model.
