Patek Philippe Just Dropped a Gorgeous Titanium Green-Dial Watch

2022-05-14 20:24:23 By : Ms. lisa huang

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And you actually have the chance to buy this green-dial beauty.

Green is the new black, and titanium is the new steel. Well, at least in watchmaking to some degree. These trends now get further endorsement from horological celebrity Patek Philippe with a complicated, one-off model made for a charity auction.

The green dial is eye-catching, but it's the metal here that's most notable. Why? Titanium is a premium material, but it's not a precious metal. That puts it in the same league as stainless steel watches which, if you didn't already know, are often valued even more highly than those in precious metals when offered by a brand like Patek Philippe due to their rarity.

"Patek Philippe makes very few wristwatches out of lightweight titanium, and the few times they've done so over the years have typically been for charity auctions," says Logan Baker at Hodinkee. This one is specifically for the Swiss charity Children Action, and it'll be auctioned in November 2022. And, yes, there's only one example being produced.

So rarity is a given. The takeaway, however, is that it can be seen as further momentum for titanium watches. The metal seems to be infiltrating price points both above and below their traditional ranges — the enthusiasm being no doubt fueled by the material's many desirable properties, but also by rumors that there'll be major releases both from Patek and Rolex that make use of the metal.

The watch itself? Aside from the aforementioned dial color and case material, it's pure, classic Patek. Combining the complicated features of chronograph and perpetual calendar (as it says in the name) adds up to one very complicated watch. But this is what Patek does best — that and offering all that information in a tight, refined package. The very same 41mm watch exists in the brand's current Grand Complications collection with a black dial and rose gold case.

If you want a shot at this exact watch, it'll go under the hammer on November 7, 2022, at the Children Action Gala in Geneva. There's every reason to believe it'll garner attention and fetch a price that's baffling to many of us Average Joes. That comes down to the above mentioned points, but it'll also surely benefit from the auction of a certain other recent Patek watch with a vibrant dial and non-precious metal case (that'd be the Tiffany Blue-dial Nautilus 5711, of course).

Even if you don't place the winning bid, we're hopeful that watches such as this portend more awesome titanium watches in the future.