Patek Philippe
calatrava petite seconde - Or Blanc

Exceptional vintage collector's watch: 1964 Patek Philippe Calatrava with small seconds and date window. This elegant timepiece is a classic model from the brand. This 1960s edition, featuring a date aperture and “glaive” hands, perfectly embodies the dress watch aesthetics of its era. The Calatrava line, originally introduced in the 1930s with a round case design, has evolved throughout the century as Patek Philippe incorporated numerous innovations to enhance its reliability and user comfort. As a heritage timepiece meant to be passed down through generations, this model houses the self-winding Patek calibre 27-460M. This 37-jewel movement includes a gold rotor engraved with the “Cruz de Calatrava,” a cross formed of four fleur-de-lis. This heraldic symbol of Iberian origin was created for the military Order of Calatrava, which defended the citadel “Qal'at Rabah” after it was reclaimed from the Moors. The symbol later became the highest Spanish military distinction and was adopted by Patek Philippe as its emblem just before the 20th century.

The movement features a balance wheel with an adjustable mass. This unique design increases amplitude by enabling weight adjustment without the traditional regulating screws, reducing air resistance and improving winding efficiency. Patek Philippe named this balance wheel “Gyromax” and filed a patent on May 15, 1949, followed by a final micro-mechanical improvement on December 31, 1951. From 1952 onward, all Patek production featured this balance system. Rolex would later draw inspiration from it for their “Microstella” system. This balance drives the movement at 19,800 vibrations per hour and provides a power reserve of 42 hours when fully wound and unworn.

To this day, the Patek Philippe 27-460M is considered one of the most refined and expensive self-winding date calibers ever produced. The date mechanism is derived from the same micromechanical engineering used in high-complication movements. Its name comes from its dimensions: 12 lignes (27 mm in diameter) and 4.60 mm in thickness.

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