Once upon a time, the name Patek Philippe was synonymous with the Calatrava, complications, old money, class, and elegance, among other things. These are aspects that still form the core of what Patek Philippe is today, but we do also live in a rapidly changing world. The brand has been immensely keen to appeal itself to younger clientele in recent years, by diversifying from what it did and still do best, dress watches, and into sportier pieces with increasingly bolder design. We’ve seen numerous variations of the Nautilus and Aquanaut arise of late, catalysed by the skyrocketed demand for sports watches, as well as pilot’s watches and casual Calatravas. Perhaps history is repeating itself, for it wasn’t too long ago that the original Nautilus was inducted into the halls of a brand that – outside of the World Wars – had then only ever made classical pieces.

Patek Philippe Cubitus Ref. 5821/1A

Two months ago, Patek Philippe furthered its eternal goal of staying relevant no matter the era, by introducing an all-new collection that it hopes will secure the hearts of the next generation: the sporty-elegant Cubitus. The official announcement came on the back of clues and teasers that culminated in a leak a week before the release. Truly, it’s been a long time since the presentation of a new Patek collection, the last ones being the Twenty-4, 25 years ago, and the Aquanaut, 27 years ago. Unsurprisingly, emotions were high and opinions were divided when the curtains were raised. This is Patek Philippe after all and everyone’s got different expectations of the brand that’s long been considered the industry gold standard. Of the three references that were introduced, one stood out as the piece that is obviously going to be the most in-demand. Here, we bring you the details and our honest thoughts on the new Cubitus Ref. 5821/1A in stainless steel with green dial.

The Case, Dial and Hands

By far the biggest highlight of the new Cubitus is its case. Patek Philippe introduces yet another shaped watch, joining other non-round timepieces in the catalogue like the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Ellipse, Gondolo and Twenty-4 (some of it anyway). The case of the Cubitus, simply put, is a square with the vertices clipped off. It’s technically an octagon based on the number sides, but really, it is much closer to a square. In a vacuum, it’s a pleasant looking case. The shape and proportions are perfect. The squarish case looks more elegant than that of the Nautilus and, importantly, avoids looking like an antiquated TV set. Finishing on the case surface alternates between brushed and polished. It’s nothing groundbreaking but it is devastatingly effective as the brushed and polished surfaces accentuate one another. This extends to the bracelet where it is brushed with only the centre links and bevels polished. Patek Philippe takes the design, construction and finishing of its cases and bracelets very seriously and the Cubitus is further evidence of this notion.

If the dial looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it on the Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-014 from 2023. The hour markers are shaped a little differently here but everything else, from the sunburst olive green dial to the hands and date display, appears unchanged.

This leads us to the elephant in the room: the Cubitus looks like the Nautilus. If you rounded off the case – the most defining part of the Cubitus – ever so slightly, you’re back to the Nautilus. The lack of originality, invention, and innovation has been the main criticism levied unto Cubitus. These grievances mostly stem from the comparison of the Cubitus to the Nautilus and are, of course, valid. The silver lining here is that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the Cubitus itself. The watch and its design look sharp in the flesh, figuratively and literally, with manufacturing and finishing executed to perfection. It’s when you place the Nautilus next to the Cubitus that you wonder if more could’ve and should’ve been done by Patek.

The Movement

Driving the Cubitus Ref. 5821 is the 212-part, 30-jewel Calibre 26-330 S C. This fairly new time-and-date movement also powers around a dozen other watches such as the Nautilus Ref. 5811/1G-001, Aquanaut Ref. 5268/200R-010, and the Calatrava Ref. 5226G-001. The highlight of this calibre is its hacking seconds functionality – yes, you read that right. Patek Philippe have never been concerned with the lack of hacking seconds in many of its movements; this, in contrast to the strict precision standards of the Patek Philippe Seal. And it’s understandable if you think about it. Precise time-setting, down to the second, is nice to have but far from essential. Patek Philippe is a brand that – at its core – champions traditional watchmaking, and hacking seconds just wasn’t a thing back then. It can be reasoned that the nostalgia and romance of a moving seconds hand during time-setting is worth as much as the precision a hacked seconds hand offers. All that said, the Calibre 26-330 S C is fitted with a stop seconds mechanism, perhaps signifying that the brand is turning its gaze to the future.

In terms of movement finissage, standards remain as high as ever. Sure, it’s not 100-watch-a-year-independent-master-watchmaker quality, but for an “entry-level” model by a brand that does many tens of thousands of watches per annum, it is commendable. The obvious difference in finishing seen on the Calibre 26-330 S C compared to other Patek calibres has to do with the surface of the gold central rotor. The linear striping here is in stark contrast to the usual circular waves that accompany the engraved Calatrava cross. This design choice – specific for the Cubitus – complements the model’s heavy use of lines and angles. Such a shame that the new Calibre itself isn’t shaped to match the case, although this is a considerably minor gripe. Case in point: the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo is also a squarish watch with a round movement that has been very well-received. Nevertheless, one can’t help but hold Patek Philippe to higher standards, where even minor considerations such as movement shape are scrutinised.

The Competitive Landscape

It doesn’t take a genius to know that competition is rife in the sports section of the luxury watch market. At the height of sports watch mania just a few years ago, every manufacturer and their moms churned out their own interpretation of a sports watch, including those that would otherwise not have made one had it not been such an easy money grab. While the manic phase of the market has now passed, prices remain high for coveted pieces. It’s not the easiest environment for the new Cubitus to thrive in, but odds are it will be more than fine. The Cubitus is, after all, a Patek, a progeny of the coveted Nautilus, and a watch of immense quality. The only thing the brand is guilty of is for taking it too safe with this new collection. There’s also the matter of its price; the Cubitus Ref. 5821/1A is priced at CHF35,000, which is a fair bit pricier than its Nautilus equivalent, the Ref. 5711/1A-014. One can only speculate that this pricing is down to inflation and the knowledge that people are willing to pay a premium in the secondary market. While the Ref. 5821/1A is part of the permanent collection (i.e. not limited edition), it is going to be – by far – the most sought after of the three Cubitus debutants, so expect to spend some time in the queue unless you’re Frank Lampard.

As far as shaped sports watches with integrated bracelets are concerned, few are more evocative than the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner. The Centre Seconds model is an excellent alternative to the Cubitus. While the Cubitus is all about strong lines and angles, the Streamliner with its pillow-shaped case and flowing bracelet is all about the curves. At ‘just’ CHF21,900, the watch represents good value. You can even take it for a swim (12 ATM water resistance), which is something you shouldn’t be doing with the Cubitus (3 ATM water resistance).

For something more quirky, look no further than the Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch. Featuring a squarish case and a round bezel, the Octo Finissimo somehow looks even more geometric than the Cubitus. But the main highlight of the Sketch model is its dial, decorated with a movement sketch by Bvlgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. The Octo Finissimo line is known for the multiple world records that it has set over the decade for thinness. While the Sketch hasn’t set any records of its own, it still is delightfully slender at 6.4 mm thick. Priced at EUR17,800, the Octo Finissimo Automatic Sketch is limited to 280 piece in steel and 70 pieces in rose gold.

Final Thoughts

The Cubitus is a gorgeous watch in itself, but at the moment it is living in the shadow of the Nautilus. Critics have (rightly) pointed out the lack of distinction between the Cubitus and the Nautilus, as if the former is a spin-off of the latter. Perhaps the Cubitus would’ve been more celebrated if it was designed as a dress watch and came with a leather strap instead. Regardless, only time will tell if the Cubitus line has a high ceiling for success or merely a high floor. Given that more controversial watches from other rival brands have found success over time, we’d wager that the Cubitus will be a-okay. Patek Philippe will just have to find novel ways to spice up future Cubitus releases.