When one thinks of Patek Philippe, one or two models most often spring to mind, depending upon personal taste and preference. For those who appreciate the austere elegance of vintage dress watches, there's the classic Calatrava, which has remained more or less the same for decades. And for those who love the sporty or the avant-garde, the Nautilus (with its design penned by Gerald Genta) or the Pilot Travel Time might spring to mind. But for those of us who want the look of the Pilot Travel Time with the classic proportions of the Calatrava, there's the Reference 6000G. The Reference 6000G, introduced in 2005, is a timepiece that blends classic and modern elements in such a harmonious way that we are surprised it hasn't caught on with collectors as much as Patek's other models have. True, the Calatrava collection is diverse. Though the classic dress version with a white dial and Roman numerals remains the purest expression of the model, it has expanded to encompass a wide variety of case materials and sizes. For example, the aforementioned Pilot Travel Time is itself technically a Calatrava, though its size--an impressive 42mm, small for Panerai but large for Patek Philippe--is larger than what we'd expect from a brand that's made a name for itself in the realm of modestly-sized, elegant dress watches. But the Reference 6000G captures the sporty look and feel of a pilot's watch while still maintaining the svelte size that we've come to expect from a Calatrava. It's crisp and modern, to be sure, and at the time of its introduction was something entirely unprecedented. But the off-set sub-seconds register and the calendar on the rim of the dial is reminiscent of vintage calendar and triple calendar wristwatches. And the proportions are classical--37mm in diameter and less than 10mm in thickness. The thinness is made possible by the petite Calibre 240 movement, itself only 2.4mm thin, which is made all the more remarkable by the fact that this is a self-winding (rather than manually-wound) movement. To keep it thin, Patek relied on a microrotor (which is of course engraved with the Calatrava cross). Viewed through a sapphire case-back, the movement can be seen dancing away with the artistry and accuracy you'd expect from one of the Big Three. This particular example comes from the personal collection of a passionate collector in New York City, and has been worn and maintained with love. The case (in 18K white gold) does show some light markings, which have not been polished out in order to retain the originality of this piece, though a light polish at the hands of a master is something we could arrange should the buyer prefer it. It comes with its original inner and outer boxes, micro-adjustor tool, and a letter and Extract from the Archives of Patek Philippe. It may be some time until the Reference 6000 is fully understood by the greater collector community, but in our minds it is one of the most enticing models to come from the hallowed halls of Patek Philippe in the past decade. With a classic case design, sharp dial, and a high-grade movement, the 6000 has all of the elements of a contemporary classic from a transitional age in modern timepiece design.
