Patek Philippe’s Golden Ellipse watch icon ups the ante with a reinvented chain bracelet

Among the 2024 novelties of Patek Philippe, the new Ref. 5738/1R-001 from the Golden Ellipse collection instantly catches one’s eye. It is a significant creation for many reasons, but before elaborating on them, a rehash of the Golden Ellipse’s backstory sets the scene for its renewed appreciation.

Launched in 1968 with a yellow gold case and a blue gold dial, the now-iconic Golden Ellipse wristwatch has undergone an evolution with different hues of gold and dial iterations. Up until the early 1980s, the Golden Ellipse collection presented both leather straps and chain bracelets, such as the milanais-style bracelet of Ref. 3548 (1968) or the polonais-style bracelet of Ref. 3605 (1974). These bracelets added a great measure of creativity to the flagship watch of the 1970s that emanated both audacity and balance. In 2008, the Golden Ellipse unveiled a large platinum model (34.5 x 39.5 mm) with a blue sunburst dial (Ref. 5738P-001) for its 40th anniversary, followed by a large rose gold model with an ebony-black sunburst dial (Ref. 5738R- 001) in 2018.

For 2024, the Golden Ellipse is the absolute shining star, even amongst the stellar launches in the Patek Philippe stable. It is paired with an exclusive brand-new 18k rose gold bracelet that hugs the wrist with superb comfort and also elevates the refined case. In revisiting the golden age of horological design, the Manufacture proves its enduring quest for innovation by ameliorating the technical drawbacks of its previous chain bracelets. Taking 15 years to develop, the Ref. 5738/1R-001’s elegant chain-style bracelet boasts a modern, patented construction, along with a new length adjustment feature and a clasp with an engraved cover that offers the choice of three adjustment notches. It is fully handpolished and its 363 parts, including more than 300 links, are manually assembled.

This new chain-style bracelet, an exclusive to the Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/1R-001, is a grand revival that evokes the technical and aesthetically inventive bracelets that Patek Philippe was famed for in the 1910s when timepieces morphed into wristwatches, and then again those from the late 1960s and to the ‘70s when metal bracelets were all the rage. Developed and crafted by a historic partner of the Manufacture, the Ref. 5738/1R-001’s chain-style bracelet amalgamates both industrial and manual processes, with parts produced on the latest-generation CNC machines, before being traditionally hand-assembled and hand-finished with the expertise of artisan chainsmiths.

Represented by two categories where those of the Nautilus, “Goutte” (or droplet) and ladies’ Twenty~4 fall under. Their links, clasps and catches are produced on CNC machinery from a bar of metal (gold, platinum or steel) before being hand-assembled and then polished or satin brushed by hand, depending on the bracelet. Differentiating from these “mechanical” bracelets is a second category where the chain bracelet’s links are individually crafted one by one by artisan chainsmiths from a gold wire or a wire in another metal, and then hand-assembled to produce a super supple structure. This know-how exemplifies Patek Philippe’s continuous partnership with skilled artisans and specialists, such as Gennari Ponti, subsequently renamed ARSA (Ateliers Réunis SA) and now integrated into Patek Philippe’s workshops congregated at Plan-les-Ouates since 1996.

With all the excitement centred on its new bracelet, what instates the Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/1R-001 as a style icon in the Patek Philippe collections is also its recognisable shape, straddling a circle and a rectangle, along with a dial design that mirrors the pure, harmonious proportions inspired by the time-honoured golden section. To flesh out its visual harmony, an ebony-black sunburst dial; baton-style applied hour markers and slim cheveu-style hands, all in rose gold; and a black onyx cabochon crown complete the Ref. 5738/1R-001.

Equipped with the self-winding calibre 240, an ultrathin movement with an off-centre mini-rotor in 22k gold, the Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/1R-001’s case measures 5.9 mm, crowning it as the slimmest watch in the Patek Philippe regular collection. The timeless, understated spirit of the Golden Ellipse lives on with the addition of Ref. 5738/1R-001, which resides in excellent company alongside Ref. 5738P-001, 5738R-001 and the Rare Handcrafts Ref. 5738/51G-001 in the hallowed halls of Patek Philippe’s high watchmaking universe.

Visit patek.com to discover more.