Watches & Wonders: People’s Choice Awards – The Darkest Horse
Zach BlassJust to recap: in the wake of Watches & Wonders, watch channel founders Wei Koh of Revolution, Robert-Jan Broer of Fratello, Frank Geelen of Monochrome, and our very own Andrew McUtchen of Time+Tide came together to talk watches. They selected their top watches in four different categories and then asked viewers to choose their pick in the comments. Yesterday, we covered the Best Watch Under $10k here. The next category, The Four Hertzmen tackled was the “Darkest Horse” – effectively, the watch release that surprised the judges the most.
Andrew nominated the TAG Heuer tribute to ref. 844 for it’s quirky modern reinterpretation of a diver historic to the brand. RJB went with an updated classic, the Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119R – billing it as the dress watch that drew him away from his sporty tastes. Wei’s pick was the Chopard L.U.C QF JUBILEE – admiring the manta ray-esque lugs, sun-ray sector dial and the history behind the collection and its movement testing. Frank closed out the nominations with the Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris”, agreeing with RJB, but dissenting slightly by going for the more youthful expression in white gold (ref. 6119G). So, which watch got the most of your votes?
And the “Darkest Horse” winner is…
Taking home the majority of your vote was RJ’s pick: the Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119R. Patek Philippe slaying dress watch designs is nothing particularly new, but the surprise here was due to the fact Patek Philippe announced the sporty green dial Nautilus ref. 5711 and then practically a week later they introduced a dressy foil to the increasingly hyped sports reference. The 6119R returns the hobnail bezel to a modern Calatrava and the dial is a modernized take on their more classic layouts. The ivory colour compliments the rose-gold hands, markers and case, while upon closer inspection the dial has a grained texture that makes something clearly new feel that much more vintage. The 39mm case, 8.08mm thick, caters to the modern demand in terms of stance on the wrist without being overwhelming for those who prefer more classic sizing.
While Patek Philippe could have very well just updated the external aspects of the watch, and paired it once again with the 215 caliber, the new caliber 30-255 PS signals the brand has not forgotten their roots and is itching to revitalise their more traditional designs with modern movements that push the envelope further. The 30-255 PS has an updated layout with new geometries to the bridges that are well chamfered and decorated. The power reserve has greatly improved to 65 hours thanks to two barrels running in parallel.
Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119R pricing and availability:
The Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119R is available now via Patek Philippe boutiques, salons, and authorized dealers. Price: $29,570 USD
To hear more about the other three watches, and why they were nominated be sure to watch the video below.
Full Voting Results…
TAG Heuer tribute to ref. 844: 10.32%
Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119R: 48.41%
Chopard L.U.C QF JUBILEE: 21.43%
Patek Philippe Calatrava “Clous De Paris” ref. 6119G: 19.84%