The 45mm case perfectly blends a slender profile with unmistakable elegance, owing to the two-part construction and attachments on either side, with casing-up completed from the front. The overall design is further enhanced with the use of both polished and vertical satin-brushed finishes. These finishing techniques require some 55 manual operations per watch, performed with the painstaking devotion to fine workmanship that distinguishes all Patek Philippe creations.

New collections are rarely introduced by Patek Philippe, in fact, it has been 25 years since the family-owned company released the Twenty-4 collection in 1999. Before this the Aquanaut in 1997; Gondolo in 1993; Nautilus in 1976; Golden Ellipse in 1968; and Calatrava in 1932, a year in which marked the Stern family as the new owners of Patek Philippe. Initially, this new chapter for Patek Philippe is represented by three new Cubitus models, an all-steel, steel and rose gold, and a platinum model with a unique Grand Date complication.

Reference 5821/1AR-001 retains the same case profile as the steel variant, but offers more of a statement with its combination of steel, rose gold, and a deep blue sunburst dial. Both models feature Patek Philippe’s existing 26-330 S C caliber with a uniquely designed gold rotor, which mirrors the horizontal design element of the dial.

Reference 5822P-001 perhaps represents the ‘halo’ model of the three pieces. This intricate and highly technical reference has been produced in solid platinum and houses a new complication, the Instantaneous Grand Date. It displays the date in two large apertures along with the day of the week, phases of the moon, and a small second’s sub-dial. Not only is the Grand Date visually impressive with its sunburst blue dial, but it is also a technical triumph with no less than six patents to guarantee the efficiency of the instantaneous changes, something rarely seen in any timepiece.

As with all of Patek Philippe’s platinum models, the new 5822P Cubitus has a hidden diamond set securely into the case, however for the first time a baguette-cut diamond has been used to reflect the style of the piece. In another first, the piece has been fitted to a freshly designed ultra-resistant composite material strap embossed with a fabric pattern and a platinum folding clasp engraved with the Cubitus name.

For Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, creating a unique square watch has been an ambition since a young age. ‘For a long time, I really wanted to have a square watch in the collection. It’s not easy, as 85 per cent of the watches around the world are round. It took a long time because there were many different ways that I could start the design with such a watch. But in my mind, it has to be a thin watch. It has also to be a watch with a new movement. And it has also to be a watch that has really all the DNA of Patek Philippe inside.’ The new Cubitus offers an exclusive interpretation of casual chic, showcasing a brand-new design with the technical excellence expected from Patek Philippe.