The Overlooked Patek Philippe Pilot Collection
When you think of pilot’s watches, the names that come to mind are most likely IWC, Breitling or even Longines. What may seem surprising is that Patek Philippe, one of the biggest names in watches, also has a well-established set of pilot’s watches. The pilot’s collection has a longstanding history, an appealing design and some spectacular complications, yet it rarely gets a mention when discussing pilot’s timepieces. If I asked you to name three Patek watches, I’d bet a full five pounds that a pilot’s model isn’t one of them. It’s a bold claim but does this make the Patek Philippe pilot’s collection the most overlooked pilot’s watch in history?
The backstory for the collection starts with humble beginnings. Initially, Patek’s pilot’s watches were produced purely as tool watches for aviators and not for the general public. This noble pursuit had Patek designing watches for the sole purpose of performing the task in which they were designed. Which is a nice contrast to today’s dive watches that we don’t like to wear in the shower.
Patek Philippe Pilot watches of the (1930s)
The first of Patek’s pilot’s watches were created in the 1930s and are what’s known as ‘hour angle’ watches. The purpose of the hour angle is to speed up navigation, by using a radio signal or a fixed point such as GMT and the degree angles of a watch face you can navigate your current position. Because these had important utility at a time when most of the world was at war, they were designed to be easily readable with case sizes reaching a colossal 55mm.
You can see why they wouldn’t really have caught on with the general public. Nevertheless, they are still Pateks and therefore highly collectable, often fetching in the millions when they come to auction. Some of the only examples of original 1930s aviators can be found in the Patek Philippe museum.
Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5524
Then they disappeared from Patek’s production, and they wouldn’t reappear until Baselworld 2015. The introduction of the Calatrava Pilot’s Travel Time Ref. 5524 put Patek aviation watches back on the map with their first pilot’s watch you could realistically buy. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with new watches these days (rather than the 100th reissue of the hot model), the reaction to the 5524 was somewhat muted.
It wasn’t that the watch was ugly or controversial in any way, it just failed to capture any of the history of Patek aviation watches. The brand claimed it was inspired by the 1930s watches but you wouldn’t know to look at it. It was something new. As a result it fell slightly flat among seasoned collectors who had hoped for a bit more heritage or even the return of the hour angle.
Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time which dropped the Pilot name
In isolation it was, and still is, an objectively great watch. With a dual time zone complication, blue lacquered dial and white gold case there is a lot to like. Since 2015 additional versions of the 5524 have been added including rose gold cases and new colour dials. At 42mm they were always on the larger side, however roll around 2018 and a couple of 37mm versions joined the ranks.
The next iteration took a bit of an unexpected turn as Patek added an alarm complication with the surprise release of the Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520). The 5520 contained all the same design elements as the other Calatrava Pilot’s watches yet, interestingly Patek Philippe dropped the Pilot’s name from the model, despite it clearly being part of the collection.
Patek Philippe Complications Calatrava Pilot Travel Time With Flyback Chronograph
If you know your horological history you’ll know how important a chronograph function is to a pilot. Accurately timing your travel in a given direction was essential for navigation. You’ll notice that none of these early pilot’s collection pieces contained chronographs leaving a bit of a gap in the collection. In 2023 Patek launched their first chronograph pilot with the 5924.
Not willing to settle for a simple chrono, the 5924 is actually a flyback chronograph movement which also contains dual time zone functionality. Pairing these two complications creates pretty much the perfect pilot’s watch. Especially with the green dial, green strap variant giving off its military inspired vibes.
Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 5224G-010
The current collection of pilot’s watches traces its legacy through from the 1930s history with Patek’s modern excellence in complications. It’s surprising that the collection doesn’t get more airtime compared to counterparts from the likes of IWC and Breitling. Earlier this year Patek released a stunning ivory dial 5524 highlighting their continued investment in pilot’s models. Hopefully with more to come in the near future.
I mentioned at the start that the pilot’s watch probably wouldn’t be in your top three Patek watches if asked you to name them. And I think that’s the problem. Patek produces great watches across a large number of collections. Therefore, if the pilot’s collection isn’t even considered one of the most popular Patek’s, how can it stand out in the wider pilot’s category. In many ways the pilot’s collection has suffered because of the success of the Nautilus and Aquanaut, failing to step out from their shadow (despite long preceding them). Perhaps that’s why it’s one of the most overlooked pilot’s watches in history.
