Patek Philippe Calatrava (6000G012) self-winding automatic watch, features a 37mm 18k white gold case surrounding a blue dial on a black crocodile strap with an 18k white gold deployment buckle. Functions include hours, minutes, small-seconds and date.

Hi, I'm Tim, welcome to WatchBox and thanks for logging on. Today, we're looking at the Patek Philippe Calatrava, reference 6000G-001. You can see this 37 millimeter, 18 karat white gold Patek Philippe on our website, WatchBox.com, purchase it there. And if you enjoy these videos, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, WatchBox Reviews. You can also click on the card in the upper right hand corner of the screen at any time to see your full listing for this watch with additional accessories included, high resolution images, and naturally complete pricing information.

Now on my wrist, 6 and a 3rd inches, 16 centimeters in circumference. The 2005 to 2007 variant of the 6000G that you see right here is a superb fit. 37 millimeters across the round of the case, not including the crown. It's also delightfully slim, thanks to the microworld or automatic movement. Only 9 millimeters thick, and you can see there's a generously domed bezel to this watch that allows a dress cuff, a tight sleeve of any kind to easily ride up and over the flank of the case.

Now, from lug to lug, it's quite reasonable and compact. 46.5 millimeters from extremity to extremity. This watch is the image of traditional dress watch, elegance and proportion. What is not completely traditional is the dial design and we'll get to that in a moment because it's what really set the 6,000 apart from the rest of its Calatrava brethren. Now the lugs are conventional, the spring bars are straight and you can see the Patek Philippe does use its customary pull tab spring bars so you can easily pull the tab and remove the strap without resorting to a screwdriver or jeweler's tool that could mar the white gold lugs. Also, it's something that you can do easily at home by yourself without resorting to a jeweler.

But the strap itself is impressively bolstered. It's a rectangular scale alligator black with a monotone stitch. There's quite a bit of bolstering for such a thin watch. The strap really does swell to meet the lug form. So in profile it's esthetically congruous, very fluid flowing from the strap to the lugs to the case and it has an all of a piece look to it. Despite the lack of conforming spring bars.

Now the clasp is a high grade piece made by Patek Philippe, entirely white gold to match the case. It's an elegant and minimalist clasp such that the buckle itself looks like a traditional pin buckle when the watch is sized and closed.

But it is that dial that I mentioned that really set the 6000 apart. Now it looks like the dashboard instrument of a vintage Porsche, Jaguar or Mercedes Benz. You can see that there's a lot going on. And that's one of the reasons that this is considered to be almost a love-hate piece within the Patek Philippe Calatrava catalog. Because it is so nontraditional in its design, it tends to appeal to those who are a bit more progressive, those who have a more avant garde sensibility, those who aren't always afraid to slay some sacred cows. You can see outboard there is a radial date, inboard an hour track, and then inboard of that there is a minute track with an off center sub seconds. Now, the watch changed in 2008, going from an all matte black dial like the one you see here to an anthracite sunburst design. This matte black with all white print has a distinctly different look than the watch that succeeded it. That watch features a metallic minute track inboard of the hours. It features a metallic second subtitle. And of course, anthracite throughout. This watch feels a little more all of a piece, like the original design vision was just a bit more cohesive than the watch that succeeded it.

Now you can see that it does have dramatically strong, stretched lugs. There's a lot of tension in this case that's just a little bit more severe than the customary Calatrava design, which tends to be a little bit more fluid and blended. This watch really does seem almost as if it were drawn from a molten piece of white gold.

And on the case back, the esthetic drama continues, as these watches were built exclusively between 2005 and 2007. All of them feature the Caliber 240 with calendar and petite secon. So 240 CPS, as Patek would call it. Featuring the Geneva hallmarked, which can see to good effect right here next to my thumb. It's the older signage, obviously, since June 2009. All Patek Philippe watches have been signed with the Patek Philippe seal. This is a little bit more traditional, a bit more romantic. Neither one is really better or worse than the other. But if you're a traditionalist, as opposed to the esthetic progressive sensibility that favors the actual look of the watch, if you're a mechanical traditionalist and a craftsmanship traditionalist, then maybe the Geneva SEAL has a little bit more emotional appeal to you.

Naturally, there is a beautiful micro rotor inset. The entire calibers is less than three point five millimeters thick. And for those who are perhaps learning the Patek Philippe Calatrava family. Most of the automatic Calatrava's, short of the perpetual calendars, tend to feature the caliber 3, 24 central rotor automatic. The 240 traditionally has been an upscale caliber reserved for special watches and complications. So to see it in a watch with nothing more than a small second sub dial and a jump date. It's a little bit of a special occasion application of this movement.

Now, the movement itself is beautifully rendered automatic micro rotor, 27 joules, a power reserve on average of 45 hours. It does feature a 21,600 twenty vibration per hour beat rate and Patek Philippe signature free sprung gyro max balance, which you can see to good effect.

There's gorgeous coat de geneve across the bridges and you can see them quite well from this angle. A tight and even per lodge engine turning across the baseplate. All of the edges of the bridges and the balance are beautifully mirrored and rounded by hand, and all of the screw heads are polished and their slot's chamford.

This is as good as it gets. This is why Patek Philippe’s screws cost 20 Swiss francs apiece. If you want a watch, that's a little bit different, and yet part of the family of absolute horological aristocracy. A true Patek Philippe, albeit at one whose design conventions go beyond the norm. Take a walk on the wild side, but don't compromise quality.

Shop Patek Philippe Calatrava: https://www.thewatchbox.com/watches/patek-philippe/patek-philippe-calatrava/