Patek Philippe Calatrava 5296

The Calatrava, Ref. 5296 is a classic dress watch from Patek Philippe, introduced in 2005.

This is a larger incarnation of the classic Ref. 96 Calatrava design but with an automatic movement, center seconds, and a date complication.

While Ref. 5196 carries on the tradition of the original, with small seconds, this Ref. 5296 takes the design in a new direction with center seconds. It also has an even-larger case at 38 mm, compared to the 37 mm Ref. 5196 and 31 mm original. It also includes a date complication, unusual for a Ref. 96 descendant. But Ref. 5296 is where one can find classic Calatrava designs, including a sector dial.

Inside, Patek Philippe equipped Ref. 5296 with an automatic movement: Cal. 324 S C, another departure from the classic Calatrava formula. And this movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.