Ever since the recent leaks of October 13 surrounding a new series launch from Patek Philippe, the collective watch community has been buzzing with gossip, conjecture, and rumors about a new integrated bracelet sports watch – the Cubitus. Now, the Patek Philippe Cubitus watch collection is finally here, and with it will undoubtedly come an even greater frenzy of discussion. The first all-new Patek Philippe collection in a quarter-century is almost guaranteed to be controversial among enthusiasts, but the Cubitus line seems particularly apt at dividing opinions and inviting debate. With that in mind, let’s dive right into Patek’s new second integrated sports watch line, including the Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5822P-001, Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1AR-001, and Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1A-001.
There’s certainly a cynical (and popular) read to be had on the style and positioning of the new Patek Philippe Cubitus line. Since the discontinuation of the ultra-desirable Nautilus ref. 5711 in 2021, there’s been no time-only stainless steel offering in the fan-favorite Nautilus, with only precious metal and complicated models appearing since. With no replacement on the horizon, it would seem that the brand’s strategy is to push the Nautilus even further up-market, but this leaves an important gap at the entry level (if any Patek Philippe sports watch can truly be called entry level, that is).
Enter the Cubitus line – a new series with more than a passing resemblance to the Nautilus, but with more aggressive, modern, “youth-oriented” styling, a lower starting price point (which is not to call it “low”), and – crucially – an all-stainless steel three-hander. If this sounds vaguely familiar to long-term enthusiasts, it should: on paper, it’s a very similar strategy to the initial launch of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut in 1996. With that said, there’s one important difference. At the time of the Aquanaut’s introduction, there was still a readily available steel Nautilus for buyers to choose instead of the new offering.
2024 is a massively different luxury watch landscape to the mid-90s, and thanks to these changes (and the lack of a base stainless steel Nautilus) the Cubitus potentially comes off a bit more like another major 1996 luxury product launch: the Porsche Boxster. Although it was lightweight, sporty, and mid-engined, early iterations of the Boxster could never escape from the shadow of its larger, more expensive, and more iconic sibling, the Porsche 911. There was always a sense among detractors that the Boxster was a car built to a very specific price point, that it was never “allowed” to be as pretty as it could be, and that anyone driving one was doing so because they couldn’t afford (or allocate) a 911. That’s not necessarily the truth behind the Cubitus, but it’s a public perception hurdle Patek Philippe will likely have to overcome.
As for the watches themselves, there are three Patek Philippe Cubitus references to start with and they are sure to divide opinion. All three share the same 45mm-wide case architecture, which at a glance reads almost as a low-poly rendition of the classic Nautilus. Rather than the smooth, sinuous curving of the Nautilus’s emblematic porthole bezel, the Cubitus’s bezel is instead a beveled square. Long, straight edges are broken up by gently curved corners, creating a harder, more faceted mix of brushed upper surfaces and sloping polished sides that still instantly feels like Patek Philippe in images. Likewise, the case side “ears” or hinges of the Nautilus are reinvented here, with a broader, sharply angled presentation that still incorporates the classic rounded case side profile and polished inserts. While the design itself is subjective, it could be argued that the almost achingly perfect proportions of the Nautilus are lost on the Cubitus with its rather too thick bezel, wide hinges, and stubby, short lugs.
Interestingly, the area around the integrated, chamfered lugs is nigh-on unchanged from the Nautilus design (more on that later). Figures and official images suggest that the Cubitus will wear both laterally broad and exceedingly slim – overall thickness for the three-hand variants is only 8.3mm, while the height increase for the day/date and moon-phase-equipped ref. 5822P-001 is minimal for an overall thickness of 9.6mm. No Octo Finissimo, but it is thin-ish, still. From here, each model differentiates itself slightly. The all-stainless ref. 5821/1A-001 offers the design in its purest expression in images, while the stainless steel and 18K rose gold ref. 5821/1AR-001 ratchets up the visual volume thanks to a nearly all-gold case silhouette from above. Expect the top-of-the-line ref. 5822P-001 to shine extremely bright on the wrist thanks to its platinum construction. All three models feature sapphire display casebacks, and despite their sporty positioning, are rated to 30 meters of water resistance, in recognition of Patek Philippe’s recent standardization of this rating.
Like the cases, the dials of the new Patek Philippe Cubitus watch collection should feel more than a little familiar to seasoned enthusiasts. Each model uses the same combination of paddle hands, sunburst finishing, and horizontal “deck plank” or “garage door” dial texturing we’ve come to know and love on the Nautilus, but there are a handful of minor tweaks here. Most noticeably, the applied hour indices are broader and more prominent in initial images, with a more angular form to match the squared-off case design. Each model offers a slightly different take on the theme: the ref. 5821/1A-001 pairs its stainless steel case with the same much-hyped olive green sunburst hue that adorned the ref. 5711 Nautilus several years ago, while the traditional deep, oceanic blue tones on the ref. 5821/1AR-001 work handsomely with its warm rose gold dial hardware. The more complicated ref. 5822P-001 takes on an intriguing asymmetric dial layout, with a dual-window big date at 12 o’clock, a combined pointer day and moon-phase subdial at 7 o’clock, and a small azurage running seconds subdial at 4:30. Not only have these subdials sunken to the bottom of the dial, but they also eat into the otherwise large and prominent hour markers — a bold choice, to say the least, for the highest-priced model in the collection.
Both three-hand variants of the Patek Philippe Cubitus are powered by the brand’s in-house 26-330 S C self-winding movement with a date. The 26-330 S C has previously appeared in the Nautilus, Aquanaut, and Calatrava lines, offering surprisingly antiquated performance including a 35 to 45 hour power reserve and a 28,800 bph beat rate. The 26-330 S C is finished to the same impeccable standard we expect from Patek Philippe in images, with an ornately engraved 21K gold rotor featuring perlage, polished anglage, the brand’s engraved Calatrava cross, sunburst finishing, and a recessed horizontal line texture to match the dial. From there, additional côtes de Genève across the bridges, perlage across the mainplate, polished sinks and anglage complete the scene.
It’s the movement inside the Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5822P-001 that really steals the show, though. The new in-house 240 PS CI J LU movement inside this watch sports no fewer than six new patents relating to power regulation and synchronized instantaneous jumping for its complications. While it may be a simple calendar, as opposed to an annual or perpetual, this is still genuinely impressive watchmaking, with the same gorgeous assortment of finishes as its three-hand counterparts alongside an attractive micro-rotor winding system. Power reserve for the 240 PS CI J LU stands at between 38 and 48 hours with a 21,600 bph beat rate.
Of course, any new integrated watch design hinges on its bracelet, and the Patek Philippe Cubitus is no exception. What’s fascinating, though, is that the three-hand Cubitus models use a bracelet that’s more or less visually identical to the classic Nautilus bracelet in images — arguably making this squared-off case appear more a visual illusion or a late addition and less a coherent new design. While the case and dial certainly offer a similar silhouette to its older, more famous sibling, here at the integrated bracelet the changes are negligible, if any. This is the same, familiar rounded H-link bracelet with polished center links that has defined the Nautilus since 1976, placed here alongside a much sharper, angular case. It’s here where the extremely Nautilus-esque integrated lugs begin to make more sense, combining naturally with this familiar bracelet. This isn’t to say a take on the Nautlius design wouldn’t integrate naturally here, but perhaps more squared-off center links to match the bezel would give the Cubitus a more cohesive, distinct character. The effect is obviously far less pronounced on the ref. 5822P-001, which uses a navy blue textured fabric deployant strap with white stitching in lieu of a platinum bracelet.
There’s been an understandable fanfare surrounding the launch of the Patek Philippe Cubitus line, and with its full unveiling to the public, it’s unlikely that the discussion surrounding the brand’s first all-new product line in 25 years will slow down or cool off in the near future. On paper, this watch — particularly the stainless steel model — is a checklist of everything hype-driven collectors might have looked for at the height of Patek-mania in 2022 (when this concept was undoubtedly being devised). That would have been a new, instantly recognizable, undoubtedly difficult-to-attain integrated sports watch, in stainless steel, from Patek Philippe, with a beautifully finished in-house automatic movement, and the desirable green dial. In reality, however, time will tell how the enthusiast community and the market at large will respond to the Cubitus line. One way or another, it’s hard to deny this is a historic release. The Patek Philippe Cubitus collection will be available through authorized dealers as of October 18, 2024. The Patek Philippe Cubitus watch is priced as follows: the steel 5821/1A-001 is $41,243 USD, the steel-gold 5821/1AR-001 costs $61,275 USD, and the platinum 5822P-001 retails for $88,378 USD as of press time. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
