Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153J in yellow gold

The new Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153J automatic watch was officially introduced last month during the annual Baselworld 2009 international trade show. Presented in a yellow gold case, which is equipped with an elegant hunter back cover, the watch looks like a nice present for a West Point graduate.

While Patek Philippe sits on top of the modern Swiss watch industry food pyramid producing a whole range of almost ridiculously expensive watches, the expressly simplistic entry-level Calatrava line still remains their most loved cash cow.

Models belonging to this line usually sport a set of three hands and a simple 31-day calendar, providing for uncluttered and highly legible layout.

In this sense, the recently introduced Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153J watch is by far the best member of the family.

Frankly speaking, I have a set of demands for a “classic” watch to really like it.

The first demand is that it must be thin, not thicker than 8 millimeters when measured from caseback to its crystal top.

The second, its case must be completely free of different sorts of engravings and machine-turnings.

The third, it must sport dauphine hour and minute hands.

The fourth, it must have applied arrow-shaped hour markers (although I could live with Roman numerals, too.)

The fifth and final, it must have at least a rudimentary 31-day calendar.

As you can see, the Ref. 5153J is an ideal watch for yours truly, if we for a second forget about its outrageous price of about $30,000.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153J sports an elegant 18k yellow gold case that houses PP’s own Caliber 324 SC automatic movement with a 21 karat golden rotor bearing the brand’s trademark Calatrava cross.

The exquisitely decorated movement, which is employed in about a dozen of Patek Phippe’s watches, is open to your eyes via a transparent caseback, which is protected from accidental scratches with a hinged back cover.

Although I would have preferred its turban-style winding crown to be replaced with something not so antique-looking, the 5153J still manages to take the pole position in my Top 10 Dress Watches list that I’m currently working on.

Photos: Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier Ref. 5153J self-winding watch specification

Price range: $30,000
Movement: In-house Caliber 324 SC, automatic, 28,800 vph, 29 jewels, 6 bridges, Gyromax balance
Complications: Date
Power reserve: 45 hours
Case material: 18-carat yellow gold
Case dimensions: 38 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Silvered opaline with hand-guilloche center
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Matt chocolate brown large square-scaled alligator strap
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated