Milan, the fashion capital of Italy, served as a fitting backdrop for the fall 2018 unveiling of Patek Philippe’s latest women’s watch collection, the Twenty~4 Automatic.

Patek followed up this year with two new rose-gold versions, one set with nearly two carats of diamonds on the case and bracelet and a high-jewelry version completely pavéed with 3,238 snow-set diamonds, totaling more than 17 carats.

The debut collection launched with five models in stainless steel and 18-k rose gold with rows of glittering pavé diamonds on the bezel and multicolored dials. The bracelet design draws a direct line to the original Twenty~4. Prices range from $12,475 to $385,568.

The sophisticated second-generation Twenty~4 is aimed at a dynamic, independent woman who wants an everyday mechanical watch with versatile style — from weekend jeans, to business casual, to dinner formal.

We decided women should also have their own watches … not something that looks like a man’s watch.

“It’s time to evolve,” said Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern at last year’s launch. “We decided women should also have their own watches,” he continued. “Not gimmicks, and not something that looks like a man’s watch.”

He added that the model underwent several iterations during its five-year development, so it was not a simple process — as one might guess; the designers “threw away” more than 40 prototypes along the way, striving to get the balance just right.

The Twenty~4 Automatic pays homage to its predecessor — the rectangular quartz Twenty~4 that became a best seller after it was introduced in 1999 — while setting itself apart with a round, 36 mm case that combines a sleek silhouette and a mechanical, self-winding movement. With its bold Arabic numerals, the design also makes a distinct break from previous women’s complications exuding Patek’s trademark ultra-classical style.

“The woman of today should have an authentic movement, she should have a precise movement,” he said. The new model is outfitted with the existing caliber 324 S C self-winding movement with a date display and sweep seconds hand. Visible through the sapphire-crystal case back, the fine finishing on the movement’s architecture meets Patek’s own stringent standards to carry the brand’s official seal of exceptional quality. Exceptional, indeed.

Stylist: Johannah Masters; Model: Lauren Noble at Carmen Hand Model Management; Manicure: Kayo Higuchi at Bryan Bantry Agency using Chanel Le Vernis

Patek Philippe ups the ante at Geneva’s Only Watch charity auction

A unique piece is the holy grail for watch collectors. When that exclusive chronometer is a Patek Philippe Grand Complication in stainless steel — and it can only be won at auction — join the quest or step out of the way.

With the Grandmaster Chime reference 6300A-010, Patek Philippe has created the first and only version of its milestone Grand Complication in stainless steel. The momentous watch is not for sale via normal channels, however. It will go to the highest bidder at the upcoming eighth biennial Only Watch charity auction benefiting research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy on Nov. 9 in Geneva, alongside 49 other watches donated by brands large and small.

Launched to celebrate Patek’s 175th anniversary in 2014, the Grandmaster Chime was developed with an astounding 20 complications. It is the brand’s first grande-sonnerie wristwatch, and features a petite sonnerie and a minute repeater. It also has an instantaneous perpetual calendar with a four-digit year display, a second time zone and two world-first, patented chiming functions: an acoustic alarm and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand. With so much information to convey, the watch has two dials on each side of its swiveling, engraved case.

Designated as Lot 28 in the sale, the hyper-complicated Patek is estimated to sell for between $2.5 and $3 million. The 50 total pieces in the sale will be sold without reserve and with no buyer’s premium. Those in New York can sneak a peek at the stunning collection at Christie’s New York on Oct. 16 and 17.

Only Watch was founded in 2005 by Luc Pettavino, president of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and former organizer of the Monaco Yacht Show. His late son, Paul, was afflicted with muscular dystrophy, and Pettavino was compelled to launch a major initiative to raise funds for research into a cure.

“All of us together — watchmakers, organizers, partners, media, bidders — in an awe-inspiring collective effort, we create beauty to do good,” says Pettavino. “What we do together on Only Watch is not just wishful thinking or good intentions. We are acting.”

To date, Only Watch and its participating brands have generated almost $40 million. The funds have been entirely donated to scientific and medical research on neuromuscular diseases. This year’s event is expected to be a record breaker — and with the Grandmaster Chime on the block, it’s a sure thing.