Released in 1932 and named after the cross that the Calatrava Knights paraded around Spain and Portugal during the 12th and 13th centuries, the Patek Philippe Calatrava was released as a simple timepiece with broad appeal that would help secure Patek Philippe's finances following Jean and Charles Henri Stern's investment in the brand in the same year. Designed with a strict Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic in mind, the Calatrava used, and continues to use, simplicity as its means of establishing intrigue around the craftsmanship required to construct such a stunning timepiece. Without a complicated movement or a busy design, collectors gravitate towards the Calatrava's clean aesthetic and practicality, and the ref. 2551J we have here embodies that same design language perfectly. Launched in 1954 and made until 1960 as one of the earliest models to feature Patek’s first in-house self-winding movement, the cal. 12-600AT, the ref. 2551 is one of the Calatrava’s most important mid-century references. Boasting a silver dial made from a metal plate, the ref. 2551 moved away from the more fragile design language that its predecessor, the Calatrava ref. 2526, had used with its enamel dial. In addition to this dial change, the ref. 2551 also featured a thinner case than the ref. 2526, making it a decidedly more modern offering. Offered as the peak of technology for the time, the ref. 2551 also featured a screw-down caseback that granted a significant amount of water resistance to the model at the time – a large upgrade for a dress watch. Additionally, the ref. 2551 features a large, for the time, 36mm case that offers a wonderfully contemporary touch to the collection’s original 31mm case, as used by the ref. 96, which added to its ahead-of-its-time movement and screw-down caseback.

Combining a thoroughly luxurious case construction with a beautifully understated dial and screw-down caseback, the ref. 2551 brought together a myriad of design choices that truly helped propel the Calatrava to the modern era of watchmaking