First 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. Silently breaking from that convention, the ref. 1596J that we have here utilizes a rather unique construction to establish intrigue. Large for its time at 35mm in diameter, the ref. 1596J was a large watch for the 1940s, but its particularly noteworthy design detail are its twisted lyre lugs that result in a rather sculptural shape for a watch made between 1944 and 1950. Featuring a silver dial with a mix of applied stick and Roman numerals, the ref. 1596J’s dial only begins to hint at the complexity of its case, as made by Markowski (master key mark 8). Incredibly rare, with only a handful of examples known to the market in 18kt yellow gold, this timepiece is particularly exciting given the completeness of its paperwork, with its original guarantee, original retail receipt and other supporting import documents that tell the story of how the watch was originally retailed and its import across borders was communicated in a time long before the advent of modern technology.

The watch is in overall very good condition. The yellow gold case shows light scratches and nicks, as expected for a watch of this vintage. The case remains generally well defined, with a crisp hallmark on the back of the top left lug. The dial shows surface damage and visible degradation, while the gold hands are very clean. It is fitted with a brown leather strap and a gold-plated unsigned buckle. The watch is accompanied by its original certificate, invoice, and paperwork related to the shipping and customs importation of the watch.

Love the unusual lugs on the 1596J — it’s a rare twist on the usual classic style. A pile of all the original papers add real value here, and the whole watch just feels distinctive among mid-century time-only Patek Philippe watches.