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. 2484J that we have here embodies that same design language perfectly. Launched in the early 1950s and produced across a few hundred examples through the early 1960s, the ref. 2484J subscribes to the Calatrava’s signature construction style, with a classical 32.5mm round case which includes a stepped design on its bezel and lugs, creating a rather stylish aesthetic. Powered by the manual-wind cal. 10-200 and featuring a silver dial with applied sword-shaped indices and hands, the resulting aesthetic is that of style, substance, and luxury.

Watch is in overall very good condition. The yellow gold case shows surface scratches, with a few small nicks to the bezel and a couple of dings to the sides of the upper lugs. The case back retains a well-defined 18K stamp along with surface scratches and small marks. The dial shows some small surface marks, including a scratch below the “G” of Genève, and it appears that the minute hand has been repaired at the pinion end. It is fitted with a brown lizard strap and a gold-plated buckle.

The very definition of Patek Philippe, with its classic, refined, and understated design, the ref. 2848J is a wonderful example of a vintage Calatrava.