By Rebecca Doulton in Madrid
If horological complications could be assigned a gender, Moon phases would undoubtedly rank as feminine, and this year Patek Philippe is seducing women once again with two beautiful Moon phase watches.
Introduced last year as part of Patek Philippe's growing family of women's watches with complications, Calatrava Ref. 7121 reappeared at the brand's new pavillion in Baselworld last week with a sumptuous gold link bracelet and a new reference number, 7121/1J-001.
Orbiting the bezel are 66 brilliant-cut diamonds - twinkling stars that illuminate the silvery-white dial. The Moon phase indicator, which doubles up as a small seconds counter, is located at 6 o'clock, while the celestial satellite and stars have been dusted in gold.
The classic 33mm Calatrava case, crafted from solid yellow gold, is polished by hand to a lustrous shine. The gold bracelet, woven from seven rows of polished links, converts the watch into a coveted jewel while at the same time contributing to additional flexibility on the wrist.
Patek Philippe completes the trilogy of watches in its dreamy mother-of-pearl Moon phase collection with Ref. 4968G-010, which is also new for 2014. Entrancing us with its iridescent white mother-of-pearl dial and cool white gold case, an engraved spiral emanating from the centre of the dial, guiding the eye towards the dazzling swathe of diamonds encircling the bezel.
A constellation of 273 diamonds swirls around the case, progressing in graduated size from smaller to larger set gems. The sparkling diamond ribbon and ever-changing hues of the dial capture the beauty of the cosmos, which moves in unpredictable, mysterious ways.
The 33.3mm white gold case of the Ref. 4968G-010 watch houses one of Patek Philippe's in-house movements known as calibre 215 PS LU, with a power reserve of 44 hours. Both watches, in fact, are equipped with this manual-winding movement, which tracks the Moon's phases with such precision that a correction is needed only once every 122 years.
