A New Case for an Old Classic: Patek Philippe’s New Calatravas
Patek Philippe has a well-deserved reputation for being rather conservative in its watch designs and rarely giving in to transient trends. Thus, even a subtle change to one of its classic models garners attention among watch cognoscenti. At this year’s Baselworld, the brand introduced the new Ref. 5227, a Calatrava in a slightly larger case and a new, hinged dustcover over the exhibition caseback.The first Calatrava, Reference 96, was launched in 1932, the same year that Patek Philippe was acquired by its longtime owners, the Stern family, and has been a mainstay of the brand’s portfolio ever since. And while most watch aficionados know that Patek Philippe is a full-fledged manufacture that makes its own movements, many may not realize that for decades now it has also made its own cases, from sketches to final, polished product. Thus it is with pride that the company touts the new “officer’s style” case of the Ref. 5227, which is slightly larger than those

Out of ten, what score would you give the 15407ST?
There appears to be a very strong fanbase for the 15407ST, though given the highly limited and controlled supply we do not see many pieces amongst members. Given that, I am interested to see just how highly collectors revere this relatively unique piece.

A space age way to look at the time...
Yesterday, I walked into Feldmar's, a truly great AD in Los Angeles. Browsing the Breitling display case, I spotted a handsome Navitimer...Not just any Navitimer, but a limited edition Cosmonaute, a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Mercury mission in which Astronaut Scott Carpenter orbited the earth three times aboard the Aurora 7 capsule. During that historic flight, he wore a manual wound Breitling Navitimer, but with a 24 hour display.The 2012 Cosmonaute is a also manual winding watch, with Breitling's own B02 movement and a 24 hour display. The Aurora 7 insignia is engraved on the case back. This particular Cosmonaute had the black leather strap with the deployment clasp. Very handy and extremely comfortable.Around 1973, as a little boy, I stood at my father's side in a New York City Jewelry store on the Upper West Side while he purchased an Omega Speedmaster Professional. My father showed me the engraving on that manual winding watch's caseback---which proclaimed

My two favorite Breitlings:)
Limited B01. Sorry for the low quality pics it's the best I could do with my phone. Here are some pics I borrowed from the net. And my Navarimer Datora. The Datora gets the most wear these days and yes I got it off eBay a while ago lol.

Is there a "normal" release of PAM690 without the blue dial?
Wondering if there is a non-special edition release of PAM690 without the blue dial? With or without the crown guard.I like the layout of the dial and want to see if there are alternatives. :)