The Calatrava! If you’ve been following for any length of time, you know I’m quite fond of Calatravas and this is a good one. About as honest as it gets with a dial that I believe is entirely untouched with an opaline / eggshell textured dial free of any striations or gaining from cleaning and honest patina and crisply defined hard enamel signature and seconds track. The case is equally attractive with crisp, defined lines, hallmarks, and bezel, and even full lugs.

Case: The 30.5 x 38.5 x 8.5 solid 18-carat yellow gold case is thick and full and has likely seen a sympathetic polish in the past with two hallmarks flanking the crown and a very crisp hallmark on the back of the lug. The wide flat bezel is also crisp and prominent, completing the distinct silhouette of the iconic case profile. If you’ve never worn or didn’t know the dimensions of these cases, you’d surely estimate they are larger, as the long, wide-spaced lugs wear much larger than the measured dimensions would suggest. The caseback has been engraved “WJM 3-16-79”.

Dial: The opaline dial appears to be entirely untouched, with a rich, consistent finish throughout, crisp engraved enamel signature and seconds track, and precise Pearling on the minutes track.

Furthering the hypothesis this dial is untouched, it exhibits mild spotting and marks on the crown side that present as patina on wrist and do not detract from the overall package. There is a spot in the seconds track around “34” that appears to be on the surface and potentially removable. Given how well the watch is running and the honest and charming overall appearance, I was inclined to leave it as is, with a price to reflect the imperfection.

Movement: Correct for the movement number and caseback engraving, this is a “fourth series” with the upgraded caliber 27-AM-400 that features a Geneva Seal, beautiful architecture and finishing, and modern upgrades such as the soft-iron case for anti-magnetism and “Gyromax” balance. The movement is also engraved “HOX” indicating it was intended to be sold to the American market. The watch is winding, setting, and running smoothly at approximately -3 s/d, averaged across 6 positions with strong, consistent amplitude.

It's always so impressive to me these movements are so beautiful and well finished with cotes de Geneve, black polishing, anglage, and a beautiful layout and were never intended to be seen by anyone other than watchmakers!

Strap: The watch is presented on a Patek Philippe signed strap with aftermarket pin buckle. The strap measures 63 x 122 and is in good overall condition.