Patek Philippe & Co
Reference 96 Calatrava: 31mm
The Patek Philippe Reference 96 Calatrava from 1942 is pictured below in Pink Gold. The modern, Art-Deco Reference 96 is characterized by its clean lines. I have always liked the very simple Patek Philippe Calatrava watches, but I tend to gravitate more toward the Patek Philippe Grand Complications. That being said, there is no question, that the Calatrava models are minimalist masterpieces.
This next image shows a 1937 Patek Philippe Reference 96 Calatrava along with its Official Patek Philippe Archive Extract. Patek Philippe is unlike any other brand in the world, in the sense that it has a supreme appreciation for its history and heritage.
Patek Philippe is so serious about authenticity, they offer a service where you can send them any Patek Philippe watch, and for a fee, they will go though their meticulous archives and pull up the extract on your watch. After they have done so, they will issue an "Extract from the Archives" document as seen below, which documents all the details of your Patek Phillipe. This is just one of the details that differentiates Patek Philippe from everybody else.
Historical Note: In the image above (1937) the dial designation reads "Patek, Philippe & Co" and the newer one (1944) a the top of this post reads "Patek Philippe & Co" so the difference, is the later manufactured version removes the comma after Patek. Today the dials simple read "Patek Philippe."
