August 27, 2016 Blue Dial Patek Philippe Replica 5524G Calatrava Pilots Travel Time Watch

Blue Dial Patek Philippe Replica 5524G Calatrava Pilots Travel Time Watch

Today we’re taking a closer look at what was arguably one of, if not the most controversial new Patek Philippe Replica 5524G Calatrava Pilots Travel Time replica watches to be unveiled at Baselworld this year; the 5524G Calatrava Pilots Travel Time from Patek Philippe. Supporters were quick to point out that Patek Philippe did make a few Pilot watch prototypes back in the 1930’s and so this gave the new model some legitimacy however even they were forced to acknowledge that the new 5524G bore little to no resemblance to this older models. Rather it looked like a slightly fancier version of the Zenith Type 20 GMT, which is a whole other story altogether.

Lauded by some, derided by others it seemed like this was the only watch people were talking about for the first few days of Baselworld. As soon as the first pictures were released watch-related social media channels went into meltdown, everywhere you looked there was the Patek Philippe 5524G, often accompanied by a flurry of comments. Some were positive, others were negative, however most – like yours truly – were simply just confused; what the heck was this thing?

To say the 5542G came out of left field would be a gross understatement.

What I found fascinating however is how such an unremarkable looking watch could create such a stir. Presented in a 42mm white gold case – it seems like steel would have been the more fitting metal here but maybe that’s just me – paired with a rich blue dial, the best quality fake Patek Philippe Ref.5524G looks like pretty much every other GMT Pilot watch of this style ever made. Oversized numerals? Check. Secondary time-zone? Check. Large-ish crown? Check. You get the idea. Of course there is one tiny detail, which may explain the disproportionately passionate response – it’s the name Patek Philippe printed on the dial (in case you couldn’t guess.)

The fact is this watch has the potential to become a significant part of Patek Philippe history, which means its value over time is only going to go one way; up. $50,000 may seem like to a lot to pay right now for a pretty standard Pilot’s watch, but who knows? In 20 years we could see them selling for 4 times that amount. Anyway you look at it this whole endeavour has been one massive win for Patek Philippe.

Quite simply put Patek doesn’t make watches that look anything remotely like this, or at least they didn’t until the surprise unveiling of the 5524G, which is what makes this all so damn exciting. Sure you may not like the look of the new Pilot’s watch but there’s no denying it’s a game-changer, which is why retailers are snapping them up left and right. They know collectors are going to love this watch, even if they hate how it looks or the fact that the tiny 31mm Caliber CH 324 S C FUS only offers 45 hours of power reserve.

There were also a few of other notable releases that didn’t quite garner the same amount of airtime, like the Split-Seconds Chronograph Ref. 5370, Calatrava Reference 5227G-010 or Ref 5905P Annual Calendar Chronograph, but most loved one here was the 5711/1R-001 Nautilus in rose gold with that beauty of a chocolate dial and the case gold colour that can be best appreciated in person. Of course the 5524G wasn’t the only fake Patke Philippe Split-Seconds Chronograph watch the brand unveiled at Baselworld this year.