Patek Philippe 'Birks' Rectangular Dress Watch

Though the famous Calatrava is — for good reason — perhaps the best known of Patek Philippe’s incredible dress watches, there are myriad others that deserve recognition.

From the rectangular Gondolo to the curvaceous Golden Ellipse, these timepieces, though simple in design, beg a closer look for their classic proportions and strict attention to detail. Patek has been producing such wristwatches for roughly a century of its 180- plus years , and shows no signs of slowing down.

The particular dress watch represents the confluence of Patek and one of North America’s most important retailers, Maison Birks of Bijoux, Canada. Birks was — and remains — a storied seller of wristwatches and jewelry, and was afforded the rare privilege of retailing watches from the likes of Patek and Rolex with its own name. In the 1940s, Canadian servicemen were known to purchase Rolex watches from Birks in place of issued watches.

Housed in a 25mm yellow gold case with an acrylic crystal, an unsigned, stylized crown, and a polished bezel, it features a gilt, non-luminous champagne dial with dauphine numerals, a blued steel ‘spa de’ handset, an outer ‘railroad’ minute track, and a sub-seconds counter at 6 o’clock. Notably, it’s signed ‘Birks,’ and not Patek Philippe — a highly rare concession to an important retail partner.

Powered by the hand- wound Caliber 10” lev er escapement movement, it comes paired to an 18mm brown leather strap with a yellow gold pin buckle, and is accompanied by an extract from the Patek Philippe archives showing a manufacture date of 1926 and a sale date of 1927. Understated and classic, this is a fine timepiece for those in the know.