When I saw the leaked Patek Philippe advertisement from Fortune magazine early last week, I wasn’t sure that Patek would be releasing such a watch. The new Patek Philippe Cubitus sums up all that is wrong with the watch industry and its growing pains. I’ve been a watch collector for 34 years and a marketer for 30 years. After I launched WCL in 2013, I never imagined what lies behind the watch industry and I’ve seen it all by now. The watch industry is very much of an enigma to The Average Joe and still quite enigmatic to most seasoned watch collectors who have been collecting watches for decades, but some of the things that I’ve witnessed are mindblowing like this so-called new release.

Last week, Patek Philippe presented their first new collection in 25 years and what is supposed to be a collection that took four years to develop. Honestly with all respect to Patek Philippe and Mr. Thierry Stern —whom I’ve always admired and respected—, this new collection is just a line extension of the Nautilus and not really a new collection. Instead of the Cubitus, this new watch should’ve just been called the Square Nautilus.

In terms of looks the watch is not terrible but it looks like the new Cubitus could be the illegitimate child between a Cartier Santos and a Philippe Charriol.

And what’s up with the name? By definition, the name Cubitus means the fifth longitudinal vein from the anterior edge of an insect’s wing. In Latin, Cubitus refers to the forearm and the bone that connects to the humerus. Why go with this name? Because it ends in ‘us’ like Nautilus?

Was Patek Philippe just trying to follow in the footsteps of the somewhat newish brand Gerald Charles? Or were they trying to make it look like an Apple watch with one of those case kits that look like a hybrid between a Nautilus and a Royal Oak?

How is it possible that no one at Patek Philippe did their homework and searched the web for watches that looked similar before releasing the Cubitus?

I mean the new Cubitus watches are not ugly but this is not a new collection, period. The construction and structure of the case are just like that of the Nautilus and these new watches look just like the watch that I have been seeing on Amazon.com for more than a year now.

The Cubitus was referred to by Patek Philippe as:

“A completely new interpretation of the elegant sporty style.”

Sadly, this is just a square-shaped spoofed line off of the Nautilus collection that should’ve been called a line extension or a Square Nautilus. If I have to be very blunt, there’s nothing new here, other than an updated clasp on a Nautilus bracelet, a repurposed case, and a new movement with a grandiose double date ‘a la’ A. Lange & Söhne.

In Mr. Thierry Stern’s words in an interview with SwissWatches Magazine:

I’ve always wanted to feature a larger date, which I find quite appealing. As you know, it’s not a new concept; if you look at A. Lange & Söhne, they’ve had a very large date for quite some time, and I think it’s very cool. This is something I’ve always enjoyed, and I still remember my dad, six years ago, often coming to me or me going to him, showing him a new perpetual or annual calendar. He always said, ‘Increase the size; make the date bigger.’ So, I’ve had that in mind: make a bigger date, something easy to read.

Also, let’s not forget that the calibre powering the new self-winding Cubitus ref. 5821/1A and 5821/1AR is the same hacking seconds calibre 26-330 introduced in 2019 powering the last production of the now-defunct Nautilus reference 5711. The only thing they did here was to add a new finish to the existing oscillating weight. Adding stripes to an oscillating weight also doesn’t make it a new collection.

The one thing that could kind of justify this new release is Patek trying to bring in a younger inexperienced buyer without having to think outside the box and maybe lure in some of those Lange lovers who are big fans of double-date apertures. Another missed opportunity with this new launch is not adding an interchangeable strap system to add versatility and go in line with the current industry trends.

As I said before, the Patek Philippe Cubitus sums up all that I see wrong in the watch industry as of now:

• New watch collectors that just care about ‘hype’ watches and ‘bragging rights’ because they don’t care about horology, hence a watch like this checks the box just right. I’ve spoken to several Patek ADs and there are herds of clients asking for the new Cubitus like it is the best thing ever released by the brand.

• Then, here we have a perfect example of repurposing and going with the least effort in terms of design. For a while, all we see from watch brands are new color dials, new metal combinations, and barely any new watch case designs or new complications.

• Pricing continues to go up without any justification or clear rationale. Watch brands come with stratospheric prices just because they want to. The price of the new Cubitus Self-winding in stainless steel is USD 41,240 which is 65% more expensive than a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-winding in steel —USD 25,000— and 44% more expensive than an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak ref. 15510ST —USD 28,600. If we put pricing in perspective, one can get a Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-winding in 18K rose gold with a solid 18K rose gold bracelet and two additional interchangeable straps for only 47% more —USD 60,500.

• CEOs of some watch brands like Audemars Piguet, most LVMH brands, Rolex, or in this case, Patek Philippe are omnipotent, and no one in the organization would dare to challenge their point of view or lack of creativity. During his presentation in Münich, Mr. Thierry Stern said he had wanted a square watch for the longest time. Wasn’t he aware of the fact that Patek Philippe had produced numerous square references in the past? Maybe he should’ve looked into the archives for some inspiration and looked at watches like the Square Gondolo reference 5135, or references from the late 1940s like reference 1566 and reference 2422.

Photo: Patek Philippe Gondolo Calendario ref. 5135P (European Watch Co.)

Photo: Patek Philippe ref. 1566J Circa 1946. (1stDibs.com)

Lastly, on top of everything, the new Cubitus had to have a dial like that on the final edition of the Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014 Olive Green sunburst dial or are they following the steps of Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin? How is it possible that this new release was not fitted with a more unique dial but instead used the same color as the final edition of the Nautilus that it is spoofed from?

Four years in the making, an ultra-exclusive release party in Münich, Germany —I believe only four journalists from the U.S. were invited and we were not included—, a repurposed Nautilus square-shaped case, and a lot left to think marks the least exciting but the loudest watch release of the year. A stainless steel model with an embossed Nautilus olive green dial combining a square case with rounded edges and using the same Nautilus bracelet cannot be called a new collection.

For those of you comparing the Cubitus to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, I am sorry but you need to educate yourselves more. The fact that this watch is 45 mm across, doesn’t make it a ‘beefier’ or sportier Nautilus. When the Royal Oak Offshore was presented, it was a clear new watch in terms of design in so many ways. A 42 mm case that was extremely thicker and wider than that on the Royal Oak, a thick visible gasket between the bezel and the case, a redesigned bracelet with a rounded shape throughout all links and center links, greater water resistance, a screw-down crown, a new movement, Therban pushers and crown and a chronograph. Have I said enough?

Here we have the same bracelet as the Nautilus with a redesigned clasp, a case that follows the same construction with hinges as the Nautilus, the same embossed dial as the Nautilus line, and on top of everything, movements that are round for a square-shaped case.

Could Patek Philippe cut any more corners for this release?

To make matters worse and from an interview on handelszeitung.ch Mr. Thierry Stern, President of Patek Philippe said after the launch:

“The haters are mostly people who have never had a Patek and never will. So that doesn’t bother me.”

From criticism: The Cubitus was leaked two days before launch and triggered a shitstorm. What does it do with you?

I am used as I said, it doesn't matter to me. We will always be shot when we launch a novelty. The Haters are a large part of people who never had a Patek and will never have one. So that doesn't make me sorrow. What matters to me is the result. And I'm confident for the Cubitus, because I have a good nose and many professionals around me who told me that it will work.

Excerpt translated to English from German as published in the Interview Published on handelszeitung.ch on October 18th, 2024.

Never in my 11 years in the industry, I have heard such a comment from a CEO or Brand President, let alone I never expected that from Patek Philippe. Dear Mr. Stern, with all due respect, I’ve owned many Patek Philippe watches in the past and I still don’t like this new watch I don’t think this should be called a new collection considering it was spoofed off of the Nautilus.

It is what it is and that’s all that it is.

As usual, I am here calling a spade a spade because other editors or watch publications just won’t.

More info on Patek Philippe here.