Patek Philippe Cubitus: The First New Men’s Patek Lineup Since 1997

For the first time since the Aquanaut was released in 1997, Patek Philippe has unveiled an entirely new men’s product line: the Cubitus. Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern told customers in 2023 to expect a brand new line of watches by 2024, and this is it: a watch that looks like a Nautilus, but more cube-ish–as the name suggests. Three Cubitus variants have been released to start: a time-and-date model with a bracelet (available in both steel or two-tone) and a platinum moonphase big-date model. The Cubitus was unveiled at a private Patek Philippe event in Munich on October 17, 2024. Here are the details.

Patek Philippe Cubitus Specs and Pricing

Design

The Patek Philippe Cubitus has Patek’s familiar “garage door” embossed dial pattern. The steel version has a green dial while the two-tone and platinum versions get blue dials. The hands and hour markers are fully lumed. The resemblance to the Nautilus is inescapable, but it definitely has its own design. And each model even has its own cufflinks if you’re into that sort of thing.

Despite the exaggerated faux shock coming from various social media personalities, in my opinion the Cubitus is actually a pretty clean, conservative design. It’s blocky, with beveled edges galore, but the proportions are hardly unusual. The Nautilus-like bracelet on the time-and-date versions gives a sportier look than the blue composite fabric strap on the platinum moonphase Cubitus.

What Did Stern Say, Exactly?

Thierry Stern told Bloomberg that a new line of watches–Patek’s first since the ladies’ Twenty-4 in 1999–was to be expected in 2023 or 2024. He also made some interesting comments about not wanting all his watches to be ultra-upscale. This sporty, modern-looking Cubitus Patek Philippe will certainly be a welcome addition to the catalog, with list prices ranging from $41,240 for the steel time-and-date version to $88,380 for the platinum moonphase big-date Cubitus.

Patek Philippe sports watches in particular have grown to be so desirable that their market prices are mostly well beyond the $30,000-$40,000 level. It can be healthy for a luxury brand to be known as aspirational and hard to get, but you don’t want to cross the threshold of “I heard that’s so impossible to get that I won’t even try.” The Aquanaut and Nautilus have both arguably passed that threshold, which is why the Audemars Piguet vs. Patek Philippe argument tilts heavily in AP’s favor when you’re talking about sports watches around the $40,000 price point. The Cubitus may alleviate that. When the watch was released, Stern noted that he “always wanted to have a square watch in the collection. It’s not easy, as 85% of the watches around the world are round.”

What Happened On October 17?

Patek Philippe invited some serious collectors to a private new-release event in Munich on October 17, 2024 to see (what turned out to be) the Cubitus in person. Rumors about the Patek Cubitus were already flying, with some thinking it would be a chronograph and others predicting a diver or a Richard Mille-like tonneau case. I was digging through Patek Philippe’s trademark application for “Cubitus” and checking out their recent patents (like ones for a multifaceted bezel and extra-durable gold alloys) to try and find clues.

Alas, when a Patek Cubitus ad appeared in Fortune Magazine on October 12, 2024, pretty much all the predictions were proven wrong, except for the general predictions about it being a sports model. Plus there was a Reddit user who leaked a loose Cubitus dial pic that, in retrospect, was legit. Patek VIP’s in Munich got to handle the new Cubitus releases and not all of them love it, but plenty of them do.

Will the Cubitus Fill Patek’s Market Void?

Patek’s Cubitus should be a smash hit with long waitlists, despite the din of protest from haters. Availability is unlikely to be high, especially because Patek recently revealed an ad campaign titled “Fast is the Enemy” noting that “to accelerate the time it takes to make a watch, we would have to cut corners and lower our quality.” So even though this is an entry-level Patek Philippe lineup, don’t expect it to be easily attainable–at least for a while.

To many people, Patek is simply the #1 watch brand in the world. But there are other top luxury watch brands to compete with now. It’s no secret that the watch world has cooled off a bit since the peak of the hype in 2022, but Rolex watches are still selling just fine. And even six-figure hyperwatches like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept–or anything from Richard Mille–still have extremely strong demand. But, candidly, high-end offerings from Patek just aren’t moving as quickly as they once did. This Patek Cubitus, though, should sell just fine.

More on Patek Philippe:
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What is the Price of a Patek Philippe Nautilus in 2024?
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Fall 2023 Patek Philippe Releases
Patek Philippe 2024 Watches and Wonders Releases