The word controversy rarely mixes with Patek Philippe, but recently, a new model has been released, resulting in horological enthusiasts questioning the brand. This model is called the Cubitus, which is Patek’s brand new men’s collection, with the last new range dating back to 1997 when the Aquanaut was released.
Launched just over two weeks ago, the Cubitus was immediately struck with negative views and comments, followed by a storm of videos and articles criticising the Cubitus.
The name has been cleverly formed due to the squared face of the case and the striking similarities of Patek’s very own Nautilus.
There are three different models part of the Cubitus range:
The 5821/1A
The 5821/1A-001 is in stainless steel, featuring a sunburst olive green dial and a 45mm case size with a thickness of 8.3mm. Each hour marker is casted in white gold with white luminescent coating, including a date window at three o’clock, also surrounded by white gold. This Cubitus model is priced at £35,330, with grey market prices being varied, but instantly averaging a value of £120,000!
When this model was introduced to the world of horology, there were direct links made to this model and the 5711/1A-014. Even the movement of the calibre 26-330 S C, introduced in 2019, is part of the Cubitus collection, which was also a feature of Nautilus models released after 2019.
The 5821/1AR
This is the second model part of the Cubitus collection, in a two tone steel and rose gold, with a sunburst navy blue dial. The 45mm case size, thickness and movement is the same as the stainless steel model, pictured and detailed above.
The retail price of the 5821/1AR is £52,480 with grey market prices varying widely from just over £100,000 to £140,000. As there is a very low and limited supply of this model, it is invalid to gain an average for the 5821/1AR.
The 5822/1P
The final model is this Cubitus 5822/1P, the P indicating that this watch is in Platinum. The case diameter is 45mm, with a thicker case of 9.6mm. This is because there is a grand date display, day and moon-phase indications, therefore, an increase in space and room for these complications were necessary for this platinum piece. Easily, this model is the most complicated Cubitus!
Platinum is a precious metal, weighing on the heavier scale, meaning the decision from Patek was to include a blue strap matching the colour of the dial made from ‘composite material’ in a fabric pattern, complemented by cream coloured stitching.
To complete the 5822/1P, there is a baguette-cut diamond set into the bezel at six o’clock. This model is priced at £75,690; a jump from the previous two Cubitus models because of the material and complications. Grey market prices are yet to be unveiled, inferring that only a small minority has managed to get their hands on the 5822/1P.
Where does the CONTROVERSY stem from?
Initially, all three Cubitus models gained a negative reception but since then, the 5821/1A in stainless steel with the sunburst olive green dial has changed minds and seems to be the favourite amongst the horological community. However, the aesthetics of the three Cubitus models are not the problem, but passionate horological enthusiasts are questioning Patek Philippe’s brand identity and ethos because of this launch.
In most cases, many micro-watch brands take inspiration from the larger scale luxury watch brands like Patek themselves where the models of the micro-brands look very similar to the models of the luxury watch brands. In this case, there appears to be identical design similarities to a Cartier Santos or Bell & Ross BR-05.
Clearly, Cartier is not a micro-brand, they are placed second generating the most revenue as a luxury watch brand, with the Santos being a huge answer to their success and achievement. There are clear similarities with the Santos and Cubitus, not forgetting the BR-05 model, also.
Patek Philippe are being branded as “lazy”, with the horological world full of disappointment and frustration over the Cubitus release. It is difficult to oppose this view as the only clever or revolutionary part about this release seems to be the name creation for this new collection. Mentioned at the beginning of this blog, Cubitus is believed to be formed because of the square face and Nautilus model similarities.
The alternative reason is that Cubitus is not aligned with the brand’s identity. Reinforcing the fact that it has been 27 years since Patek released a new collection, fans and enthusiasts are increasingly agitated that the Cubitus is the model to have ended the long wait. Deemed as the ’number one’ luxury watch brand in the horological world, the expectation is extremely high for Patek to launch a piece that shocks enthusiasts due to the pure innovation and craftsmanship- two attributes shaping Patek’s identity. The lack of creativity and proper innovation is heightening the controversy.
How will the Cubitus Cope in the Market?
Despite the critical reception of the Cubitus, values on the grey market for the 5821/1A are almost quadruple the retail price and for the 5821/1AR, values are nearing triple the retail price!
What about the 5822/1P in platinum? Currently, there are a lack of grey market values, but because of the trends with the two 5821 models, the expectation for the 5822/1P to fall above retail is high. There is doubt that the value will soar double, triple or quadruple the retail price, but the belief of the model going above retail is level with the expectation.
Simply, the brand name of Patek Philippe is enough for a demand to be obtained for the Cubitus. There is clearly a demand for square-faced watches, due to the Cartier Santos’s status in the horological world.
A combination of these two is going to be lethal, there is, most likely, a lack of concern from Patek that the Cubitus won’t perform in revenue for the brand. Simultaneously, the Cubitus’s performance in the grey Market will be significant because there is potential that consumers will struggle to get the Cubitus from the Patek Philippe dealership, meaning the route of buying from a grey market dealer will be the choice.
Is the Release that Controversial?
In conclusion, the Cubitus is currently having the horological world sitting on the fence, with fans and enthusiasts conflicted in their own thoughts of the model. As more videos across social media circulate with the Cubitus in many people’s hands, opinions seem to be changing, now with the thought that the
Cubitus aesthetically looks too good to hate on.
The negative reception may have stemmed due to an instant reaction rather than a patient and thought-out opinion, which is easy to be a victim of, in fact, members of Time4Diamonds were unsure about this release. Now the storm has calmed, this release was not as controversial as what it first seemed.
Sadly, the impact of the brand name alone is enough to gather a demand for the Cubitus. The aesthetics and design may be similar to a Cartier Santos, yet Patek has managed to create three strong models that look good. The innovation may be low for the cubitus, on the other hand, the craftsmanship and aesthetics is still part of the model.
