Patek Philippe revisits an iconic classic with new “Manchette” collection

Elegant yet practical.

When Patek Philippe debuted the Twenty~4 collection just before the turn of the millennium, the brand epitomised timeless feminine elegance in a timepiece. Besides being the first dedicated ladies’ collection, they were one of the few watch models to combine steel and diamonds, which when paired with quartz movements made for affordable and chic everyday watches that women around the world coveted.

The watch’s popularity, of course, spawned numerous iterations in yellow, white and rose gold, on satin straps and with brown and blue dials, all of which pushed the model to best-selling status. In 2018, Patek Philippe launched the round Twenty~4 automatic to equal success, but it was finally time for the watchmaker to return to its original “manchette” version, a cuff-style watch that was equal parts distinctive and practical for the modern women.

Available in two new references, the reinterpretations of the original model comes well-sized at 25.1mm x 30mm in steel, with a facelifted dial that heralds an aesthetic evolution for the storied collection.

What will strike you first is how the new art deco-inspired rectangular shape easily offers a more formal look than its round counterparts. As the first major change to the 1999 version, these watches have done away with the Roman numerals and diamond indices of the original, replacing them with lumed Arabic numerals and trapeze-shaped hour markers respectively. A choice of blue sunburst (ref. 4910/1200A-001) or grey sunburst (ref. 4910/1200A-010) that gradually fades to black is available, both of which lend plenty of visual flairs and are excellent choices for legibility and wardrobe versatility.

On the steel case, the brand continues the original Twenty~4 legacy by adorning the distinctive shape with two rows of 18 Top Wesselton Pure diamonds and comes with a link bracelet that’s been manually finished and fully polished.

The Patek Philippe calibre E15 quartz movement — promised to have been made with the same devotion as its mechanical movements — help make this watch significantly more accessible for women who want to embody the firm’s signature brand of refinement and luxury.