The Patek Philippe ref. 96 is not just an archetypal wristwatch by the maison, not just a Calatrava, it is “THE” Calatrava that paved the way for decades of profound innovation to come. Sweeping away the misfortune and shelf dust from the great depression, the ref. 96 saved Patek Philippe from the turmoil thanks to the Stern family. Debuted from 1932 until 1973, the 96 was inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic canon of "form follows function," resulting in a timeless purity and harmony of case lines, still echoed today in the firm's designs. Bearing in mind that there was nothing alike during the era, its success prompted numerous variations, featuring different dial and hand types, as well as calibre modifications with different seconds indication including center seconds, seconds hand at six o’clock, and very rare "no-second" variants, which adds to the model’s design purity.

Sophisticated and elegant, the Antoine Gerlach-designed case with long downturned lugs and a large flat bezel has remained relevant for the last 90 years. The reference 96 was most often cased in yellow gold, as well as in stainless steel, pink gold, white gold, and more rarely, in platinum.

Part of the second series of the 96, the present example from 1937 confirmed by the Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives is an exceptional outlier from the regular production. Featuring an original black dial uncommon for the period, the timepieces features elegant dauphine hands , chemin-de-fer and the early long signature at 12; most importantly the extract confirms its black dial origin. Well-preserved for its age, the hallmark on the caseback remains intact, the case proportion is balanced. According to our research, approximately 90 examples with black dial in yellow gold are known in the market.

Patek Philippe is cherished by collectors for their technical prowess and timeless design. Fresh-to-the-market, the present example is a tribute to both exquisite design and the timelessness of Patek Philippe.