During the official launch of Patek Philippe’s highly anticipated Cubitus collection, President Thierry Stern stood on a balcony overlooking a crowd of retailers, clients, and media in October, ready to unveil the brand’s first new watch line in 25 years. The event, held an hour outside Munich, was supposed to showcase the new collection, but the excitement was dampened when an ad for the timepiece leaked online just days before. The premature reveal sparked a flurry of activity on social media, but not all of it was positive. Even major publications like The New York Times compared the Cubitus unfavorably to a much cheaper $717 model from a small British brand powered by a basic Miyota movement.
Despite the leak and the lukewarm reception, the demand for the Cubitus remained high. Within days of its release, collectors, including rapper N.O.R.E. (Victor Santiago Jr.), were proudly showing off their new timepieces. N.O.R.E. shared photos and videos of his two-tone Cubitus (Ref. 5821/1AR) just four days after the launch, further fueling interest in the collection.
Creating a new watch line is always a significant challenge, especially when the last collection came out more than two decades ago. Patek Philippe, one of the most respected names in watchmaking, had high expectations riding on this release. Stern responded with what many critics described as a relatively simple design, particularly the time-and-date models, which were viewed by some as mere variations of the iconic Nautilus series, now housed in a larger 45 mm case. The Cubitus line includes three references: Ref. 5821/1A, priced at $41,243, features a steel case with an olive-green dial; the two-tone version with a blue dial retails for $61,276; and the platinum Ref. 5822P, priced at $88,378, boasts a blue dial and is the only Cubitus model with a strap.
Despite its simplicity, the Cubitus line is far from basic. It’s powered by the new Caliber 240 PS CI J LU movement, which boasts six patents pending. This movement features a large date window, moon phase, and day-of-the-week indications that can all be adjusted simultaneously in just 18 milliseconds. One of the key innovations of the Cubitus is its ability to correct the date digits’ alignment at any time, making it much more than a typical timepiece.
Stern acknowledged the comparisons to the Nautilus but defended the design choices, noting that he drew inspiration from both the Nautilus and the Aquanaut when developing the Cubitus. “Today I have an amazing line with the DNA of the other one—that’s what I do,” Stern explained. “You should not always reinvent everything from zero. Take the best of what you know and improve it.” This approach, he added, is in line with how other luxury brands, like Hermès, Rolex, and Ferrari, operate.
However, Stern emphasized that the goal of the Cubitus was not merely to replicate the past, but to attract a new generation of watch buyers. “I cannot only stay with the older clients—and I will not lose them—but I also know that at one point they will be gone, and the new ones should also be part of it,” Stern said. He described the ideal Cubitus buyer as someone young and dynamic, perhaps starting a new business, while also acknowledging that the model would likely be hard to acquire initially unless the buyer was already an established VIP client. “It will be the same as the Aquanaut,” he added. “The first year might be a bit difficult for the newcomer to have it, but after that, it will be easier.”
This candid statement seemed to confirm that, while the Cubitus may not bring anything radically new to the table, it still captivated the watch world’s attention. Stern’s strategy appears to be working—despite the early criticisms, the buzz around the collection shows no signs of waning. Patek Philippe has successfully created a new line that, while familiar in its design, keeps watch enthusiasts talking—and that’s precisely the kind of response the brand thrives on.
