Today, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse sits on the periphery of mainstream Patek collecting. Outside of dress watch fanatics, vintage obsessives, the Queen, Drake, and John Reardon of Collectability, no one pays much attention to the Ellipse. Given the social media cataclysm of design-led 1:1 UK replica watches these past few years, a focus on this watch feels somewhat overdue.
It’s not like the Ellipse went anywhere. It has remained firmly in the catalog since 1968. What started as a blue-gold dial and yellow-gold 27×32 mm case on a bracelet has morphed into a few different elliptical iterations. What was once a dainty yellow-gold dress fake watches for sale on a bracelet assumed a modern form and became larger in proportion. The recent references include a jumbo platinum model with a sunburst blue dial (5738P-001) added to the collection for the Ellipse’s 40th anniversary in 2008, which was then joined, in 2018, by a large rose-gold model with a sunburst ebony black dial (5738R-001) as well as the platinum hand-engraved 50th-anniversary model ref. 5738/51G in 2021.
Last month, at Watches & Wonders, Patek (re)introduced the Ellipse on a bracelet. It was the perfect way to give the Swiss made Patek Philippe replica watches a revamp with a nod to the brand’s artisanal heritage. But the bracelet does more than signal a long history of metalwork. It changes the entire positioning of the watch. Whether it was an intentional move by Patek or not, the bracelet brings the watch right back to its mid-century roots and echoes the current desire for more obscure ’70s design amongst a certain set of collectors and dealers (who are very present on social media). You could call this obsession with mid-century vintage a “return to glamor,” or you could call it the inevitable next phase of the trend cycle. Whatever it is, it has permeated the watch community. The Patek Ellipse is making a confident stride into the spotlight as a consequence.
In all of its simplicity, the Ellipse became one of the defining cheap copy watches of the decade. It was conceived to be an instantly recognizable shape by Patek as well as unisex in its appeal. Composed of clean, simple, and symmetrical lines, its success was predicated on its almost ideal and proportional balance. A quick Ellipse recap, in case you need one: the Golden Ellipse was based on a “divine proportion” known as the golden ratio/golden section – a centuries-old aesthetic rule concerning the relationship between height, width, and volume which is said to be an expression of mathematically proven architectural perfection. This nod to antiquity resulted in a shape that was neither a circle, rectangle, or oval.
The design evolution of the top 2024 replica Patek Philippe Ellipse watches is relatively straightforward. It has come on bracelets, on straps, in various precious metals, with a stepped case, with gem-set embellishment, with a minute track and small seconds, it has even come as an Ellipse-Nautilus hybrid (aka Nautilipse). The “divine” shape means that it’s always easily identifiable and instantly recognizable as Patek. Having been made during the tail end of the ’60s, it was a precursor to the more audaciously designed watches of the 1970s. It was the little bridge between the more staid look of the ’50s and ’60s and the totally unrestrained experimentation of the ’70s.
Today the high quality super clone watches has remained true to its original form, albeit much larger in size to fit the demands of the modern consumer (or so I am told). This new rose gold release is 34.5 x 39.5 mm in diameter with a thickness of 5.9 mm. The dial is a sunburst ebony black with rose gold applied baton-style hour markers and slim cheveu-type hands. The crown is set with a black cabochon-cut onyx which creates a nice little balance of black detail. The watch comes equipped with ultra-thin movement Caliber 240, features a solid caseback, and is water-resistant to 30 meters.
Now for the crowning glory: The extremely intricate chain-style 18k rose gold bracelet is composed of fine rows of links individually mounted and polished by hand, and has an engraved clasp with three adjustment positions and is non-removable. The bracelet is made of 363 parts, including more than 300 links, each of which are crafted by artisan chainsmiths from a gold wire using CNC. Throughout its history, Patek Philippe has showcased the skills of its artisans and specialized suppliers with its variation of hand-made mesh and chain bracelets. The late 1960s and the ’70s also stand out as a period of great experimentation with metalwork for the brand. The new bracelet was created in the style of a classic chain but with modern specs eliminating the technical drawbacks associated with vintage models. The length can be adjusted as the clasp (its cover adorned with an engraved motif continuing that of the bracelet) offers the choice of three adjustment notches. “The bracelet is directly inspired by the earliest mesh bracelets of the line,” explains Founder of Collectability, John Reardon. “The clasp itself is what captures my heart though – constructed almost identically to what we saw from Patek Philippe in the 1970s and 1980s”
The new Ellipse is a kind of luxury item that feels understated and well made with just the right amount of opulence. It’s restrained but impactful. It’s the kind of perfect replica watches that makes you stare down at your wrist and feel a sense of insular watch-knowledge pride “I am wearing a Patek and I don’t need to scream about it”. And it sits in line with where fashion finds itself today: a return to quiet classics. The clean ebony dial is what minimalist dreams are made of, and it contrasts perfectly with a bracelet that is so intricately woven that it could be a type of knit pattern used by only the finest of luxury heritage cashmere brands tucked away in some remote Scottish highland village. It’s a premium product but it’s quietly glamorous.
Not to say that the Ellipse is slept on, because this isn’t a quest for vintage underdog glory. Perhaps the Ellipse is so much of a classic that it doesn’t need to be made a fuss of. Nobody would ever talk about the return of a white button-down dress shirt or Levi’s 501s! It has pure lines, a clean dial, and a subtle aesthetic impact. The kind of best fake watches that I think speaks to a person with their own personal style. They can slip it into an existing wardrobe rotation, it doesn’t need to be the centerpiece. While the new release is nearly twice as expensive as the existing model on strap ($36,900 vs $60,100), the bracelet does warrant a new category of price. It’s gone from being a dress-watch to a dress-jewelry-watch hybrid. Nonetheless, the Ellipse is discreet. The bracelet endows it with a perfect vintage feel that doesn’t make it feel like a forced reissue. It’s a clever way forward through a style of elegance that was originally honed in the mid-century.
