Patek Philippe: Perfect Harmony - The Golden Ellipse
1968 was a year of turmoil. While the United States reached new heights in launching the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon, all was not well back on earth. The Vietnam War, killed thousands, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated. Civil unrest against presumed military and bureaucratic elites, culminated in massive protests worldwide. In socialist countries, people protested the lack of freedom of speech and violations of other civil rights of the governments.
It was in this troubled era that Patek Philippe introduced a timepiece with a decidedly calm appeal: Indicating only hours and minutes, the Golden Ellipse simply featured 12 markers around its no-frills blue dial – the only color available at launch.An elliptical case, between a circle and a rectangle. A dial in blue, with gold hands and hour markers floating over its depths. When it first appeared, Patek Philippe’s Golden Ellipse was a bold departure from traditional watch shapes. But far from bowing to fashion, this innovative watch had a sense of inner harmony that was very pleasing to the eye.
61351 - Circa 1970 Patek Philippe Gold Golden Ellipse Watch
The Golden Ellipse is a timepiece whose case proportions were based on the principle of the Golden Ratio, an ancient formula symbolizing beautiful harmony and balance in architecture, arts, and even nature. Also called the “divine proportion,” the Golden Ratio is a unique number, discovered by the ancient greek mathematicians. This “divine” proportion, expressed as a ratio of 1 / 1.6181, forms the basis of some of history’s greatest works of art and architecture.
61221 - Circa 1971 Patek Philippe Gold Ellipse Watch
The calming effect of the Golden Ratio has been scientifically proven. The enigmatic number 1.6180339887 defines the proportions of Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza, Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, the human body, the Apple logo, and also the case shape of the Ellipse d’Or, which made quite a statement on the global stage of high watchmaking at its launch a half a century ago.
Shortly after the Golden Ellipse’s introduction, Patek Philippe presented versions in both white and yellow gold, with variations including woven mesh bracelets, Roman numerals, a more pronounced bezel, and even diamonds. Patek also experimented with exotic dial hues such as “vermeer brown” and “autumn gold,” although the original blue tone has remained a constant. By the end of the 1970s, the Golden Ellipse was available in no less than 65 versions, including those sold by Tiffany & Co. with Patek Philippe and Tiffany names on the face.
61302 - Circa 1972 Patek Philippe Tiffany Gold Lady's Ellipse Watch
Originally powered by a manually wound movement, in 1977 the Golden Ellipse received an important technical update with the ultra-thin automatic Caliber 240. The legendary Patek Philippe Caliber 240 was born out of the demand to have a self-winding, ultra-thin movement. It’s world debut took place beneath the slender gold hour and minute hands of the uniquely-shaped Golden Ellipse mens wristwatch.
61336 - Circa 1980's Patek Philippe Ellipse Gold Watch
This was Patek Phillipe’s elegant strategy to help safeguard the future of the mechanical movement. This self-winding movement was meant to outperform its quartz counterparts, not with respect to rate accuracy and not to compete in the low-end price range. But in categories where Patek has undisputed superiority, such as beauty, reliability, longevity, intrinsic value, and elegance. Ever since then, this petite powerhouse of a movement, has served as the mechanical heart of the Golden Ellipse line.
61315 - Circa 1972 Patek Philippe Gold Ellipse Blue Face Watch
With the Golden Ellipse, Patek Philippe introduced a new, understated, sensationally slender watch with unmistakable style. Whereas today we have grown accustomed to extreme, daring watch designs, back in the 1960s the ellipse shape was a bold departure and a complete surprise. Still in Pateks line today, it has proven to be a continuing, pleasant surprise.
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