Twenty-five years. It’s a long time by any measure; quite literally a millennium ago. Christina Aguilera was discovering she was in fact a genie in a bottle, Westlife was learning to fly without wings, and the Vengaboys were on their merry way to Ibiza.

Meanwhile Patek Philippe was launching the Twenty-4 – the brand’s first exclusive feminine collection – and what would turn out to be its last new collection for 25 years.

But the long wait for a new one is now over. If you have even a passing interest in watches, you will have heard the buzz, seen the leak, and WhatsApped the other watch geeks in your life about this, the Cubitus. (More specifically, the Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5822P-001, Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1AR-001, and Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1A-001.)

Given the angular nature of its design, the Cubitus has already divided opinion – its bevelled square aesthetics are, simply, unapologetic. You either get it or you don’t. Which is fine by Patek – it won’t exactly struggle to sell them.

When Thierry Stern made us say goodbye to the iconic model Ref. 5711/1A Nautilus in 2021, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth; fans of the brand have been circling ever since, awaiting a stainless steel time-and-date replacement.

Well, they got it – and plenty more. It’s finally time to tuck in.

Patek Philippe Cubitus

Jean-Daniel Meyer

Patek Philippe Cubitus

Jean-Daniel Meyer

Given both its name and its looks, the Cubitus is clearly framed as a direct relative of the Nautilus. There’s the horizontal relief embossed dial, those famous hinges, the integrated bracelet (complete with micro-adjustable clasp), and even the same finishing on the equivalent parts.

So yes, these are clear siblings; brothers from the same mother. But let's take a look at what sets them apart.

The Cubitus is undeniably still an incredibly elegant sports watch, but with a more dynamic edge than the Nautilus. In automobile terms, it’s a bit like when a manufacturer’s Special Ops department has been let loose on the design, and they’ve flared the arches and added extra air intakes. The Cubitus feels just as louche as the Nautilus, but just a little lairy, too.

Square watches tend to wear larger anyway, and this is one you’ll want to wear loud and proud; it has, what the cognoscenti call, ‘wrist presence’. The 45-mm diameter of all three models – as measured from 10 to 4 o’clock across the case – does sound sizable for today’s tastes, but it is somewhat mitigated by the slim 8.3mm case depth.

The Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1A-001 is as entry-level as the Cubitus, and indeed Patek gets, which is of course all relative. Its olive sunburst dial is simply stunning – it was a triumph on the Nautilus and somehow works even better here.

The Patek Philippe Cubitus ref. 5821/1AR-001 takes it up a gear – a two-tone version that brings rose gold into the equation, the contrast between polished and vertical-satin-brushed finishes are brought into even sharper relief. The blue sunburst dial is the perfect complement to the rose gold – a perennial winning combination.

And then you have the Cubitus Instantaneous Grand Date, Day and Moon Phases, Reference 5822P-001 in platinum. This magnum opus is powered by a new movement with instantaneous displays for which six patent applications have been filed. Patek is the patent king – but six in one watch is punchy even for Patek. They include the mechanism that allows you to correct all the indications at any time of the day without disrupting the others – literally unheard of until now.   

The eponymous grand date itself is displayed in a double aperture at the 12 o’clock position by means of two co-planar disks (that is, placed on exactly the same plane), and delivers an instantaneous date switch in just 18 milliseconds (another patent). We had a preview of this system without realising it in the more complex in-line perpetual calendar Reference 5236 back in 2021. It's proof, if it were needed, that Patek has a grand plan for even the most innocuous of innovations.

Find yourself awake when the watch strikes midnight and you'll also be treated to the Grand Date's party piece: a particularly pleasing sight of the date, day, and moon phase all advancing in perfect synchronicity, with a neat little click. 

And what of the naysayers, those less enamoured by its looks? Well, the last all-new men’s watch from Patek – the Aquanaut, launched in 1997 – was somewhat of a sleeper hit. But now you’d have to sell your first born to have a chance of getting one.

So when it comes to Cubitus’s fate, we reckon it’s hip to be square.

See more at patek.com