Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/1R-001

Quick specs Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738
Price: approx. € 56.000 | approx. CHF 55’000 | $ 60,100 | approx. £ 48,000
Size: 34.5 x 39.5 mm
Reference: 5738/1R-001

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738 is the latest and forth model in the current line-up of Golden Ellipse models. This typical dress watch finds its origin in the Patek Philippe Gold Ellipse Ref. 3548 from 1968. It was designed by Jean-Daniel Rubeli, Patek’s Head of the R&D department at the time, influenced by Gerald Genta’s design language. That first Golden Ellipse is a small-sized dress watch (27 x 32 millimeters) with a blue dial and golden bracelet.

Over the years there have been several references of the Golden Ellipse, variating in size, dial design, and even shape. The current Ref. 5738 line-up dates from 2008 when the 5738P was released, a platinum version on a leather strap. And now the Golden Ellipse is back to its root, as the new Ref. 5738/1R is gold again, including a golden chain-style bracelet.

Variants and history of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse

Before we go to the new model, we give you some examples of variants over the last 56 years. There are Ellipses with Roman numerals, with Arabic numerals, with diamonds, with open-worked dials, and even horizontally and square-ish shaped ones. It started with a time-only version however in 1974 a date version was introduced with the Ref. 3605. Three years later the caliber 240 was launched for the Ellipse (Ref. 3738), still in use, but other movements are used as well.

There is a model with a concentrically mounted seconds hand, called sweep seconds. And a model with small seconds on the 4 (!) o’clock position and one with small seconds at the 6 o’clock position. Furthermore, we found dials with a minute track, lined markers, dotted markers, and different shapes for the bezel. The smallest has a size of 19.8 x 22.3 millimeters, the Ref. 4137/3 from 1973. Nowadays vintage models can be found for around 5,000 and more, depending on how much gold is used. Or just go for a new one like this Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738.

Elliptical case

The new model has the renewed elliptical case, which holds the middle between a circle and a rectangle. Patek says that the design is inspired by the principle of the “golden section”, a discovery by 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. The size of the new one is 34.5 x 39.5 millimeters. This size is also the biggest Ellipse so far, and its new “standard” since 2008 when the model celebrated its 40th anniversary.

The dial is sunburst ebony black applied on an 18K gold dial plate. It has Cheveu-type hands, hairline like, in rose gold and the applied baton-style hour markers are also rose gold. The crown is set with a black onyx cabochon, and it has a solid case back.

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738 has a power reserve of 48 hours

This dress watch still runs on the Patek Philippe caliber 240, an automatic movement, with off-center 22K gold mini-rotor recessed in the plate plane. It’s slim, with a thickness of only 2.53 millimeters and bears the Patek Philippe seal, like most Patek models. A quality hallmark that, among other things, ensures an extreme rate accuracy, with a tolerance of no more than -1/+2 seconds per day. This ultra-slim movement is also used by Patek as a base for other models and complications. The power reserve is 48 hours.

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738 comes on a polished rose gold classic chain-style bracelet that has 363 elements. More than 300 of them are links that are individually mounted by hand. The bracelet is secured with an engraved fold-over clasp, also in rose gold, with three adjustment positions for a perfect fit.