Launched in the 1960s, the Golden Ellipse is Patek Philippe’s second-oldest continuously-produced collection after the Calatrava. The Golden Ellipse is still in the watchmaker’s modern catalog and has seen a few changes and diversification over the course of its existence.
History of the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse
The story of the Golden Ellipse began in the 1960s. More specifically, the timepiece debuted in 1968 with the manual winding Reference 3548. An elliptical case between a circle and a rectangle would hint at a connection with the Nautilus. Still, it would take about a decade before the Patek Philippe icon appeared in the watchmaker’s catalog.
Still, many people have theorized that the decision to create a dress watch with such an unusual shape was Patek’s way of foreshadowing what was to come. Regardless of its true intent, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse was a bold departure from tradition.
There are two stories about the likely origin of the Golden Ellipse's design. The first and likely more accurate story is that the design was inspired by the Golden Ratio. This is a mathematical ratio designers use to create aesthetically pleasing and perfectly symmetrical designs.
The Golden Ratio has been used for centuries and is seen in ancient designs like the pyramids of Giza, ancient Greek architecture, and the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. The gorgeous curve of the Golden Ellipse fits this mathematical formula of beauty represented by the ratio 1/1.6181. The name of the model further confirms this theory.
The second likely story for the origin of the Golden Ellipse’s design is that it was inspired by the view from an airplane window. This theory, while unlikely, fits nicely into the narrative that the Golden Ellipse and the Nautilus are somehow connected since the latter’s design was also inspired by a ship’s porthole. Although the design of the Golden Ellipse was carried out in-house by Patek Philippe, the case itself was built by case maker Ateliers Reunis.
The Golden Ellipse took the horological world by storm when it was released. Remember that this was before the days of oddly shaped timepieces like Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak or Patek’s own Nautilus.
Variations of the Patek Golden Ellipse
As one of the longest-running collections in Patek Philippe’s catalog, the Golden Ellipse has been produced in a wide range of design variations over the course of its half-a-century existence. The collection comes in a wide range of metal options, varying sizes, and dial colors. These variations make the Golden Ellipse appealing to different categories of watch lovers.
The first Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse yellow gold version (references (3548 and 3546) came with a cobalt-blue dial. Shortly after these watches made their debut, Patek released a white gold version while introducing variations like woven mesh bracelets, diamond-studded bezels, and Roman numerals for the existing models. Patek Philippe also experimented with exotic dial colors such as “Vermeer brown” and “autumn gold” in these vintage models as an alternative to the classic blue dial.
Roughly a decade into its existence, this timepiece had over 65 versions. Arguably, the biggest update to the collection came in 1977 when Patek introduced the ultra-thin automatic Caliber 240 for this collection. The thin profile of this movement helped to create super slim versions of this watch that competed effectively against the quartz watches and thick sports watches that were gaining popularity in the 1970s.
Patek continued experimenting with the Golden Ellipse’s design and even produced an Ellipse-Nautilus hybrid in 1980 known as the Reference 3770 Nautillipse. In 2008, Patek released a 40th-anniversary version of this timepiece. This model was the first platinum variant in the collection, and it was paired with a plain blue baton dial.
Another set of anniversary models was released in 2018 for the collection’s 50th anniversary. They came in a larger case size of 34.5 x 39.5 mm. These watches were also available in three case-dial combinations. These include a rose gold model with an ebony-sunburst dial, a platinum model with a black dial, and a white gold version with a volute pattern dial.
Features of the Golden Ellipse
Despite the unassuming design of this elegant dress watch, the Patek Philippe Ellipse is an interesting timepiece with several remarkable features. First is its ovular shape, which was uncommon at its debut and helped the timepiece to amass a loyal following within a relatively short time. The watch also has a unique minimalist dial and has used a super Caliber 240 movement in all variants since 1977.
Geometric shape
The most important attribute of the Patek Philippe Ellipse is its elliptical shape, which complies with the golden ratio. This shape, which falls somewhere between a circle and a rectangle, was innovative for its period. However, it was also quite elegant and balanced. The Ellipse immediately stood out on the wrist while maintaining a sense of simplicity and aura of discreet luxury.
The slim and sleek design of this watch elevated its elegance. While there were slight design variations for different models, all versions of the Ellipse maintained a symmetrical form with aesthetically pleasing softly curving edges.
Dial
In addition to the shape and minimalist design of the Golden Ellipse, this watch also stands out for its dial design. The earliest models were particularly famous for their elegant cobalt blue starburst dial.
While they looked like standard sunray blue dials, Patek had to develop a unique technique to create them in the 1960s. This was achieved by vaporizing a mix of cobalt with 24k gold, a process known as vacuum plating. The process was much more complex than the electric bath method, the convention for creating dials like this.
The iconic cobalt-blue dial is the most popular dial option for this timepiece. However, there have been several other notable color variants, including brown and gold. Like the rest of the watch, Golden Ellipse dials have always been characterized by a minimalist design. They feature simple hour markers, with only minute and hour hands. The dial has few texts and no complications, preserving its true minimalist aesthetics.
Ultra-thin Movement
All versions of the Golden Ellipse, starting from 1977, are powered by the automatic Caliber 240 movement. This is a gorgeous and efficient movement built in-house by Patek Philippe. The most important feature of this mechanical movement is its micro-rotor, which allows the movement to be ultra-thin and accounts for the unrivaled extra-slim case of this timepiece.
The Caliber 240 was the thinnest automatic movement of its time when it was released. This Caliber has been used in several other Patek Philippe watches, including models in the Calatrava, Nautilus, and Perpetual Calender collections. The legendary Caliber 240 is powered by 27 pink jewels and delivers a power reserve of up to 42 hours.
Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse price
The Golden Ellipse is one of the most affordable Patek models, especially if you’re looking to buy vintage models of this watch. You can find an old model Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse for sale for anywhere between $7,000 to $15,000. The exact price depends on the condition and the casing options. Models with gold cases and bracelets are at the upper end, while the platinum and leather strap options are cheaper).
Patek currently has four versions of Reference 5738 in its catalog. This is the 50th-anniversary version of this watch, which comes at a higher price tag than the vintage model. These watches cost between $34,000 to $114,000, depending on your preferred variant.
Conclusion
Today, like many other vintage models, the Golden Ellipse is making a resurgence. Modern buyers gravitate towards this watch's elegant design and perfect form. While it is still not as popular as other mainstream Patek Watches like the Nautilus or even the Calatrava, the Golden Ellipse is gradually returning to prominence, and it’s one of the most affordable vintage Patek timepieces you could ever buy. Modern models are just as costly as a Patek dress watch can get, but they’re well worth their price.
