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Patek Philippe Calatrava 38MM White Gold
Ref. 5297G-001
The 5297G is best understood as the 5296 dressed for an occasion the 5296 was not quite built to attend. Where the standard Calatrava is a study in restraint, this variant commits fully to formal wear: 68 diamonds set into the bezel, baguette and round diamond hour markers on an ebony matte dial, and a date wheel matched exactly to the black of the dial so that the complication disappears into the composition rather than interrupting it. At 8.43mm thick it is remarkably thin for an automatic with a date, and that thinness is not incidental — the 324 S C is built around it, with a Gyromax balance and Spiromax spring doing the precision work inside a movement slim enough to keep the whole case from lifting off the wrist. On a 38mm white gold case, the result sits level and close in the way that makes it sit cleanly beneath a shirt cuff, which is where it belongs. The shiny black alligator strap, large-scaled and lacquered, reads as part of the same brief as the dial — everything coordinated toward one occasion, evening wear, and done without hedging.
- Reference
- 5297G-001
- Brand
- Patek Philippe
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 8.43mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 324 S C
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.5mm
- Power reserve
- 45 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
Learn more about Patek Philippe
Antoine Norbert de Patek, a Polish cavalry officer exiled after the November Uprising, founded a watch business in Geneva in 1839 with his countryman François Czapek. The partnership dissolved after six years, and in 1845 Patek took on the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding crown. The firm became Patek Philippe in 1851.
That single invention mattered more than any other in the company's early history: it removed the winding key, and every modern watch descends from it. Queen Victoria bought a Patek pendant watch at the Great Exhibition the same year, establishing the royal patronage the house has traded on ever since.
The Stern family, dial manufacturers and long-standing suppliers, bought the company in 1932 during the Depression. Four generations later it remains in their hands — the last independent family-owned manufacture in Geneva, currently led by Thierry Stern.
Patek's reputation rests on complications: the Calibre 89 of 1989 carried thirty-three of them, and the Grandmaster Chime remains among the most complicated wristwatches made. The Nautilus, drawn by Gérald Genta in 1976 as a steel luxury sports watch, became an unlikely commercial phenomenon four decades after launch.
Production stays deliberately modest, in the tens of thousands annually, and every watch carries the Patek Philippe Seal, an in-house standard the company adopted in 2009 after abandoning the Geneva Seal as insufficiently strict.
- 1839
- Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek found the firm in Geneva.
- 1845
- Adrien Philippe joins, bringing the keyless winding crown.
- 1851
- The company is renamed Patek Philippe; Queen Victoria buys a watch.
- 1932
- The Stern family acquires the company.
- 1976
- The Nautilus debuts, designed by Gérald Genta.
- 2009
- The Patek Philippe Seal replaces the Geneva Seal.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,366), Leather Strap Watches (841), Dress Watches (427), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (240) and Solid Gold Watches (94).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 38mm suits most wrists
- 8.43mm is unusually slim for a 38mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 5297G-001 | 85250/000P | 25860ST.OO.1110ST.05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £30,995 | £30,995 | £29,950 |
| Case size | 38mm | 40mm | 39mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 45 hours | 43 hours | 40 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 45 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £30,995, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £30,995 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths test every pre-owned watch for authenticity, timekeeping and water resistance, and warrant it for 2 years — the same term they give on a new watch.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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