Last week, on the occasion of the Patek Philippe WATCH ART Grand Exhibition Milano 2026, Patek Philippe presented six new Gondolo Ladies First watches, offering a contemporary interpretation of the collection’s Art Deco-inspired cushion-shaped design.
The new models revisit the aesthetic of the 2009 Ladies First Chronograph, Reference 7071, while combining precious-metal cases and gem-setting with the practical simplicity of quartz movements.
The Gondolo occupies a distinctive place in Patek Philippe’s design history.
Created during the Art Deco era for the Brazilian market, the collection has included cushion, square, rectangular and tonneau-shaped watches over the decades. Its influence also extended to the 1990s ladies’ Gondolo, which provided inspiration for the Twenty~4 collection.
The new watches retain the rounded, cushion-shaped case associated with the current Gondolo, with articulated lugs designed to allow the case to sit closely against the wrist.
The use of the slim quartz movement contributes to the relatively slender 8.03 mm profile. The cases measure 31 mm by 34.8 mm and are water-resistant to 30 metres, with a solid caseback.
Three of the new references feature opaline dials with a concentric wave pattern and a diamond-set flange. The flange is set with 108 diamonds weighing approximately 0.41 carats in total, with the stones graduated in size to follow the contours of the dial.
The blue-grey opaline version, Reference 7043G-001, combines a white gold case with a matching blue-grey calfskin strap featuring a denim pattern and contrasting white stitching. The dial is fitted with white gold faceted trapeze-shaped hour markers and leaf-shaped hands.
The same design is available with a rose gold case and chestnut opaline dial in Reference 7043R-001, paired with a chestnut calfskin strap with a denim pattern and cream stitching.
Reference 7043GR-001 combines a white and rose gold case with a silvery opaline dial and a grained beige calfskin strap.
In each case, the wave pattern provides a textured surface beneath the applied gold hour markers, while the opaline finish gives the dial a soft, luminous appearance.
The three Joaillerie versions take the gem-setting considerably further. Their gold cases, dials and lugs are set with a total of 687 brilliant-cut diamonds. The curved cushion-shaped cases and lugs alone accommodate 253 diamonds, while a further 411 diamonds decorate the dial and flange and 23 are set into the buckle.
At the centre of each Joaillerie dial, 303 diamonds are arranged in concentric circles, with their sizes carefully graduated towards the centre.
The 12 trapeze-cut coloured gemstones serving as hour markers are held in gold chatons that allow light to reach the stones.
Their colours correspond to the hands and straps: green tsavorites with a shiny green alligator strap for Reference 7043/250R-001, blue topazes with a peacock-blue strap for Reference 7043/250G-001, and purple amethysts with a matching purple strap for Reference 7043/250GR-001.
The gem-setting is carried out in Patek Philippe’s specialised ateliers, where the stones are selected according to the Manufacture’s criteria for colour, clarity, proportions and finish.
The Joaillerie models are fitted with shiny alligator leather straps and diamond-set gold prong buckles.
The six new watches are powered by Patek Philippe’s Calibre E15 quartz movement. Measuring 15 by 13 mm and just 1.8 mm thick, the movement comprises 57 components and six jewels and operates at a quartz frequency of 32,768 Hz.
It is powered by a 1.55-volt silver oxide battery with an approximate life of three years. The movement drives the hours and minutes and is adjusted through the crown.
Patek Philippe also emphasises that the E15 is conceived according to the same standards applied to the Manufacture’s mechanical calibres.
While approximately 20 per cent of its architecture is electronic, the remaining 80 per cent consists of components manufactured and finished using traditional watchmaking methods.
Bridges, plates and mechanical elements are produced with the same attention to quality found in the brand’s hand-wound and automatic movements, reflecting an approach that regards quartz not as an alternative to fine watchmaking, but as another expression of it.
The new Gondolo Ladies First models form part of Patek Philippe’s broader approach to women’s watches, combining the architectural character of the Gondolo case with different levels of gem-setting and a quartz movement designed for straightforward everyday use.
Prices start at €35,640. patek.com
