Thierry Stern sat down with Ben Clymer at Watches & Wonders 2026 to walk through Patek Philippe’s novelties, and his passion for the product comes through immediately. Nowhere is that more evident than with the Nautilus’s 50th anniversary pieces. Compared to the 40th, this is an exercise in restraint. “My idea is to do the counter-steps,” Stern said. The three limited-edition anniversary Nautiluses are stripped to hours and minutes only—no date, no seconds—perhaps the most compelling of which is a 38mm platinum case recalling the medium-size Nautilus models of the 1980s, powered by the 2.53mm Calibre 240, its micro-rotor engraved with “50 1976–2026”.
The wildcard—a personal highlight for Ben—was something genuinely unexpected: Patek’s first-ever Nautilus desk clock, the ref. 958G, limited to just 100 pieces. Its white gold case translates the porthole-inspired Nautilus design to 50.65mm, with a hinged caseback that doubles as a stand. Technically a pocket watch, yet perhaps it’s better suited to the table. Mr. Stern gives us a peek behind the curtain on how it came to be—and the story behind it is one you’ll definitely want to hear.
Thierry also walked Ben through the 5840P—the Cubitus’s first grand complication, a skeletonized perpetual calendar he’d conceived early in the collection’s development but deliberately held back, wanting the design language to land before the mechanics got complicated.
The vintage Patek market is certainly booming, with the ref. 2523 hammering at $10,247,000 at Phillips Geneva a couple of weeks ago, the latest indication. On that note, Mr. Stern was candid about the secondary market: Patek follows auction results closely, tracks secondary prices, and isn’t shy about it. He even mentions the Patek Philippe Museum actively buying back vintage pieces. It’s one more example of how involved he remains in every aspect of what the brand does—not just the design, but what happens to each watch long after it leaves Geneva.
The conversation ends with Ben asking Stern which watch from this year’s collection he’d want for himself. Given everything on display this year—the anniversary pieces, the desk clock, the Cubitus grand complication, and much more—there are certainly some great options to choose from. Head over to the Hodinkee YouTube channel to see what he picks and for the full conversation.
