# @sothebyswatches on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DWcURTlmLuY
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/62044359-sothebyswatches-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/542f3ec733.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-03-28T21:01:19.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sotheby's Watches (@sothebyswatches) — https://gondola.cc/sothebyswatches

## Caption

The foundational Patek Philippe Calatrava — with an unexpected link to the American motor industry.

Introduced in 1932, the reference 96 marks the origin point: the first Calatrava, and a model that would define the brand’s design language for decades to come. Produced for over 40 years, its restrained proportions, three-piece case and time-only display established a template that became emblematic of understated refinement.

Always read the caseback. This circa 1955 example carries an added layer of intrigue: a “GM Photographic” engraving. Such markings, often overlooked, can reveal a life beyond the manufacture — in this case, a connection to General Motors’ Photographic division, established in 1920 and responsible for documenting nearly a century of American industrial and cultural history.

Sotheby's New York
Fine Watches Auction
20 – 31 March
12 PM ET

#patekphillipe

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 347
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 3

## Tags

patekphillipe

---
Copyright (c) Gondola