Patek Philippe expands its feminine offerings with the Gondolo Ladies First ref. 7043 in white and rose gold with the option of diamonds, or even more diamonds. Housed in the Gondolo case with ergonomic articulating lugs and powered by a simple, well-decorated movement, Patek Philippe pitches the inaugural quartz Ladies First model as an easy-to-wear, design-led watch for a discerning (and well-heeled) clientele.
Initial thoughts
The Gondolo Ladies First launches alongside a new marketing campaign, helmed by London ad agency Leagas Delaney, responsible for the well known generations campaign and the famous slogan, “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”.
Until now, “Ladies First” meant complicated watches, including the 2009 debut of Patek Philippe’s excellent hand-wound chronograph calibre, as well as a perpetual calendar and a minute repeater. In this context, a two-hand quartz watch is another first.
The selection available at launch is arguably more characterful than the quartz-powered Twenty-4 models, and strengthen Patek Philippe’s catalogue in a segment that the industry has long overlooked. The indices on both the regular and jewellery models deserve special mention — the use of trapeze-cut stones, rather than more common rectangular baguettes, was, to my eye, a make-or-break decision for these dials, and Patek Philippe made the right choice.
But, as usual for the brand, the value proposition may be challenging, especially for the jewellery models, but fortunately the rank-and-file members of the collection are also appealing.
Dozens of diamonds
Inspired the early years of wristwatches — which overlapped peak Art Deco — and named after an important (but now defunct) Brazilian retailer, this interpretation of the Gondolo case features a cushion-shaped silhouette and articulating lugs. It is also water resistant to 30 m, which, according to Patek Philippe, means it’s safe to swim with. The straps are probably not intended for the pool, but the security of the case is reassuring nonetheless.
At Launch, the Ladies First is offered in rose gold with a silver or chestnut opaline dials, or in white gold with a blue-grey dial. Regardless of colour, 108 melee diamonds frame the dials of all three, totaling .41 carats.
Both flavours of gold get jewellery variants, with many additional diamonds and 12 trapeze-shaped hour markers — tsavorite (0.22 ct) and amethyst (0.17 ct) for the rose gold models, and topaz (0.20 ct) for the white gold model. These stones are the same size across all three, but the weight varies due to differences in density between the different types of stone.
The dial base is 18k gold, set with 303 white melee diamonds, with a further 108 on the case, with an average carat weight of around 0.003. Stones this small only cost a couple francs each, though those on the case and buckle are twice the weight on average — 1.74 carats across 276 stones.
Patek Philippe’s diamonds are internally flawless and G to F in color, meaning they lean a little warmer on average than Rolex diamonds (G to D, with D being the whitest colour grade).
A crystal heart
While the exterior stones are likely to steal the limelight, the Ladies First also has a crystal where it counts in the quartz movement. Patek Philippe claims its quartz movements are finished to the same standards as its mechanical movements, even though they lack the Patek Philippe Seal. However, despite six jewels and tidy Geneva stripes, the cal. E15 inside these watches isn’t much to look at, simply because it’s so small.
Unfortunately, the E15 has little going for it other than excellent decoration. It manages an unremarkable three-year power reserve from an standard battery, and lacks the end-of-life indicator found on the larger cal. E23-250. That said, the quartz movement is a set-it-and-forget-it option and the cal. E15 is rated to run +127 to -18 seconds per year from the factory, so any drift will be mostly imperceptible.
Key facts and price
Patek Philippe Gondolo Ladies First
Ref. 7043G-001 (white gold, blue-grey dial)
Ref. 7043R-001 (rose gold, chestnut dial)
Ref. 7043GR-001 (white and rose gold, silvery dial)
Ref. 7043/250G-001 (white gold, diamond-pavé dial, blue topaz hour markers)
Ref. 7043/250R-001 (rose gold, diamond-pavé dial, green tsavorite hour markers)
Ref. 7043/250GR-001 (white and rose gold, diamond-pavé dial, purple amethyst hour markers)
Diameter: 31 × 34.8 mm
Height: 8.03 mm
Material: 18k white or rose gold, or two-tone white and rose gold
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: Cal. E15
Functions: Hours and minutes
Frequency: 32,768 Hz
Power reserve: Battery life of approximately 3 years
Strap: Calfskin with matching gold pin buckle; alligator with matching diamond-set gold pin buckle for jewellery models
Limited edition: No
Availability: Patek Philippe boutiques and retailers
Price: Upon request
For more, visit Patek.com.