Patek Philippe Introduces the Twenty-4 “Manchette”

The classic original returns.

One of the “It” watches of the 2000s was the Patek Philippe Twenty~4, which was launched in 1999 as an elegant yet everyday watch for women in steel with a bracelet and quartz movement, making it affordable and chic.

Having unveiled the round Twenty-4 automatic two years now, Patek Philippe has rebooted the original Twenty-4 “Manchette”, once again in steel with new dials in blue and grey. And like the original, it has a steel bracelet, hence the nickname – manchette being French for “cuff”.

Initial thoughts

While the round, automatic Twenty-4 is larger and perhaps more casual, the original rectangular model is more compact, giving it a slightly more formal style – but the new dial design avoids looking old fashioned. And the rectangular Twenty-4 has been around long enough it is easily recognisable, despite the relatively simple styling, making it the signature Patek Philippe watch for ladies.

The central element of the new Twenty-4 is the facelifted dial. Doing away with the diamond indices and Roman numerals of the original, the new dial is cleaner and more modern, while also having luminous hands and hour markers.

The upside of a quartz watch is that it more easily accessible than a mechanical watch, in both pricing and functionality, avoiding winding and setting the time. And this particular model does not have a second hand, so its identity is hidden.

Priced at about US$14,700, the Twenty-4 is very expensive for a quartz watch with a steel case. And it has to be remembered a quartz watch has a grab-and-go convenience mechanical watches lack, which is a quality that the target audience for the Twenty-4 appreciates. While pricey, the Twenty-4 is by far the most affordable watch from Patek Philippe, which no doubt is a big part of its appeal.

The details

While the only new thing about the Twenty-4 is the dial, it is a smart tweak that gives the watch a fresh face without changing its overall look. The serif-font Arabic numerals and stick markers look more contemporary, as do the fully “lumed” hands and markers. The look is a sensible refinement of the purpose of the original Twenty-4, which was a watch suitable to be worn all day long for any occasion, hence the name.

The rest of the watch sticks to the look of the original, including the bracelet links that echoes the stepped case profile. And the movement remains the same, oval-shaped E15 quartz movement.

The E15 is a simple quartz movement, but dressed up since it is a Patek Philippe. The main bridge, for instance, is decorated with Geneva stripes, while the base plate is finished with perlage.