Patek Philippe revisits the Art Deco-inspired Gondolo Ladies First — and chooses quartz

For a manufacture synonymous with grand complications and elaborately finished mechanical movements, Patek Philippe’s decision to put a quartz calibre inside its new Gondolo Ladies First collection might seem surprising, but there is good reason for it.

Just unveiled in Milan, the six new Patek Philippe Gondolo Ladies First watches place design, wearability and jewellery craftsmanship firmly at the forefront. They are a modern, more colourful reinterpretation of the Gondolo Ladies First Chronograph Ref. 7071 of 2009, a historically significant watch that debuted the maison’s first proprietary hand-wound chronograph calibre, the CH 29-535 PS, and did so in a women’s watch.

The collection made its debut at the Patek Philippe WATCH ART Grand Exhibition Milan 2026, which is still running until Oct 18 at CityOval Milano. The seventh of Patek Philippe’s Grand Exhibitions around the world, and the manufacture’s largest to date, the show brings together some 500 timepieces and objects alongside demonstrations of watchmaking and rare handcrafts.

The return of Patek Philippe’s Gondolo Ladies First

The Gondolo name has long been associated with some of Patek Philippe’s most distinctive shaped watches. Its roots go back to the manufacture’s relationship with Rio de Janeiro retailer Gondolo & Labouriau, which began in 1872.

From 1902, Patek Philippe created the Chronometro Gondolo watches specifically for the Brazilian market, with the first wristwatches appearing around 1910 in square, rectangular, tonneau and cushion-shaped cases. Those early 20th-century creations, particularly pieces from the Art Deco era of the 1920s, established the shaped-watch vocabulary that continues to inform the Gondolo collection today.

For the new Gondolo Ladies First, Patek Philippe revisits the softly rounded square silhouette of the 2009 model but strips away its chronograph complication. The fully polished gold case measures a compact 31mm by 34.8mm and just 8.03mm thick, while articulated lugs allow it to sit flush against the wrist. Water resistance is 30m.

There are two distinct interpretations, each offered in three colourways. The first trio comprises Ref. 7043G-001 in white gold with a blue-grey opaline dial; Ref. 7043R-001 in rose gold with a chestnut opaline dial; and two-tone Ref. 7043GR-001, combining white and rose gold with a silvery opaline dial.

Each features a concentric wave pattern and a sloping flange set with 108 diamonds totalling 0.41 carats. Faceted trapeze-shaped hour markers, tiny gold cabochon minute markers, and leaf-shaped hands complete the composition.

Patek Philippe elevates the jewellery watch

For those who consider 108 diamonds merely a starting point, the second trio of Gondolo Ladies First Joaillerie references go considerably further.

Each is set with 687 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 3.11 carats across the dial, flange, case and buckle. On the dial, 303 diamonds spiral around the centre in graduated concentric circles, while trapeze-cut coloured gemstones serve as hour markers.

Ref. 7043/250G-001 pairs white gold and diamonds with blue topaz markers and a peacock-blue alligator strap. Ref. 7043/250R-001 combines rose gold with tsavorites and green alligator, while two-tone Ref. 7043/250GR-001 uses amethysts with a purple strap. The coloured hands are coordinated with the gemstones through innovative process of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

Patek Philippe also carried out the diamond setting in its own gem-setting ateliers, with stones selected according to criteria aligned with Gemological Institute of America (GIA) standards.

Why is the Patek Philippe Gondolo Ladies First quartz?

Perhaps the most interesting decision sits inside. Instead of creating another mechanical showcase, Patek Philippe powers all six new Gondolo Ladies First watches with its existing E15 quartz calibre.

The choice helps explain the watch’s slender proportions and emphasis on ease of wear. The 57-part E15 movement measures only 1.8mm thick and offers approximately three years of battery life. Only 20 per cent of its components are electronic, while the remaining 80 per cent are manufactured in the same way as those of mechanical calibres.

While the revived Gondolo Ladies First is an intriguing contrast with the model that inspired it, it also gives Patek Philippe another distinctive proposition for women alongside the Twenty~4, Aquanaut Luce, Nautilus, Calatrava, and Golden Ellipse.

Instead of recreating an important watch from its recent past, the new Gondolo Ladies First takes its recognisable silhouette and gives it a decidedly more contemporary, colourful and jewellery-focused personality for the future.