Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases Watch Review
The Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases is presented in a 33 mm white gold Officer-style case featuring a bezel dressed in brilliant-cut diamonds. Meehna Goldsmith, a self-confessed horophile, waxes lyrical about the blue-faced Genevan beauty in her own distinctive style.
The very first wristwatch was released in 1810
The rise of wristwatches is attributed to First World War, when men in the trenches needed a safer and more convenient way to read the time. Reaching for a pocket watch wasted precious seconds that took eyes and concentration away from the battlefield. However, the very first wristwatch, made by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1810, was actually for a woman: the Queen of Naples.
Patek Phillipe ladies’ watches
It took almost 60 years for another women’s bracelet watch to hit the scene. Patek Philippe picked up the mantel in 1868, producing a yellow gold number on a matching bracelet. With a dial crafted in enamel and a case bedecked with diamonds, this treasure was sold to Countess Koscowicz of Hungary in 1876.
In another interesting historical note, Patek, renowned for the fluid, dulcet sounds of its repeaters, created its first one in 1916 – for a woman. In a 33.8 mm, intricately engraved platinum case with an integrated bracelet, this five-minute repeater with two gongs was built on a Victorin Piguet base. The watch was sold to a certain D.O. Wickham in New York, a very lucky lady indeed.
So why am I taking this particular stroll down Patek’s memory lane? Because many brands sideline women when it comes to Haute Horlogerie options. If there are ‘women’s’ models to be had, they are usually dolled-up versions of the men’s in a scaled-down case. Patek Philippe has always figured women prominently in its offerings. Remember when it released the brand’s first in-house, hand-wound chronograph calibre in 2009? It was introduced in the Ref. 7071R ‘Ladies First Chronograph’.
Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases – 215 PS LU caliber
The Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases bears all this prestigious lineage. First off, notice the 33 mm case dimension is nearly identical to D.O. Wickham’s repeater. Another mechanical coup for female horophiles is that the calibre keeping time is the smallest complicated movement that Patek Philippe makes: the manually wound 215 PS LU caliber with moon phases and small seconds. You can see it ticking away through the curved sapphire case back.
Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases – blue sunburst dial
The Ref. 7121/200G certainly has its bona fides in terms of mechanics and history, but what about aesthetics? If you’ve got a Ferrari engine in a rusted-out and dented 1982 Toyota Corolla, it just doesn’t have the same appeal. Fortunately, the Moon Phases won’t have any problems filling her dance card. While the previous model offered a yellow gold case and silvery-coloured grained dial, this one comes in a white gold frame and an inky blue, sunburst dial that resembles the colour of an evening sky. The sunburst treatment gives a cool shimmery effect depending upon the angle of the light.
Both the Breguet hour indexes and round minute markers are crafted in white gold, as are the pear-shaped hands. At 6 o’clock is where the complication sets in. The aperture displays the phases of the moon to an accuracy of one day in a century plus 22 years. Contemplate that: If you bought the Moon Phases now and (someone) kept the watch wound, it would outlast you in accurately keeping track of the moon phases.
The dial is framed by an orbit of 132 brilliant-cut diamonds set in a staggered pattern called “Dentelle”, which is a lace-style setting technique offsetting two rows of stones. The sparks coming off the bezel make it look like there are more rows of diamonds than there are. Now stick with me here for a second. If you look at the dial near your eyeline, it sort of feels like you’re standing on the lip of a cosmic fountain and falling into its depths.
Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases – 33 mm Officer’s-style case
The Patek Philippe Ref. 7121/200G Moon Phases comes in a 33 mm Officer-style case that has straight lugs and screwed-in strap bars. It wraps around the wrist with a hand-stitched, shiny blue alligator leather strap with a prong buckle.
Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases – closing thoughts
Throughout the centuries, Patek Philippe has demonstrated it cares about and values its female patrons. They are an integral and important part of their past, present – and hopefully will remain so into the future. The Ref. 7121/200G Moon Phases is yet another exquisite example of their commitment in keeping us adorned through time.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: Patek Philippe 7121/200G Moon Phases
- Case: white gold; diameter 33 mm; height 8.35 mm; water resistance to 3 ATM (30 m); sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours; minutes; moon phases; small seconds
- Movement: Caliber 215 PS LU; hand-wound; 157 parts, 28,800 vph (4 Hz). Power reserve minimum 39 hours.
- Strap: Shiny blue hand-stitched alligator strap with square scales with prong buckle
- Price: £35,240 (RRP as of 7.10.2023)