As the lights dimmed and ballerinas flanked a giant art sculpture of Geneva’s Jet d’Eau, a parade of models in evening gowns sashayed around the centerpiece to debut Patek Philippe‘s newest lineup of women’s watches, the Gondolo Ladies First collection, at the company’s latest and largest Grand Exhibition, this year held in Milan. Guests who had earlier worked their way through the many rooms of the exhibition space may have noticed ads for a similar model from 2009, the Ref. 7071R Ladies First Chronograph. That piece debuted in a similar cushion-shaped case with a dial also surrounded by diamonds, but it was the first women’s model to house the Swiss watchmaker’s caliber CH 29-535 PS, Patek Philippe’s first manually wound chronograph caliber developed and manufactured entirely in-house. It was followed by a Ladies First Minute Repeater in 2011. The new Gondolos dubbed “Ladies First,” however, are powered by the E15..
