Patek Philippe Calatrava Cross History

What is the Calatrava Cross and why is it the Patek Philippe emblem? If the truth is told, nobody can be entirely certain how it happened. According to Patek Philippe literature, the Calatrava Cross was adopted by Patek Philippe as “an identifying brand-symbol” at the beginning of the 20th century. The question is why?


The official literature suggests that the motif was seen to have an  “unusual and attractive visual appearance” and, perhaps crucially it was not under any copyright restriction. The Calatrava Cross was subsequently used sporadically until the 1960s. From the 1970s onwards, however, it became a much more standardised aspect of a Patek Philippe watch. And indeed, from the 1970s onwards, the Calatrava Cross became more and more emblematic of the brand, to the point where it was a de facto trademark. Today, the emblem appears on virtually all of the winding crowns and on most promotional literature.

So, the history of the Calatrava Cross goes back just over 100 years with Patek Philippe, but its actual origins go back much further.


The earliest reference I could see was from the “Military Order of Calatrava” founded by Don Sancho III, King of Castile (1157-58). Potentially, the “Military Order of Santiago” (which traces its origins back to 1030, may lay claim to the first use of the emblem, but it was not founded as an Order until 1170. The “Military Order of Alcantara” and the “Military Order of Montesa” have also used variants of the Calatrava Cross. These four monastic-military orders all used the emblem in one form or another, and still exist today.


It makes sense to me that the Calatrava Cross carried with it a spirit of adventure and esteem. I also suspect that, like so many things in life, the importance of the emblem grew on Patek Philippe over time rather than through any specific corporate policy. I suspect we will never really know why the Calatrava Cross was chosen and what specific reasons lay behind the choice. But it is interesting to speculate!