Review
Dje introduces Patton watches, a French brand with Swiss-made, extreme-rated quartz timepieces. He challenges the notion that only mechanical movements hold horological value, suggesting that Patton's innovative product definition and robust designs offer a compelling alternative, even for dedicated mechanical watch enthusiasts.
I know the summer is soon coming to an end for the northern hemisphere, but summer is coming in the south, so let's not forget the water activities!
The watches I want to present you are quite different from what I generally appreciate and try to share. In fact I'm even too attached to the mechanical calibres to imagine myself buying one of these for myself, but on the contrary the interesting product definition makes me think of buying one for my wife, and possibly others for friends or relatives when a strong, original, appealing watch is looked after.
There is in my opinion more horological value in these quartz watches than in many mechanical watches powered by standard calibres and showing too often lukewarm designs.
The brand is Patton. This is a French brand, officially located in the Place Vendome in Paris, but offering swiss made watches with more extreme origins that the luxurious Paris place can let us imagine!
Patton P42 Immersion
The range is organized around three models. The simpler model is the hours, minutes, seconds and date P42 Immersion model, with a depth rating of 300 meters. The P42 Hyperbare models add a 1000 meters rating. The P42 Chronograph models adds, …a chronograph!
Watches born for extreme living
All watches share a stainless steel original case, a screw-down crown, a crown protection, a 2.1mm steel back, a sapphire glass and a quartz swiss made movement. There is a large choice of graphical versions with polished steel or black PVD cases, white or black luminous dials, rubber, carbon fibre, leather, or spinnaker canvas straps or stainless steel bracelet.
The P42 Hyperbare is IMO the most interesting option with its 1000 metres depth rating. Such depth rating is achieved thanks to a bubble, or kind of!
In fact the calibre and all internal elements are permanently immersed in a liquid developed from a high density oil. This liquid apparently can't be compressed by the water pressure on the case, allowing consequently the depth rating.
Patton P42 Hyperbare
A small bubble is kept in the case for allowing compensation of pressures. This bubble is a very funny and relevant alternative to the Chopard diamonds! Nothing is more valuable than a bubble of fresh air (although the oil derived liquid in which it bubbles may not be as pure as the air).
The liquid is obviously not conductive as it must not interfere on the lithium battery, and allows the running of the seconds hand.
The Hyperbare bubble
All this product definition is quite appealing but the cherry on the cake is the extreme program the watches have been faced to! In fact several watches have been exposed to extreme conditions such as a depth rating test of the Hyperbare model by the Brest station of the French Ifremer Institute in a pressurized tank simulating a 1000 metres depth.
Resistance to low temperatures is also being tested with a watch brought and fixed to a 3800 metres high point on the Mont Blanc massif. The watch is regularly looked at to check that it is still working. It will stay there as long as it works (testing at the same time the 10 year long battery life expectancy).
Another watch has been fixed to a ship's wreck in the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The watch is checked once a month by deep sea divers.
Another test would please Dr Bernard Cheong. A watch has been fixed to the wheel of a Porsche 911 Turbo for 6 hours of track at 240 km/h of speed. The watch was still on time after the test. In the same spirit a watch was fixed to a 35m long rope and trailed by a 550 hp Donzi offshore boat at speeds up to 55 knots. The watch has resisted the incredible shocks perfectly. I can just say that I know I would not have resisted such shocks myself. A watch has also been fixed outside a plane aimed at dropping parachutists and accumulating air diving. The plane has taken off and landed 17 times in 6 hours, going up to 4500m each time to drop its passengers, each time up in 17 minutes, and down in 3 minutes!!
The spinnaker Hyperbare
I would like to finish with two other examples of testing that I particularly appreciate. A watch has been fixed below the bow of Sebastien Josse's 60 ft IMOCA race boat; The watch has already spent thousands of miles and several regattas there! And obviously still working.
Maybe less at risk another watch is finally placed on a wrist, Yann Helies is the ambassador of the Patton brand. I hope it will perfectly timed this great French sailor.
Patton P42 Chronographe
So yes these watches are different from what we generally see here, but I find them particularly interesting and hope to be able to say more in the future.
Thank you for reading.
Dje
But I've never seen these watches place Vendôme... maybe the company has its office there but where can you find them ? Fr.Xavier
Hi, The first watches were sold in 2009 and they opened at least one AD in Paris (9 rue du Marche Saint Honore), another one in Saint Tropez passage du port and a third one in Lorient. I don't think there are others so far but they are obviously willing to open more points of sale. This is a small company making rare but somewhat affordable watches, and they have other projects! Cheers Dje
Interesting Jerome. So this oil fills the entire internal case, including around the movement – it is not just between the watch face and dial? Does the bubble move slowly like air in oil or quickly like air in water? Does the oil provide a magnification effect to the dial? How difficult (and messy!) is it to change batteries? And I assume this will need to be done at their factory. Lucky there is a 10-year lifespan on the batteries, but I assume this case is made to last a long time (ie. they a
Hi Andrew, Yes the oil fills the entire case (except the bubble). The speed of movement is hard to define! I would say between the two options you propose. It's an oil somewhat fluid, so certainly faster than in a real greasy oil. I've not noticed a magnification effect. I will check when I see them again. I guess you can't change batteries yourself. They certainly have do it themselves, at least for the Hyperbare version. Cheers Dje
The Hyperbare model with bubble inside the dial is most interesting! I'd love to see that watch in person to witness how the bubble moves around the dial. I imagine it skittering quickly as you move your arm. Very cool! Patton uses a unique font for their numeral "1" which I have never seen before. Also, the crown guard reminds me a bit of a more modest version of the humongous trigger-like crown protector on a Graham Chronofighter. Thanks for bringing this brand to our attention. I like how the
Hi, Thank you for your comments. Obviously there's some marketing too, but their tests are a reality that is really interesting and refreshing! Cheers Dje
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