Sell your Calatrava · South Florida · by appointment
Sell your Calatrava to a dealer who knows which reference he is holding.
A 96 from the 1930s, a hobnail 5119, a hinged-back 5227, and a Pilot 5524 are four different markets. Send the dial, the back, and the certificate. I reply within 1 business day with a number and the reasoning.
- Vintage 96 and 3796 through 5196, 5119, 6119, 5227, and the Pilot Travel Time
- Yellow, white, and rose gold and platinum, priced above the metal, not at it
- Estate pieces by appointment, with or without the certificate
Who this page is for
Most Calatravas come to me from an estate, not a collector's safe.
This page is for the person holding a Calatrava who wants to know what it is before anyone names a price. Often it was a father's dress watch, worn for decades. Sometimes it is a 5196 bought new and left in its box.
The Calatrava is Patek Philippe's time-only dress watch, made since the reference 96 of 1932. Ninety years of references means hand-wound and automatic, plain and hobnail bezels, hinged backs, and the Pilot models that borrow the name. Each has its own buyers.
Below I separate the references, the metals, the dial question, and the Extract decision. The Certificate of Origin, Patek service, and what an Extract is stay on the Patek Philippe page.
Selling a Calatrava to me
What changes when the dealer prices the reference, not the gold.
A metal floor, then the watch
A gold or platinum Calatrava is always worth its metal. I work out that floor and the collector value separately and show you both. A clean 5196 sits well above the floor.
Vintage quoted in person
A reference 96 or 570 is a vintage watch, and the dial decides most of the value. I do not quote those from photos. I meet you, put the dial under the loupe, and give a firm number.
The Extract decision, made before you spend
An Extract takes time and has a fee. On a vintage Calatrava without its certificate it is usually worth ordering first. On a 6119 with its certificate it is not. I tell you which.
Paid within 24 hours of inspection
Wire or check, your choice, once the watch is inspected and matches the photos.
What I check on a Calatrava
Five things that decide the offer on this model.
The reply says which way each one moved for your watch.
Reference family
96 and 570 vintage. 3796 and 3919 small hand-wound. 5196, 5119, and 6119 hand-wound. 5296, 5120, 5227, and 5153 automatic. 5524 and 5522 Pilot. I place yours first.
Bezel: plain or Clous de Paris
The hobnail bezel on the 3919, 5119, 5120, and 6119 is the Calatrava most people picture. A polished hobnail loses its points.
Metal, and the diamond at six
Yellow, white, and rose gold, and platinum. A platinum Patek carries a single diamond set into the case at six o'clock. If it is missing, I ask why.
Dial: original or refinished
On a vintage Calatrava the dial is most of the value. A refinished dial, however clean, lowers the offer sharply. I read the printing and the lume first.
Hinged backs
The 5227 has a dust cover on an invisible hinge over its sapphire back. The 5153 opens the same way. I check the hinge for play and the cover for fit.
How it works
Four steps. Real numbers.
01
Get an offer
Send the appraisal form with the dial straight on in daylight, the case back (opened, on a 5227 or 5153), the bezel at an angle if it is hobnail, the buckle, and the certificate or Extract with the numbers visible. I reply within 1 business day.
02
Ship or meet
Take the prepaid, fully insured FedEx label, or book an appointment in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. For a vintage reference I prefer to meet.
03
Inspect and confirm
I open the box on camera, check the case and movement numbers against the papers, put the dial under the loupe, and work any hinged back. If it matches the photos, the offer stands.
04
Get paid
Wire or check within 24 hours of inspection. If we do not agree, the watch returns to you, insured, at my cost.
Hand-wound or automatic
The two Calatrava lines, and the references inside them.
Same name on the dial, different movements and buyers.
| Criteria | Hand-wound | Automatic |
|---|---|---|
| References | 96, 570, 3796, 3919, 5196, 5119, 5116, 6119 | 5296, 5120, 5227, 5153, and the 5524 and 5522 Pilot |
| Calibre | 215 PS from the 3796 through the 5119; 30-255 PS in the 6119 | 324 S C with date in the 5296, 5227, and 5153; ultra-thin 240 in the 5120; 324 S C FUS in the 5524 |
| Case size | Roughly 31 mm on the 96, 30.5 on the 3796, 33 on the 3919, 36 on the 5119, 37 on the 5196, 39 on the 6119 | 35 mm on the 5120, 38 on the 5296 and 5153, 39 on the 5227, 42 on the Pilot |
| What moves the offer most | Dial originality, case edges, the Extract on older pieces | Full set, the hinge on a 5227 or 5153, strap and buckle |
Directions, not figures. The metal floor sits under every row. I show the arithmetic in the reply.
The detail
What moves a Calatrava offer, and why.
The metal floor, and why a Calatrava sits above it
Almost every Calatrava is gold or platinum, so every offer starts from what the case and buckle weigh. That is the floor. A working Calatrava with its original dial sits above it, because the next owner is buying a Patek, not bullion. Ladies references such as the 4896 and 7200 are priced the same way, metal first, then a collector value that is smaller on most ladies pieces.
Reference 96, 570, and the vintage Calatrava
The reference 96 of 1932 is the first Calatrava, a round case of roughly 31 mm with flat lugs and small seconds, made for about four decades. The 570 is its larger brother at around 35 mm. On both, the dial, the hands, and the case decide the value. For a 96 or 570 without a certificate, order the Extract before you sell. It confirms the dial and case the watch left Geneva with. I quote these in person, under a loupe.
3796, 3919, and 5196: the small hand-wound line
The 3796 carried the look of the 96 into the 1980s and 1990s at 30.5 mm, hand-wound on calibre 215 PS with small seconds. The 3919 of the same era added the hobnail bezel at 33 mm. The 5196 replaced the plain-bezel line around 2004 at 37 mm, same calibre, in every gold and in platinum. These are the Calatravas I see most. The small cases are harder to sell than they were, so condition carries more of the offer: sharp lugs, an unpolished back, crisp dial printing.
Hobnail bezels: 5119, 5116, 5120, and 6119
The Clous de Paris bezel is a field of tiny pyramids cut into the gold. The 5119 at 36 mm carried it from around 2006 on calibre 215 PS. The 5120 is the automatic hobnail at 35 mm on the ultra-thin calibre 240. The 6119 of 2021 brought the design to 39 mm on the new calibre 30-255 PS. A hobnail bezel shows polishing faster than a plain one. If the pyramids no longer come to a point, the case has been refinished, and the offer moves down.
5296, 5227, and 5153: automatics and hinged backs
The 5296 is the everyday automatic Calatrava, 38 mm with a date and centre seconds on calibre 324 S C. The 5227 of 2013 took the same calibre to 39 mm and added an officer-style dust cover over the sapphire back, on a hinge so fine it disappears when closed. The 5153 does the same at 38 mm. I work the cover and feel the hinge for play. These references trade on the full set, because the certificate, box, and strap should still be together.
The Calatrava Pilot Travel Time
The Pilot shares the name and little else. The 5524G of 2015 is a 42 mm white gold watch with a blue dial, large Arabic numerals, two pushers for a second time zone on calibre 324 S C FUS, and a brown calf strap. A rose gold 5524R followed. The 5522A is a steel version without the second time zone, a limited run for New York in 2017. These sell to the buyers who want an Aquanaut, so I price them against sport references. The pushers should work cleanly, and a 5522A needs the papers that place it in its run.
Dial condition and refinishing
A Calatrava dial is simple, which makes any change to it obvious. Refinished dials are common on vintage pieces, because owners had them restored decades ago. The signs are printing that sits on the surface, a signature in the wrong font, and lume younger than the hands. An original dial with even patina is worth far more than a refinished one that looks new. Do not have it cleaned or relumed before you write.
When selling to me is not the right call
If your Calatrava is a rare vintage dial variant and you have months to spare, an auction may get more, and I will tell you if yours is that watch. If it was your grandfather's and you are undecided, keep it. If the dial is refinished and the case is thin from polishing, the offer may sit close to the metal, and I will say so. If you want an insured sale paid within a day of inspection, that is what I do.
How to prepare your submission
- Dial straight on in daylight, flash off, then at an angle so a hobnail bezel shows.
- The case back, and the inside of the cover on a 5227 or 5153.
- The Certificate of Origin or Extract beside the watch, numbers visible, or say you have neither.
- The buckle or clasp, front and back, even if the strap is worn out.
- Service history: Patek Philippe, independent, or unknown.
- Your county, and whether you prefer the label or an appointment.
Questions, answered
Before you send a Calatrava
Should I order an Extract from the Archives before selling my Calatrava?
On a vintage 96, 570, or 3796 without its certificate, yes. It confirms the original dial and case. On a recent 5196, 5227, or 6119 with its certificate, no. Ask me first.
Is a refinished dial a problem?
It lowers the offer, often by a lot on a vintage piece, because the original dial is most of the value. It does not stop a sale. Tell me if you know it was restored.
Do you buy the Calatrava Pilot?
Yes. The 5524 in white or rose gold and the steel 5522A are priced against Patek sport references, not against dress Calatravas, because that is who buys them.
Is a platinum Calatrava worth more than gold?
The metal floor is higher and platinum was made in smaller numbers, so usually yes for the same reference. Look for the small diamond set into the case at six.
What if I have no Certificate of Origin?
I still appraise the watch. On a 96 or 3796 the certificate is often lost and the dial carries the offer. On a 5227 or 6119 it matters more, and I show you by how much.
Sell your Calatrava
A real number on your Calatrava, in 1 business day.
Send the dial, the back, and the papers you have. I reply personally with the metal floor, the watch value, and the reasoning. Insured shipping is on me. Payout within 24 hours of inspection.