Patek Philippe Doubles Down on the Cubitus With Smaller 40mm Case

Perhaps the biggest news out of the watch world in 2024 was the high-profile (and rather unexpected) launch of Patek Philippe’s first new watch collection in many years, the square-cased, Nautilus-inspired Cubitus. As with just about everything Patek Philippe does, everyone had an opinion about the new and somewhat polarizing timepiece, which essentially replaces the Nautilus as the collection’s most upper-echelon expression of sporty luxury for men. 

One of the criticisms leveled at the first wave of Cubitus models was directed at their case size — a rather imposing 45mm, in an era when increasingly modest dimensions are in vogue even for masculine-targeted models. Well, never let it be said that Patek Philippe isn’t plugged in to the watch-enthusiast zeitgeist, as the Genevan maison has unveiled two new iterations at Watches & Wonders 2025 — both with their angular cases winnowed down to a more widely wearable 40mm diameter and a svelte 8.5mm thickness. 

The new Cubitus models — one in white gold with a blue-gray sunburst dial (Ref.  7128/1G-001), the other in rose gold with a brown sunburst dial (Ref. 7128/1R-001) — usher in the new “medium” size for the family, with both of their angular, geometric cases hosting an array of vertical-brushed and polished finishing. Having had the opportunity to see the 45mm watch and the new 40mm model side by side, and to try on both at Watches & Wonders Geneva, I can report that the difference in wrist presence is pronounced, with the latter model making a much more discreet statement compared to the original’s more dominating character. 

Both watches’ dials feature the familiar and very Nautilus-evocative horizontal embossed pattern and baton-style hands and applied hour indexes, made in the same gold as the case and bracelet. The faceted date window at 3 o’clock is also in gold. The bracelets’ links feature the same subtle but stunning contrast of brushed austerity and polished gleam on their surfaces. 

The movement inside these smaller Cubituses (Cubitii?) is the same Caliber 26-330 S C that animates the larger models, a self-winding, elaborately decorated micromechanical engine made in-house, like all of Patek Philippe’s movements. At 27mm in diameter and 3.59mm high, it fits more snugly into the 40mm cases, with its attributes on full display behind a sapphire caseback, including its solid gold rotor, with a côtes de Genève motif and the engraved Calatrava cross emblem of Patek Philippe. The power reserve is described as 35 hours minimum and 45 hours maximum. 

These new Patek Philippe Cubitus timepieces in their “medium” sizing will likely prompt more holdouts to take another look at this new and still rather controversial collection, especially — as I find myself fervently hoping — if Patek can start finding ways to work more complicated movements into the cases. Considering the maison’s history in this field, the sky really is the limit.