Additionally, the new Ref. 6007A marks the launch of the watchmaker's new Swiss production facility.

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Rolex and Patek Philippe announced in April that they would both delay the introduction of new products indefinitely this year under the shadow of Covid-19.

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When the two most influential watchmakers in the world decided to put a halt to their digital watch releases for an undisclosed amount of time, it came as quite a shock to the world since other brands had already begun making digital watches. It was only today, however, that Patek Philippe unveiled its first watch for 2020, just a couple of months after it was planning on debuting its new timepieces at Baselworld had the world not turned topsy turvy. Both Patek Philippe and Rolex have permanently quit the show, effectively killing it.

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To commemorate Patek Philippe's new manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland, this commemorative limited-edition timepiece is called the Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001, a timepiece with a limited production of 1,000 pieces. It is quite important to note that this watch comes in steel, a material that is still considered to be a rarity in the traditional watchmaker's collection, despite the recent popularity of steel. Outside of the very hot Nautilus and Aquanaut, Patek has only made a very limited number of models in the common alloy. There are only a few steel models in the current catalog of this brand, the most notable being the Ref. 5212 Weekly Calendar, which featured the brand's entry-level Calatrava design in an off-white dial, presented in a handwritten style, that was an unusual rendition of the brand's entry-point design.

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In this latest steel Calatrava, which measures 40 mm x 10.34 mm, the brand presents a handsome gray-blue hue with a circular satin finish and a checkered center that the company describes as “carbon-style”. White gold Arabic numerals with lume are placed against a background that evokes the Calatrava Ref. 6006 from 2017. They have pierced baton hands, which are reminiscent of that watch. With this watch, you will be able to view the self-winding caliber 324 S C movement, which is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, which is marked with the words “New Manufacture 2019” as a reminder of when the first group of workers moved into the new production facility last year.

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The construction of the new building began in 2015, but it has only been a matter of time since then. The massive new space has 10 floors, and the building's technology installations are located on four subterranean floors. The parking lot is also located below ground. As the name suggests, the ground floor and the first floor are dedicated to the production and finishing of movement parts, while the second floor is dedicated to machining, manual polishing, gem setting, customer service, and the assembly of cases and bracelets.

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In addition to that, if you are a collector already planning your visit to Patek Philippe, you will be delighted to learn that the second floor houses one of the most fascinating parts of the whole operation; that is, Patek Philippe's treasured restoration atelier for historical antique pieces. This building has three floors dedicated to secret research and development projects, high-end watchmaking and prototyping, a fourth floor dedicated to rare handcrafts and a training auditorium for 299 people, and a top floor penthouse restaurant with eight VIP lounges and a panoramic view of the Swiss landscape that is located on the fifth floor of the building.

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There is nothing better than announcing a new watch manufacture, which is rumored to have cost $600 million, but also showing off the power of a watchmaker that is one of the best in the world. Those VIP clients who will be able to get their hands on the new manufacture reference 6007A will also be able to be proud of themselves as well.