New: Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition

A brand first started by Louis Brandt (who also started Omega) was revived in 2019, and now releases the second model – the Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition

The subscription series of the new Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition has price of CHF 18,000 before taxes. A deposit of CHF 6,300 is payable on order, with the balance when the watch is ready for delivery. The series is available in two dial options, but is a limited edition of 40 pieces in total.

Commentary

Though this is their second watch offering, this is the first we have heard of Patria. The brand name is rather interesting. The name was registered by Louis Brandt, who also founded Omega, way back in 1992. Watches bearing the Patria brand became known to British soldiers during WWI as these were issued by the Army. By 1917, the Patria 13’’’ military wristwatch was widely used by soldiers. It featured radium painted numerals for night legibility. But by the 1940s, with the rise of Omega, the Patria name faded.

The name was revived by British watch designer Jolyon Lambert and co-founder Adam Stansfield in 2019. Their first product was the Brigadier Flyback Chronograph. It was based on the Eterna Caliber 3916, and fitted with a dial with a very vintage feel. The chronograph was listed at CHF 4,450 and was a limited edition of 92 pieces in 2 dial variations and an option for a Milanese styled bracelet. Looking through the Patria website, the watch looked very competently designed with a nicely finished movement. Quill & Pad’s Ian Skellern called it, “Best Value Swiss Made Automatic Chronograph Of The Year” (2022).

The novelty looks equally compelling. The design is by Olivier Mory formerly from Renaud et Papi, Richard Mille and Valfleuer and the hand finishing is by Philippe Narbel formerly from AP.

The dial layout and design is a throwback to the 3 ADJ trench watches which Patria had supplied in WW1, and is made of a brilliant white enamel with military numerals hand painted by Frédéric Thierry, another well known artisan who have gone to the trouble to use a special pigment on the SuperLumiNova to make it look like the glow of old radium. Nice attention to detail all round.

The CHF 18k price point is interesting, especially when we are beginning to see Swiss made tourbillons coming down in pricing from the high heavens. Our recent survey shows the Horage Tourbillon 1 which was offered at CHF 7,480 before taxes. Horage has since discontinued the Tourbillon 1, and replaced it with the Horage Lensman 1 retailing CHF 8,890. Both the Ba111od and the Horage Lensman1 handily undercuts the TAG Heuer Carrera 02T Chronograph Tourbillon which currently retails at SGD 28,250 (approximately CHF 19,800 with tax) for the least expensive variant. . Admittedly the TAG also includes a chronograph for additional utility. 

We look forward to examining the actual watches and photographing them soon.

Release details

Experience the epitome of Swiss craftsmanship with the Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition. This meticulously handcrafted timepiece exudes a timeless retro charm and boasts a hand-finished proprietary movement, all at the extremely competitive price of just 18,000 Swiss francs.

A New Chapter for an Emerging Brand

In 1892, Swiss watchmaker Louis Brandt formed Patria with the intention of creating the world’s first purpose-built wristwatch company. Revived in 2019 by British watch designer Jolyon Lambert and co-founder Adam Stansfield, Patria found inspiration in a century-old trench watch bearing the name ‘PATRIA.’ Eager to infuse their own unique influence, the founders embarked on a journey to resurrect the brand.

Now onto its second model since the company’s revival, Patria has gone above and beyond to push its craftsmanship to the next level, forming strong partnerships and bringing in new core team members from various disciplines across the industry. With the talent in place, Patria demonstrates to enthusiasts, collectors, and connoisseurs worldwide what the brand has to offer. 

Introducing the Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition

The Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition encapsulates the essence of the brand, embodying tradition, elegance, virtuosity, and sophistication. Paying homage to Patria’s military heritage, this Swiss Made timepiece features a 39.5mm stainless steel case, aptly named ‘Brigadier.’ Housing Patria’s first proprietary movement, the PA-130. This movement was meticulously engineered and manufactured by Olivier Mory, a distinguished watchmaker and core Patria team member with an impressive background including Renaud & Papi, Richard Mille, and Valfleurier.

The PA-130 hand wound tourbillon movement features 110 hours of power reserve and an open-face tourbillon cage highlighting the sophistication and technical prowess of Patria as a modern watchmaking brand. The slowly rotating cage at 6’ o clock is a perfect way to convey watchmaking as a kinetic art form. 

The number 130 in the PA-130 reference is a reference to Patria celebrating 130 years since its foundation at the start of the development of the watch. 

The movement is hand finished throughout, with beautiful hand anglage and polishing by Philippe Narbel, who after 8 years in Audemars Piguet is now a legendary figure of his own merit, best known for his incredible anglage, which he carefully carries out on every Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition. Thanks to Narbel’s artisanal art, the floral-shaped bridges of the PA-130 shimmer divinely with light playing from their highly polished edges. 

The dial closely resembles the design language of the ‘3 ADJ’ trench watches that Patria supplied to soldiers fighting in the First World War. A brilliant white enamel dial is pad printed and emblazoned with iconic military numerals hand painted by Frédéric Thierry and his team of experts in La Chaux de Fonds. 

Even the Super-LumiNova pigment used to paint the numerals and fill the hands is mixed specially by Thierry to closely resemble the old radium used in the original Patria watches. In low light, the caramel-coloured pigment glows bright green, just like the radium of the original watches. 

The Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition features elegant flame-shaped hands finished using Patria’s own specially developed ‘Flame-Anglage’ technique, which involves heating the hands to blue colour while maintaining the structure of the anglage on the hands. The hands are then filled with Old Radium Super-LumiNova by Frédéric Thierry. 

The Technical Side

The Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition is powered by the Calibre PA-130, which is a proprietary, fully Swiss Made Tourbillon Movement featuring the tourbillon cage at 6’ o clock. 

The PA-130 is fitted with 19 rubies and beats at a steady 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), allowing it to deliver power reliably and with minimal wear for an impressive 110 hours. 

The PA-130 has 3 bridges which are each finished with Côtes de Genève or ‘Geneva Stripes’ angled to 45 degrees, finished with ‘anglage’ and feature gold-filled engravings displaying the logo, calibre name, origin and jewels. The bridges are brass and rhodium plated. 

The mainplate, which is made from brass and rhodium-plated is sandblasted, brushed and also features ‘perlage’ under the ratchet. 

The case, which has a bezel diameter of 39.5mm is constructed in 316L Stainless Steel, brushed on the top surface from 12 – 6’ o clock, vertically brushed on the sides and circularly brushed on the caseback. The chamfers of the lugs and the bezel are then brilliantly polished to accent the case and catch the light. 

An anti-reflective coated box sapphire crystal is fitted above the dial and an anti-reflective coated flat sapphire crystal covers the movement. Even with the impressive box sapphire crystal that rises above the case, the entire thickness of the watch comes to just 12mm. 

The case is water resistance rated to 50 metres/5 ATM .

The dial is made from brass and baked with white glossy enamel, then pad printed and hand-painted with Old Radium Super-LumiNova. 

The hands are made from steel and then finished with anglage and heated with a flame to cornflower blue. They are filled with Old Radium Super-LumiNova.

Transparency and Dedication to Swiss Excellence

Patria recognises that the term ‘Swiss Made’ has become something of a loose term in the watch industry and as such, is proud to disclose that more than 95% of the costs involved with manufacturing the Brigadier Tourbillon arise within Switzerland, with only sub-5% from other countries where relevant specialists have been chosen, for example for the Italian leather strap. 

Two Styles

Patria allows for customers to choose their personal style by selecting either a caramel brown or midnight blue Italian leather strap. The Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition offers this choice to ensure a seamless fusion of elegance and individuality.

Exclusivity at its Finest

Limited to 40 pieces, the Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition bestows a sense of exclusivity and personal connection, reserving ownership for the fortunate few. This edition stands alone with its steel case and white enamel military dial, setting it apart as a truly unique and sought-after timepiece.

An Invitation to Patria Ownership

Patria has made it a mission to extend a warm welcome to new customers, inviting them to become esteemed “patrons” who embrace the brand’s ethos. In a gesture of goodwill, this highly limited piece is offered at the remarkably reasonable price of 18,000 Swiss francs, with the goal of cultivating lifelong aficionados in the Patria legacy.

Elevated Craftsmanship: From Prototype to Perfection

While the prototype showcased in the photographs exhibits a sandblasted finish on the movement bridges, the production pieces undergo further refinement. The final versions will feature exquisitely executed 45-degree angled Côtes de Genève, meticulously spaced at 1.5mm. Delicate perlage embellishments will grace the underbelly of the ratchet wheel, while gold-filled engravings will adorn the bridges, elevating the timepiece’s aesthetic to new heights of excellence.

Ordering The Patria Brigadier Tourbillon

The Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition is very competitively priced at 18’000 Swiss francs (plus any taxes and shipping), with orders confirmed by a CHF 6,300 deposit. The balance is payable when your watch is ready, which will be between 3 and 6 months from the order.

Patria Brigadier Tourbillon Subscription Edition Specifications

Limited Edition of 40 pieces

Movement

Calibre PA-130
Proprietary Swiss Made tourbillon
Manual winding
110 hours power reserve
19 jewels
3 Hz frequency
16 mg.cm2 inertia
700 g.mm mainspring torque
Bridges Finishing: anglage, Cotes de Geneve
Mainplate Finish: perlage, sandblasting
Flame-blue screws throughout

Case

39.5mm case
12mm thickness (including box sapphire)
316L stainless steel case
50-meter water resistance
anti reflective coated box sapphire on top
anti reflective coated flat sapphire on caseback
Finishing: Soft brushing, polishing

Dial

White Glossy Enamel
Hand Painted numerals inspired by historic Patria WW1 military watches
Old Radium Super-LumiNova (proprietary mix)
Pad Printing

Hands

Blue ‘Flamed-Anglage’ Hands
Old Radium Super Luminova

Strap & Buckle

Italian leather strap with curved springbar
Choice between midnight blue and caramel brown leather
22mm width tapering to 20mm
Solid 316L stainless steel buckle

Packaging

Wooden lacquered box with suede interior

Warranty

5 years warranty against manufacturing defects