When we talk about sleepers, it almost always involves a watch that doesn’t do anything especially loud or eccentric. Those watches always get noticed because they exist to be noticed. (You may know some people like this, too.) Sleepers don’t just get released under the radar or with less fanfare or coverage; they are almost always simple watches that aren’t doing anything new but are doing everything right. At Watches & Wonders 2025, Patek Philippe released what may be the paragon of the sleeper. The Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P, with a salmon dial, black hour markers and hands, and a simple case, outshined every other Patek release this year.

The Calatrava is known for its simple, refined elegance. Because of that, small changes can make a big difference. Just adding a hobnail bezel completely changes the watch, but the platform can also be a canvas for more colorful expressions like the 6007G. For the 6196P, it’s closer to the former, with the 40mm platinum case remaining unadorned, but the salmon dial (something Patek does better than most) accented with polished black markers. The case is almost unremarkable in its simplicity: This is dress watch 101, with slim brushed sides, a fully polished top and bezel, long tapering lugs, and a height of just 9.33mm; it wears effortlessly on the wrist. While the 40mm case may seem large in these days of 38mm divers, that was never obvious on wrist, as the proportions are so dialed in as to always strike as perfect. I can’t even imagine a wrist on which this would look bad. Reinforcing the elevated stature of this Calatrava is an alligator strap with a platinum tang buckle and 30 meters of water resistance.