A Closer Look: Patek Philippe Replica

Cyberpunk is having a moment. What initially began as a dystopian twist on science fiction in the 1980s has gone on to have a long cultural legacy and one that, thanks to CD Projekt Red’s ambitious game Cyberpunk 2077, is on the forefront of people’s minds.

While the link between literature, video games and high-end watchmaking might seem a bit of a leap, but one look at the futuristic BR 01 Patek Philippe Replica from Bell & Ross, and that jump becomes a lot more manageable.

F.P. Journe continues to wow us time and time again. He rarely does sports watches and this reference comes with a rare complication. There are three new models: the platinum, the 18K red gold and the titanium, and two of the models (the 18K red gold and titanium) landed in Hong Kong this month. Naturally, we made a beeline for them as soon as we heard.

The Patek Philippe Replica is the latest evolution in Bell & Ross’ memento mori-esque line, which first debuted in 2009, and you can instantly tell it’s something different. Previous ‘Skull’ watches have kept to a fairly well-trodden path of a traditional skull and crossbones motif, within the familiar square Bell & Ross case. The Patek Philippe Replica offers something new. The matte black ceramic case is still square but in a modern, faceted form — reminiscent of a stealth fighter. I’ll come back to the case in a minute, but let’s look further inside.

Those facets continue on the inside of the case where, suspended in all its cyber glory, rests the titular skull. Black and futuristic, the skull and crossbones are an angular interpretation, that looks like something that sits between a modern sculptural artwork and cutting-edge military technology. In short: cyberpunk.