Ellipse

Introduced in the late 1970s, the Patek Philippe Ellipse reference 3848 carries the golden-ratio geometry that gave the line its name. Its case sits precisely between a circle and a rectangle, a proportion drawn from the same spiral Renaissance painters worked from. The restrained dial and slim gold profile keep the shape quiet rather than demonstrative on the wrist. Collectors return to it because it is one of very few Patek designs that could be drawn with a ruler and yet still feels entirely of its period.