The present Golden Ellipse is a fine example of the legendary model. With its divine proportions the case of the Golden Ellipse, launched in 1968, has no doubt inspired one of the most beautiful chapters of horological history. Thanks to its unique blend of bold simplicity and formal purity, this watch has become one of the flagships of the Patek Philippe collection and most certainly one of its most instantly recognizable creations.

The elliptical design is based on the golden section, or "divina proportio", a ratio defined by the Greek mathematician Hippasos, around 450 BC. This discovery has fascinated both artists and philosophers and is instinctively recognized as visually agreeable and wholly balanced.