In 1968, Patek Philippe released the Golden Ellipse.
Debuting eight years before the iconic Nautilus, the Ellipse—with its distinctive oval shape—was unlike anything else in Patek Philippe’s catalogs. The Patek Philippe Ellipse was inspired by the Golden Ratio, referred to as the ‘Divine Proportion’ by 16th-century Italian mathematician Luca Pacioli. An observed ratio in nature, the Golden Ratio is said to be an aesthetically-balanced ratio found within the human body, trees, and more. With the Ellipse, Patek made the ratio of the major to the minor axis 1.618 to 1 — aka de divina proportione.
This example, a Reference 3581 , is a little bit less common than the traditional ellipse models. It features a solid 33mm 18k yellow gold case with an absolutely stunning blue dial with a matching 'pencil' handset, and a hand-cranking Patek cal. 23-30 inside.
Watches such as this one are fun and wonderful timepieces, and there's no telling if and when one of these in any condition will surface again, so don't wait!