Patek Philippe Ref. 5396

Complication Watches. Patek Philippe complication watches are expensive. The Ref. 5159 perpetual calendar and Ref. 5960P annual calendar chronograph are in the US$70-80K range. The Ref. 5970J perpetual calendar chronograph retails at US$128,000. Despite the high sticker prices, these are actually "mid-level" watches in terms of cost. More complicated Patek's go as high as seven figures.

At the entry level of the Patek complication watches are the basic chronograph, dual time and annual calendar watches. Available at under US$40,000, the most interesting of the entry level complications is the annual calendar. Chronograph and dual time mechanical watches are fairly common, but there are not too many annual calendar mechanical watches in the market.


Patek Philippe Ref. 5396. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5396 is a annual calendar wristwatch. Many watches display the date on their dial. But since some months have only thirty, twenty-nine of twenty-eight days, you need to adjust the date at least five times per year. A annual calendar is a mechanism that automatically takes into account whether a month has thirty or thirty one days, so that the watch displays the correct date each month without the need of adjustment. A annual calendar watch will only need correction at the end of February every years.

The Ref. 5396 has a day and month display in two apertures just under the 12 0' clock position. A third aperture in the 6 o'clock displays the date.

On top of the date display is a moon phase and day-night indicator. The Ref. 5396 is powered by the self-winding 324 S QA LU 24 H movement. The self winding movement produces 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement is visible through a clear crystal caseback.

The Ref. 5396 has a 38mm case diameter and is available in both white gold and rose gold. The 5396 has a sector dial similar to that found on the Ref. 5296 Calatrava.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The companies emblem, the Calatrava Cross, was adopted by it at the end of the 19th Century. It is acknowledged as one of the finest, if not the finest, watchmaker in the world.