BaselWorld 2013: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 5227

New Calatrava. One of the new watches announced by Patel Philippe at BaselWorld 2013 is the Ref. 5227, which looks to be the successor of the Ref. 5127. Right now, both watches are still listed on Patek's website, so I am still not sure if the Ref. 5227 will replace the Ref. 5127.

Ref. 5227G-001

The Ref. 5227 is one of Patek Philippe's Calatrava line of classic round wristwatches. This series is distinctive in the Calatrava line-up, in that the case features with crown guards. Visually, the Ref. 5227 is visually similar identical to the Ref. 5127. The Ref. 5227 has a larger 39 mm diameter case, no doubt in keeping up with the trend to larger watches. The Ref. 5127 has a 37 mm diameter case. There are also a few differences in the design of the hour markers.

Ref. 5127

Hinged case back. The Ref. 5227 also makes another change in the design. It now incorporates a dust cover over the sapphire-crystal display back. 

The hinge is located inside the cover making invisible when closed. Despite having both a sapphire-crystal case back and a dust cover, the Ref. 5227 is just 9.24 mm thick.

Internally, nothing has changed. The newer Ref. 5227 is still powered by the Caliber 324 S C self winding movement which runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour. 

The Ref. 5227 will be available in white gold, yellow gold and rose gold.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. It is acknowledged as one of the finest watchmaking companies in the world.

BaselWorld 2012: Patek Philippe Ref. 5101J

A little more affordable. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5101J announced at BaselWorld 2012 is not an all new design, having been preceded by the Ref. 5101P, R and G. The difference between the two is that the Ref. 5101J has a case made of yellow gold, the previous models had case made of platinum ("P"), rose gold ("R") and white gold ("G"). This should make the Ref. 5101 a little more affordable since Patek prices its yellow gold watches a little bit less than its rose and white gold variants, and a lot less than platinum versions. Still given that the rose gold and white versions of this watch retailed at almost US$400,000, I doubt if any buyers will be truly concerned about the price.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5101J.  What merits the high asking price is not the precious metals that Patek builds most of their watches from but the intricate movement inside. The Ref. 5101 uses Patek's manual winding Caliber TO 28-20 REC 10J PS IRM movement which combines the tourbillon complication with a long ten day power reserve. The combination of these two complications is designed to provide accuracy in timekeeping.

The tourbillon was invented in 1795 by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Mechanical timepieces are affected by gravity. Gravity results in uneven wear on the movement of a watch. In order to counter the effects of gravity, Abraham-Louis Breguet built a watch that counteracted gravity by rotating the balance wheel of a watch or clock through 360 degrees. This is called a tourbillon. This is accomplished by mounting the escapement in a rotating frame, called a "carriage" which turns at regular intervals, usually once a minute. This rotation reduces distributes the effect of gravity on the escapement and minimizes uneven wear on the movement causing inaccuracy.

Complementing this is the ten day power reserve. As a watch reaches the end of its power reserve, the torque that drives the movement decreases as the mainspring winds down, leading to a loss a reduction in the accuracy of a movement. Giving the watch long ten day power reserve minimizes the effect of the reduction in torque.

On the dial of the Ref. 5101 is a power reserve indicator, which has a red marker to inform the user of when it is time  to wind the watch again. Keeping the watch's reserve power above the red marker will also insure that accuracy it maintained.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe and Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. It is acknowledged as one of the finest watchmaking companies in the world.

BaselWorld 2012: Patek Philippe Ref. 5204P-001

Classic chronographs. Patek Philippe has released excellent chronograph watches in recent years. At BaselWorld 2010, Patek Philippe announced the simple but classically elegant Ref. 5170, which many touted as Patek's best offering off the show.  At BaselWorld 2011, the Ref. 5270 was announced by Patek Philippe, which combined the chronograph function with the perpetual calendar complication.  This year, Patek Philippe brings the Ref. 5204, which combines the perpetual calendar complication with a splits seconds chronograph complication.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5204P-001. The Patek Philippe Ref. 5204 replaces the Patek Philippe Ref. 5004 in the company's line-up. Both watches feature a split seconds chronograph combined with a perpetual calendar, moon phase indicator and a A.M./P.M. indicator.

The new Ref. 5204 has a larger 40 mm case, as compared to the 36.7 millimeters of the Ref. 5004. The new Ref. 5204 also has a redesigned dial and hands. But the differences are more than skin deep. While both watches have manually wound movemenrs, inside, the Ref. 5204 is a brand new Caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q movement which beats at 28,800 vibrations per hours and has a 65 hour power reserve. The movement in the Ref. 5004 beat at a slower 18,000 vibrations per hour and had a shorter 60 hour power reserve. In updating the size of the Ref. 5204 to keep up with the times, Patek also made good use of the additional space. 

Split Seconds. The basic chronograph allows the measurement of a single event, and soon watchmakers began searching for a way to simultaneously measure multiple events beginning at the same time.

This was done by having two chronograph seconds hand, one of which could be stopped while allowing the second one to continue moving. This complication was called the split-seconds chronograph. A split-seconds chronograph features a clutch system with clamps that connect and disconnect the split-seconds hand and the main chronograph hand. A third button is added to the chronograph to activate the stopping of the split-seconds hand. Pressing this third button again allows the split-seconds hand hand to catch up with the chronograph hand, and the two hands, superimposed, continue together.

Perpetual Calendar. 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 time per year. A perpetual calendar is a mechanism that automatically takes into account the varying number of days in each month as well as leap years so that the watch displays the correct date each month without the need of adjustment. A perpetual calendar watch will not need correction for more then a century.

In addition to the two main complications, the splits seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar, the Ref. 5204 has several other complications. The watch displays the day and month at the 12 o'clock position. At the 3 o'clock it has the standard 30 minute chronograph counter. At the 6 o'clock, the watch displays the day of the month and the moon phase indicator. 

A small round aperture at between the 3 to 4 o'clock positions indicates the leap year cycle, while another small round aperture at between the 3 to 4 o'clock positions serves as a day night indicator. Two case backs are provided with the watch. A full platinum case back and another with a sapphire crystal glass which allows you to view the movement.

The Ref. 5204 is only available in a Platinum case at present. 

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.

Despite tough economic times, the Swiss Watch industry is still healthy

The financial crisis which hit the United States and later Europe in the third quarter of 2008 continuous. At the same time the Swiss Franc has increased in value as against almost all major currencies. The result, higher Swiss watch prices.

Looking at recently released Rolex watches, the effects of the rise in the Swiss Franc and Rolex's own pricing policy can be seen. 

Milgauss 116400 GV (Release Date 2007)

MSRP - US$6,575 in 2007

MSRP - US$7,150 today

Sea Dweller DEEPSEA (Release Date 2008) 

MSRP - US$8,975 in 2008

MSRP - US$10,650 today

Bi-metal 41mm Oyster Perpetual Datejust II  (Ref. 116233)(Release Date 2009) 

MSRP - US$9,525 in 2009

MSRP - US$10,800 today

Stainless Steel Submariner 116610LN (Release Date 2010)

MSRP - US$7,250 in 2010

MSRP - US$8,000 today

From new Rolex watch released the past four years, beginning the year before the financial crisis, you have seen price increases of 9% to 19%. Even the new Rolex Submariner saw a 10% increase in the year that it is been on the market. The figures above are based on the manufacturers suggested retail price and do not take into account discounts. 

The increased prices are across the industry. Patek Philippe's Calatrava Ref. 5196G which carried a retail price of US$25,600 in May 2010, is now priced at US$27,600. IWC's Mark VXI (on a leather strap) which had a suggested retail price of US$3,200 in May 2010, went up to US$3,500 at the start of this year and is now apparently carries as suggested retail price of US$4,100 based on my visit to the local A.D. two days ago (I need to confirm this, being a rather large jump in price).

Instead of seeing watch prices drop because of lack of demand due to the the difficult economic times, you see the reverse. The reason is, there is no lack of demand. Despite the tough economic times, the Wall Street Journal reports that, year on year Swiss Luxury Watch exports increased by 24.1% from August 2009 to August 2010. The figures as of August 2011 shows a slowing but still healthy 14.5% increase in exports. The market is expected to soften next year, mainly because of slowing economic growth in the US, Europe and Asia, to a bit below 10%. 

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5164A

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5164A. I really thought we would see more stainless steel sports watches from Patek Philippe at BaselWorld 2011. We do have one stainless steel Aquanaut and the three ladies Nautilus watches, so I was not completely wrong. 

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5164A is a dual time watch with a second 12-hour skeleton hand to display the second time zone. Normally, a 24-hour hand is used for this purpose in other watches like Rolex's GMT Master II. A 24-hour hand will show you the time in the second time zone and indicate whether it is day or night. With a 12-hour hand, whether it is day or night in the second time zone, will have to be indicated by a day/night indicator. This combination is frequently used by Panerai. Patek adopts this formula, but goes one step further by providing a day/night indicator for both local and home time. A sub-dial a the 6-o'clock displays the date of the local time zone.

Inside the 40.8 mm stainless steel case you have the self-winding Caliber 324 S C FUS movement which beats at a smooth 28,800 beats per hour and has a 45-hour power reserve. Like other Patek creations, the rotor of the watch are in 21K or 22k gold. It is water resistant to 120 meters consistent with its sports minded design. All-in-all another solid creation by Patek Philippe.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Ref. 7000R and 7059R

Firsts. BaselWorld 2011 is over, but there are still a lot of watches to cover. One area we do not cover much is women's watches. Well, actually there are a lot of noteworthy watches that we do not cover. The reason for that is this is really a hobby blog, so I cover things which interest me personally. The tendency to use we do describe myself is a habit a picked up when writing letters from my firm. Somehow saying we several times in a post, sound better than saying I. 

Ref. 7000R. Unfortunately, we do leave plenty of noteworthy creations out, without a scant mention of their existence, and that is something we will try to remedy this year. At BaselWorld 2011, Patek Philippe unveiled their first ladies minute repeater watch, the Ref. 7000R.

A minute repeater is a complication in a mechanical watch that audibly chimes the hours and minutes at the press of a button. This complication originated to allow the time to be determined in the dark, and were also used by the visually impaired. The minute repeater chimes the time down to the minute, using separate tones for hours, quarter hours, and minutes, usually with low tones for the hours, a sequence of two tones for the quarter hour and high tones for minutes.

Ref. 7059R. Patek Philippe also unveiled this year, its first ever ladies splits second chronograph watch, the Ref. 7059R.  A splits seconds chronograph is one with two center second hands, the extra hand moves together with the main chronograph hand but can be stopped independently. Because the hands literally split, it is called "Split Seconds hand" which refers to two hands - a flyback (Rattrapante) hand and a regular chronograph hand. Both hands run concurrently with the ability to time laps or multiple finishing times, the wearer can stop the flyback hand while the chronograph hand continues. This, splits the hand in two. This allows one interval of time to be measured, while allowing the chronograph to continue measuring a second event.

While these complications are not new, placing them in ladies watches adds a large degree of difficulty in their creation. Putting a minute repeater mechanism in the small 33.7 mm case of the Ref. 7000R and a splits seconds chronograph in 33.2 mm case of the Ref. 7059R required new efforts at miniaturization.  

Making the smallest slimmest movements, is something which is not something greatly desired today. With the more than decade old trend towards larger watches, what was extremely difficult to built into a 36 mm watch, is not as hard to do in a 43 mm case. In that sense, Patek Philippe's expertise at making the smallest complication movements is not as big an advantage as it use to be. Focusing some of its effort on the ladies watches can put the company in territory where other watch manufacturers are not quite as ready to thread.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Ref. 5496P Perpetual Calendar

More than words. Press release - "At Baselworld 2011, Patek Philippe is yet again presenting a broad selection of debuts that will delight all connoisseurs and admirers of haute horlogerie with a main focus on Grand Complication watches"... and that was just more than words. This year at Basel 2011, Patek Philippe brought out two watches that now occupy 2nd and 4th in ranks in terms of degree of complexity on their line-up, displacing the watches than held the 2nd and 3rd places last year. 

While the triple complication Ref. 5208P and the Ref. 5216R, which also has three major complications, are truly horological wonders, they are not our favorite release from Patek Philippe this year. Neither is the amalgamation of the chronograph and perpetual calendar in the Ref. 5270G, the one the most strikes our fancy. 

Patek Philippe Ref. 5496P. Our favorite release this year is the Patek Philippe Ref. 5496P. The Ref. 5496P is a perpetual calendar with a retrograde date hand. In terms of combination of complications, it is nothing new. The Ref. 5496P has the same complications, and even the same dial arrangement as the Ref. 5159 Perpetual Calendar. Both watches run on different movements (Caliber 315 on the Ref. 5159 and Caliber 324 on the Ref. 5496, though I really cannot tell what the difference between the two movements are) but the main difference as far as most people will be concerned is the case.

While the Ref. 5159 uses an officers case, the Ref. 5496P used the same case used on Patek Philippines original commercial wristwatch the Ref. 96. This is the most classic of Patek Philippe cases used on the Ref. 5196, Ref. 5296 and the annual calendar Ref. 5396. This year Patek Philippe pays tribute to its most classic case with two watches, the Ref. 5216R and the Ref. 5496P. 

However, the Ref. 5216R is going to be unreachable to all but a handful of people. We do not know how much it will cost, but several hundred thousand dollars is a fair guess. We do not have pricing for the Ref. 5496P, but with any luck, it might come in a just under US$100,000, or thereabouts. That is reasonably priced, for a Patek. 

We think that its 39.5 mm size and contemporary (though classic) design will make it the favorite among Patek Philippe's perpetual calendars. While the Ref. 5140 remains our favorite perpetual calendar, many might find its 37mm size small by todays standards. The Ref. 5159, while impressive with its officers case is a little too extravagant looking for a daily driver.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.  

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270G

Patek Philippe concentrated on the launch of new chronographs for BaselWorld 2010, and from the companies own press release, 2011 is dedicated to other complications. But Patek Philippe still does have a new chronograph this year, the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270G combining the perpetual calendar complication which automatically takes into account the varying number of days in each month as well as leap years so that the watch displays the correct date each month without the need of adjustment with the function of having a mechanism for precisely measuring short elapsed periods of time.

The combination of these two complications is nothing new to Patek Philippe. Seventy years ago, in 1941, Patek Philippe added chronographs with perpetual calendars to its range of regularly produced timepieces. Since then, they have ranked among the manufacture’s most popular Grand Complication wristwatches.

The dial of the Ref. 5270G displays day and the month in apertures at 12 o'clock, an analog date with an integrated moon-phase display at 6 o'clock, the seconds subdial at 9 o'clock, and the 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock. For seven decades, this has been the classic layout of Patek Philippe's perpetual calendars with chronograph mechanisms. Nonetheless, there are a few characteristics that distinguish it from all of its predecessors. The seconds subdial and the 30-minute counter are positioned beneath the horizontal centerline, and two small, round apertures between the analog date and the subsidiary dials accommodate the day/night indication on the left and the leap-year indication on the right. 

The movement in the Ref. 5270G is a Caliber CH 29-535 PS Q manually wound movement, which has a long 65 hour power reserve. Movement is encased in a 41mm white gold case and presented in a black leather strap. 

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Ref. 5216R

Fourth in rank. Another Grand Complication released by Patek Philippe this year is the Ref. 5216R which combines perpetual calendar, retrograde date, and moon phase, minute repeater and tourbillon, complications. This Ref. 5216R is a a updated version of the Ref. 5016 launched in 1993. Like other updated watches it sports a larger case, this one at 39.5 mm, larger than the 36.8 mm span of its predecessor, the Ref. 5016. The case is made of Rose Gold, hence the R designation. 

In terms of degree complication, the new Ref. 5216R occupies ranks fourth in the Patek Philippe hierarchy, behind the Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002, the new Triple Complication Ref. 5208, and the Ref. 5207. Ordinarily, a watch like this would be the flagship release of the year, however, it takes a back seat to the Ref. 5208P, also announced by Patek Philippe at BaselWorld 2011. Some may disagree about the ranking though.

Grand Complication. There is a difference of opinion among horologist as to what constitutes a Grand Complication. Some define a grand complication as one having at least one complication from the three different groups: Timing, astronomical and striking complications. Other horologist claim that there are three grand complications, the Tourbillon, the Minute Repeater and the Perpetual Calendar. The Ref. 5216R easily qualifies under any of the divergent opinions. 

Perpetual Calendar. Displaying a date on their dial is no difficult task, but making one which displays the correct date for a year or several years is. Most date complications simply change once per day for thirty-one days. But since some months have only thirty, twenty-nine or twenty-eight days, you need to adjust the date at least five time per year to adjust for the months with less than thirty-one days. 

A perpetual calendar is a mechanism that automatically takes into account the varying number of days in each month as well as leap years so that the watch displays the correct date each month without the need of adjustment. A perpetual calendar watch will not need correction for more then a century.

Retrograde date display. The date on the Ref. 5216R is displayed by a red-tipped fourth hand, which runs from the 8 o'clock to the 4 o'clock position. This hand moves clockwise from the 8 o'clock to the 4 o'clock position, along a 270 degree arc, slowly over the period of one month, and than jumps back to the number 1 at the end of the month moving in the reverse direction. This is the retrograde complication.

Tourbillon. First invented in 1795 by Abraham-Louis Breguetto, the Tourbillon is designed to counter the effects of gravity. Breguet built a watch that rotated the balance wheel of a clock through 360 degrees. This is accomplished by mounting the escapement in a rotating frame, called a "carriage" which turns at regular intervals, usually once a minute. This rotation reduces the positional errors of the movement.

At that time Breguet invented the tourbillon almost all watches were pocket watches or clocks which stayed in one position most of the time. The only time a pocket watch changes position is when it's taken out by the owner to check the time. The effect of gravity on a watch or clock kept in one position all the time, like a pocket watch, is particularly noticeable on the escapement, especially the balance which rocks back and forth. This can lead to inaccuracies. Breuget's solution was the tourbillon. 

Minute repeater. A repeater is a complication in a mechanical watch that audibly chimes the hours and minutes at the press of a button. This complication originated to allow the time to be determined in the dark, and were also used by the visually impaired. The minute repeater chimes the time down to the minute, using separate tones for hours, quarter hours, and minutes, usually with low tones for the hours, a sequence of two tones for the quarter hour and high tones for minutes.

The movement in this watch is the manually wound mechanical Caliber R TO 27 PS QR LU movement which runs at the rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and has a 48 hour power reserve. The movement, is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.

BaselWorld 2011: Patek Philippe Triple Complication Ref. 5208P

Convergence on complications. At BaselWorld 2010, Patek Philippe focused on chronograph watches releasing six new models. At BaselWorld 2011, the companies focus is on the grand complication. 

One of the new watch released by Patek Philippe at this years show is the Triple Complication Ref. 5208P. The Ref. 5208P features a monopusher chronograph, perpetual calendar and minute repeater. In the current collection of Patek Philippe’s Grand Complication wristwatches, the Ref. 5208P ranks second only to the Sky Moon Tourbillon.

Patek Philippe Triple Complication Ref. 5208P. The new Ref. 5208P is one of the very few existing highly complicated watches with a self-winding movement and the first true Grand Complication that integrates silicon-derived Silinvar® components, the revolutionary Pulsomax® escapement and the Spiromax® balance spring. The Ref. 5208P is an amalgamation of traditional know-how and innovation.

Patek Philippe in its press release describes the complications as follows:

1st complication: the monopusher chronograph 

Patek Philippe has always emphasized the aesthetic appeal of a timepiece in the development of new movements, and it is a mandatory criterion of the Patek Philippe Seal. For this reason, the chronograph mechanism with its column wheel and the horizontal clutch had to be made extremely thin to fit the space between the movement and the instantaneous perpetual calendar. In this respect, the Patek Philippe portfolio is a rich source: the caliber CH R 27-525 PS is the world's thinnest splitseconds chronograph movement with column-wheel control. It contributed the friction drives for the minute and hour counters that are not only very thin but also offset the torque differences between the coupled and uncoupled states of the chronograph, assuring that the amplitude of the balance remains consistent in every operating mode. Additionally, the toothing profiles of the chronograph wheels, also derived from this record-breaking movement, reduce wear and increase power transmission efficiency. Conversely, the patented self-setting hammers and brake levers were borrowed from the new CH 29- 535 chronograph movement. They automatically assure the optimum lever position relative to the respective counterpart without requiring that the individual contact surfaces must be ground to a few hundredths of a millimeter in a time-consuming process. Thanks to innovations of this kind and to the classic column-wheel and clutch-wheel control design, the overall height of the chronograph mechanism was reduced to 2.4 mm. The result is a three-phase chronograph with a monopusher at 2 o'clock that executes the start, stop, and reset commands when actuated in succession. The seconds and fractions of a second are measured with the large sweep chronograph hand while the continuously running counters at 3 and 9 o'clock display the elapsed time on a 60-minute and a 12-hour scale.

2nd complication: the instantaneous perpetual calendar with aperture displays 

The basics of its construction bears similarities with the Ref. 5207 launched in 2008, but the mechanism had to be extensively redesigned to accommodate the chronograph functions. Because the chronograph mechanism is layered between the calendar and the movement proper, it was not possible to simply route the cannon pinion through the chronograph wheel into the calendar module with the standard time and calendar data displays. For this reason, a detour had to be designed for the cannon pinion. Given the tight space conditions within the chronograph mechanism, it was a delicate task, and a considerable amount of research had to be conducted to develop the best possible solution. The cannon pinion is severed above the basic movement with the minute repeater. Its rotary motion is laterally shifted before it is transmitted through the chronograph mechanism, but then routed back to the center in the calendar mechanism which drives the hour and minute hands, the calendar displays, the day/night indication, and the moon phases. However, the subsidiary seconds hand is powered directly by an arbor that extends straight into the subdial at 6 o'clock. 

To distribute the force in the calendar module as economically as possible with the objective of assuring that all calendar displays will advance instantaneously and simultaneously at midnight ±2 minutes, the patented mechanisms of the Ref. 5207 were modified to match the new configuration of the movement. Considering that the disks for the aperture displays have much larger masses than hands, this was anything but a trivial task. A large, 15-part yoke makes sure that all calendar displays are advanced by one day at the very same moment. Additionally, an arrangement with two complementary lever springs that act in different directions assures that the switching force always remains constant despite considerable travel differences from the single-day jump at the end of months with 31 days to the four-day jump at the end of February when a non-leap year begins. This precludes incomplete switching cycles to a force deficit or overrides due to excessive force reserves. 

3rd complication: the minute repeater 

Given the fact that the Patek Philippe Triple Complication Ref. 5208 was endowed with an elaborate mechanism which instantaneously switches the calendar indications, the time display deserves special attention as well. Thus, the caliber R CH 27 PS QI movement not only has hour, minute, and seconds hands, it also features a minute repeater that indicates the progression of time with gentle yet distinctly audible sonority. 

The minute repeater is considered among experts to be the queen of complications. With a mechanism composed of filigreed racks and snails, tiny hammers, and delicate, freely suspended gongs in the confined space of a wristwatch, it demands the utmost of skill from the watchmaker. In over 172 years, Patek Philippe has advanced the art of repeater timepieces to an unmatched degree of perfection. When the owner of a Ref. 5208P actuates the slide, the result is a reverberant experience: first, the watch counts the elapsed hours on a low-pitched gong, then the number of quarter-hours with double strikes on both gongs, and finally the number of minutes that have passed since the last quarter-hour on the high-pitched gong. Many years of research were invested in finding the best possible steel alloy as well as in developing the shape and attachment points for the gongs – insights that are carefully safeguarded like state secrets. Among connoisseurs, the tonality perfected by the manufacture is deemed unsurpassed by any other wristwatch minute repeater. This sound quality – the manufacture's acoustic signature – is individually analyzed for each watch in a soundproof echo chamber and compared with numerous digitized sound parameters. But because the impression of resonance is always very subjective, every Patek Philippe minute repeater is also personally judged by President Thierry Stern or Honorary President Philippe Stern. They listen to the melody several times and then decide whether the exceptional timepiece is ready for delivery or must be returned to the workshops for acoustic optimization.

On the technological front you have the silicon-derived Silinvar® components, the revolutionary Pulsomax® escapement and the Spiromax® balance spring.  Developed by the Patek Philippe Advanced Research program. The excellent material properties of Silinvar® are that it is hard, lightweight, nearly friction free, antimagnetic and corrosion-resistant. The Pulsomax® escapement is about 30% more efficient than a conventional assembly made of steel. 

The case of the Ref. 5208P is 40mm in diameter. It shows hours, minutes, and seconds of standard time and has a day/night indicator. The chronograph function shows elapsed seconds, minutes, and hours of stopped times.  The perpetual calendar displays the day, date, month, and year and the moon phases. 

Befitting a watch of this caliber, the case is made of 950 platinum which in itself is unusual. It is not a conventional design with lugs that are integral to the case band. Instead, it consists of three parts (back, middle, and bezel) that are clenched between and screwed to two clamps. Only this unique construction allowed the lugs to be pierced as resolutely and aesthetically as is the case with the Ref. 5208. It is supplied with  on a chocolate brown strap secured with a 950 platinum foldover clasp.

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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.

BaselWorld 2011: Something different from Patek Philippe

The Ref. 5950A

In an interview last year by SJX from PuristSPro Forum, Philippe Stern of Patek Philippe was asked why the than new for 2010 new Ref. 5950A rattrapante was constructed with a steel case, Mr. Stern responded: “For a change,” it is important to have something “different.” Patek Philippe does have a history of making steel watches. 

Patek Philippe Ref. 96.

Picture from European Watch Co.and is used with their permission.

 No republication of the same should be made without permission

 from the source.

Patek Philippe's first commercial wristwatch, the Ref. 96, was manufactured with both steel and gold cases. 

I think we should get use to seeing things which are a bit "different" from Patek Philippe in the next few years. With Thierry Stern having taken over the presidency of Patek Philippe from his father, Philippe Stern, in August 2009, we expect the fourth generation of Stern to have run Patek Philippe to place his stamp on the company.

While it is hard to predict what you will see from Patek Philippe at any given year since they can pretty much build anything. At BaselWorld 2011, we expect to see a little more steel, and a lot of sportier designs. Just a month to go before we find out if we are right. 

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.

    

Patek Philippe Ref. 5146 Annual Calendar

Value for money Patek Philippe. If you are in the market for a Patek Philippe dress watch, the Ref. 5146 annual calendar watch, in our opinion represents the best value for money option in the Patek line up. To many, the words value for money and Patek Philippe do not belong in the same sentence. But when you are buying luxury brands, value for money is a very relative concept.

Even after discounts a basic Patek Philippe Calatrava, like the yellow gold Ref. 5196J, will set you back about US$14K, even after discounts. For this you get a finely built time only watch with a manual winding movement. Adding another US$5-6K will get you a more contemporary Calatrava, like a Ref. 5127 or Ref. 5296 with a date display and a automatic movement. Adding another US$9-10K will get you something truly special, a Patek Philippe complication watch, an annual calendar. To move up from an annual calendar to a perpetual calendar like the Ref. 5140 of Ref. 5159, will require you at double you investment. 

Patek Philippe Ref. 5146G. Picture from European Watch Co.

and is used with their permission. No republication of the same

 should be made without permission from the source.

What is so special about an annual calendar watch? An annual calendar watch has a very intricate mechanism which recognizes the different number of days each month has, so that it will change from July to August on the 31st of the month, and from August to September 31st of the month and in September, it will display October 1, after the 30th of September. The only time you have to correct the date display is on March 1 of the year since the watch does not the month as having only 28 or 29 days. With a typical date watch, you have to correct the date five times a year.  Many would say it is not worth US$30K so a not to have to change the date five times a year. For your money, you are not buying the convenience, but you are buying the privilege of having something special on your wrist.

Even better would be a perpetual calendar, which recognizes leap years so that its mechanism recognizes with February ends on the 28th and which year it ends on the 29th. But the advantage of a perpetual calendar is theoretical even if the watch is worn daily. Even under Patek Philippe's stringent standards, you can expect the watch to gain or lose an average of at least two second per day, or about a minute per month. So depending on how obsessive you are about time accuracy, you will wind up setting the time at least once a month, and definitely at least once every five or six months. In this sense, when you correct the date once a year, you can simply correct the time simultaneously.       

Patek Philippe Ref. 5146P. Picture from European Watch Co.

and is used with their permission. No republication of the same

 should be made without permission from the source.

Contemporary Classic.  The Ref. 5146 is a very classic looking Patek Philippe, with a relatively large , for a Patek, 39 mm diameter case which is 11 mm tall. The Perpetual Calendar 5140 is a remarkable watch with a very complicated movement housed in a smallest 37 mm diameter case which is only about 7 mm tall. But I suspect that many would prefer the look of the larger Ref. 5146 on their wrists.

As a testament to its popularity, the Ref. 5146 comes in more variants than any other Patek Philippe watch. It comes with both a cream and slate grey dial in both yellow and white gold cases. A rose gold version and platinum version are also available. Those who buy the platinum version get a ebony sunburst dial and stick markers at the 3-9-12 o'clock positions which visually differentiate from the gold 

About Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in Switzerland in 1851. The company's 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. 
 

The most classic Calatrava

Patek Philippe Ref. 96, still looks very much like the current Ref. 5196.  

Picture from European Watch Co.and is used with their permission.
 No republication of the same should be made without permission
 from the source.

Calatrava. In 1932 Patek Philippe launched a line of elegant round faced watches as its Calatrava line which were the companies first commercially available wristwatches. The very first Calatrava was the Ref. 96. Probably in recognition of the Ref. 96's status in the history of Patek Philippe, the company maintains three watch models based on the original Ref. 96.

Ref. 5196. The Ref. 5196 is the current version on Patek's line-up up which is closest to the original Ref. 96. It is a base model watch, without a date display and is powered by a manually wound movement.  Maybe the most significant change in the watch is the increase in size, the original Ref. 96 had a case diameter of 30, millimeters. The current model, in keeping with current trends has a case diameter of 37 millimeters. We have more details on the Ref. 5196 in a previous article on the here. 

Ref. 5296. The Ref. 5296 is the more contemporary version of the Ref. 96. Powered by a self-winding movement, and with a date display, it is the most common configuration for a watch today: a Date watch. It comes with the traditional gold stick markers and hands, but the blue sector dialed version (picture above) is the most distinctive. 

A 1934 Ref. 96 featuring a sector dial.

What is not know to many is that this modern looking sector dialed version, is actually a very classic design which was first released in 1933 of 1934. We have more details on the Ref. 5296 in a previous article on the here.  

Ref. 5396. Patek Philippe is best known for the complication watches. The  Ref. 5396 is an annual calendar watch based on the design of the original Ref. 96. We have more details on the Ref. 5396 in a previous article on the here.

These are the three Patek Philippe models, which are arguably their most classic models, since they are based on the first commercial wristwatch the company manufactured.

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.

Philippe Stern's Watch

What watch does the former president of Patek Philippe, probably the worlds most prestigious watch brand, wear? Thanks to SJX from PuristSPro Forums, we found out that it is a perpetual calendar Patek Philippe Ref. 3940J. In the end, this is a very logical choice for the president of Patek Philippe. Released in 1985, Patek Philippe the Ref. 3940 was the first highly complicated watch in regular production.

Patek Philippe Ref. 3940J. Picture from European Watch Co.

and is used with their permission. No republication of the same

 should be made without permission from the source.

The Ref. 3940 is amazingly only 9mm thick, which is exceptional when you consider it has an automatic winding movement.

Movement of the Ref. 3940. Picture from European Watch Co.

and is used with their permission. No republication of the same

 should be made without permission from the source.

To keep the watch case slim a mini-rotor is used. Placed in an off center position it allows the movement to be built slimmer.

While the Ref. 3940 is no longer in manufacture, I was able to find one for sale at the European Watch Co. The current production model of the Ref. 3940 is the Ref. 5140.

For those who are wondering, the European Watch Co., did not pay for this post. I have developed a keen interest in vintage watches as of late, and found the site while searching for vintage watches online. I asked them if I could use the pictures on their website, and they graciously agreed. Expect more vintage watch articles in the next few weeks.

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.