Patek Philippe

Behind the Scenes at Patek Philippe’s New PP6 Manufacture

Cheryl Chia — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 08:00:37 +0000

Behind the Scenes at Patek Philippe’s New PP6 Manufacture

A tour inside Patek Philippe’s no-expense-spared new facility brings some eye-opening insights into what it means to be truly vertically integrated.

Patek Philippe

By Cheryl Chia

Sep 8, 2023

When one of the world’s most important watch manufactures announced the completion of its expansive new facility in Plan-les-Ouates, the news naturally sparked immense curiosity and anticipation. The magnitude of this achievement left many wondering about the potential it held for Patek Philippe’s future, particularly in terms of production volume. A few months ago, Patek Philippe opened the doors of its new PP6 manufacture to members of the press, granting us the opportunity to witness the inner workings of a uniquely vertically integrated production that most other industrial luxury watch brands would give their right arm to have.

PP6 comprises a total of 10 stories, four of which are underground — two for plant areas and two for parking. Above ground, there are four production floors, a training floor, and a restaurant located on the top level.

Within the facility’s walls lies the embodiment of Patek Philippe’s two distinct yet evenly matched strengths — an unceasing spirit of innovation and a remarkable consistency in quality at scale and across price points. This accomplishment is a result of effectively managing and optimizing the synergy between advanced machinery and human expertise. As emphasized by the brand, the primary aim of the new PP6 facility is not to augment production volume significantly, but rather to optimize manufacturing processes under one roof while also enhancing production capabilities for their complicated and Rare Handcrafts watches. Last year, Patek Philippe produced a total of approximately 66,000 watches, which is around 6% more than the last reported annual production.

An industrial park at the periphery of Plan-Les-Ouates has been the home of Patek Philippe since 1996. Patek Philippe was the first to begin the process of consolidating all its disparate workshops previously scattered across Geneva into a single site. Its relentless pursuit of in-house knowledge and expertise has prompted significant expansion plans since their early establishment in Plan-Les-Ouates, preceding the presence of Rolex and Vacheron Constantin.

Patek Philippe, however, continues to maintain its presence in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the cradle of fine watchmaking, where it united three workshops — case making and polishing, including some bracelet components (Calame), as well as gem setting (SHG) — under one roof in 2008. Its horological empire also includes a dial-making workshop (Cadran Flückiger) in Saint-Imier, a movement casing workshop (Allaine) in Alle, a finishing workshop (Betakron) in the Jura, as well as a production centre encompassing haute horlogerie and repairs (Patek Philippe La Vallée SA) in Le Brassus.

When stepping foot inside PP6, its sheer dominance is resounding. Inaugurated in 2020, it sits a stone’s throw from Patek Philippe’s headquarters, its construction spanning five long years, followed by several additional months to complete its outfitting. It was so named as it represents the sixth wing within the entire premises. The headquarters, situated in the main building, is composed of four wings. The fifth wing, PP5, was built in 2009 to accommodate the production of movement parts. However, PP6 has now taken over from PP5 as the company has fully utilized the maximum permissible plot of land in Plan-les-Ouates. In other words, the functions once accommodated in the single-floor PP5 have now been shifted to PP6. Today, Patek Philippe’s Plan-les-Ouates manufacture accommodates approximately 2,000 employees.

Lobby of PP6

The building concept was envisioned by Frisk de Marignac Pidoux, while the interior architecture was designed by Frei & Stefani. PP6’s magnitude is easily grasped through a few figures. Stretching 189 meters in length and reaching 34 meters in height above ground, its total floor area spans a staggering 133,650m². Bringing this project to life required an investment of CHF 600 million — CHF 500 million for the construction of the edifice, while the remaining funds were channeled into its interiors, machinery and equipment.

The building comprises of 10 stories, four of which are underground — two for plant areas and two for parking. There are four production floors in all, followed by a training floor, as well as a large restaurant on the top floor.

The ground floor (level 0) is dedicated to the production and finishing of mainplates and bridges. Wheels and pinions, on the other hand, are made from scratch and finished on the first floor. The second floor is where the production, manual polishing, and assembly of cases, bracelets and other external components are carried out. Patek Philippe’s case and bracelet making department that was previously located in Perly has now been moved here. This floor also houses the production of spare parts as well as gem setting.

The third floor is home to the research and design division, including the Patek Philippe Advanced Research department. Unfortunately, it was out of bounds during our day of visit. The fourth floor, on the other hand, is dedicated to rare handcrafts, where skilled artisans carry out crafts such as engraving, enameling, and guilloché work.

Mainplate and Bridge Production

PP6 houses a fleet of over 400 state-of-the-art production machines designed in accordance with the brand’s requirements for small-series production. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines are automated systems used to control the movement of cutting tools with high precision and efficiency. It moves the cutting tool along the X,Y and Z axes according to the CAD design. The CNC software generates G-codes, which are a series of numerical instructions that dictate the speed, direction and distance of the movements, ensuring precise and repeatable machining operations.

A CNC machine with a large feeding wheel is used to process square plates made of brass, forming a mainplate or a bridge

The various stages of mainplate production

CNC machining is a topic that many watch enthusiasts would rather avoid, but it is essential in producing large batches of complex and precise parts around the clock. While there is rising interest in artisanal independent watchmakers today, some of whom continue to produce watches entirely by hand, albeit at a rate of under three watches a year, the ability to scale up production while maintaining a consistently high degree of refinement is a challenging art and the reason why Patek Philippe is the envy of the rest of the industry.

At the entrance of each production floor is a schematic diagram that shows the numerous processes involved at each step of the manufacturing journey. On the first production floor where mainplates and bridges are made, CNC lathes are used to process square plates made of brass. The underside of each plate undergoes milling and drilling using a large CNC milling machine with a huge feeding wheel. The resulting brass disc features holes and recesses to accommodate various parts.

The mainplate after being removed from the square plate

Subsequently, the underside of the plate is machine finished around the recesses before the thickness is checked. Only then will the top side of the plate be machined. Then, its contour is milled and rounded, forming a mainplate or a bridge. Afterward, the bridge is mechanically engraved with the Patek Philippe branding and then washed to remove any residue of oil or other potential contaminants. The bridge is then gilded. At this phase, red varnish is also applied in the hollows of gilded numbers and logos to ensure that they will remain gold even after rhodium plating.

Parts as Art

Next, any minute burrs or tiny scraps of material remaining on the bridges from machining are removed using a scraper with a narrow spearlike head and manually checked for quality control. Once completed, they are then ready to undergo hand finishing.

The mainplates or bridges are first decorated with perlage, also known as circular graining. It involves creating a pattern of small, overlapping circular shapes on the surface using a rotating abrasive tool. The operator must carefully push a lever downward to decorate the surface with a circle, and repeat the process with uniform pressure while ensuring that the rotating tool touches the plate at the right location.

Perlage executed on the recesses of a bridge

This decorative technique serves to eliminate machining marks, giving the surface an attractive luster while improving its resistance to corrosion. There are plans at each station that indicate the size of the circular graining to be executed. According to our guide, these plans were provided by a major department known as “the method”, responsible for translating construction plans into production schemes.

The edges of the bridges are then beveled using a handheld rotary tool, followed by straight graining on the squared-off sides of the bridge using an abrasive pencil-like tool. The craftsman gently strokes along the surface, creating parallel lines that give the metal a velvety, matte texture.

Beveling using a handheld rotary tool

The bridges are then decorated with Geneva stripes also known as Côtes de Genève. This decorative pattern consists of fine scratches that form parallel lines, creating a distinctive visual illusion of waves. The specialist operates a lathe equipped with a rotating abrasive tool head set at a slight angle, skillfully guiding the tool head along the mainplate or bridge’s length in a continuous and seamless motion. It is crucial to maintain a consistent speed and angle during this process to avoid creating an uneven and irregular finish.

Finally, the bridges and mainplates are protected from oxidizing with a fine layer of rhodium, which also imparts a distinctive white appearance. The plate and jewels are then loaded into a press fixture and assembled. After which, pins and studs are installed. According to our guide, employees in the finishing and assembly departments receive extensive training focused on a single operation for several months or even years. This requirement underscores the importance of qualities like stability and composure to uphold a consistent level of quality, given the rigorous final assessments that include both visual and mechanical inspections.

Pinions and Wheels

The tour was remarkably thorough, encompassing every aspect of watch production, including the crafting of wheels, pinions and arbors. While most brands that manufacture their own movements do produce these components internally, observing the process of creating these seemingly ordinary parts from the very beginning was remarkably enlightening as we are so rarely reminded of the complexity involved. Much focus has been placed on the aesthetic finishing of movement parts, but the functional finishing of these components is something most of us don’t think that much about. The smallest pinions and pivots must be cut and finished to perfection to achieve maximum efficiency in energy transmission.

Pinions and pivots are made using an automated profile turning machine. This machine contains long bars of brass or steel within a hopper. A bar is fed into a collet, and a combination of cutting tools from the side and a milling tool from the front work to precisely carve the material into the desired shape.

Profile turning machines

On the left and right of the collet are cutting tools, with a milling tool in the foreground

The most eye-opening aspect is the multitude of steps required to finish these parts. A pinion shaft, for instance, must be polished at its teeth using a polishing wheel, burnished at its pivots, chamfered at the edges of its shaft, and polished at the face of the leaves as well as pivot ends. Due to its nano scale, it must be assembled with a brass wheel blank to be worked on and inserted into a pivot polishing machine, and then disassembled at the end.

They are then loaded into pivot polishing machine and polished

Spoked wheels, on the other hand, begin life as a brass strip that is stamped in batches using a press and pushed out of the strip. Afterward, the center hole is drilled individually, and the level of difficulty can vary significantly depending on the size of the wheel. Subsequently, the spokes of the wheels are then chamfered and angled using a press tool. They are then finished with circular graining before their hubs are sunk. Next, batches of wheel blanks are gathered on an arbor to undergo teeth machining.

Pinions are temporarily assembled with brass wheel blanks and burnished at the pivots

Following the teeth cutting process, the center hole is recut to a slightly larger size and chamfered. Subsequently, all of them are individually checked for quality. We were told that each specialist is allowed to pursue a different operation within their department, but generally do not switch over to a different department. For instance, a pinion finisseur cannot be moved to the spoked wheel department, highlighting the high degree of specialization required and fostered.

A spoked wheel undergoing chamfering where a press tool is used for adding internal angles to the blanks

Sinking the wheel

Most of the wheels and pinions for grand complications are also manufactured on this floor. There are as many as 400 different tooth profiles and a total of 17 special wheels, including star wheels, wheel nuts and the distinctive “octopus” wheel with serpentine spokes.

Case and Bracelet Making

The case and bracelet-making department, previously located in Perly, as well as the gem-setting department are now housed on the second floor of PP6. We had the opportunity to observe several production processes of the Nautilus bracelet.

Bracelet making starts off with long metal bars, which arrive at the manufacture pre-shaped with a lengthwise recess down the center. This is to limit the time spent on machining the links into the shape of an “H”. These bars are loaded into a bar-fed machining center and milled to form individual links. These links then undergo several stages of measurement and quality inspection, including manual control, gauge-based control, video measurement control, and finally, three- dimensional control, to ensure geometric accuracy.

After undergoing the first round of finishing, the bracelet is assembled

There is perhaps no area of finishing more synonymous with Patek Philippe than the finishing of its bracelets. Few can match their devotion to the craft of the perfectly finished bracelet. Following the machining process, it takes no less than 55 steps to perform the finishing operations on a Nautilus case and bracelet. The exterior H-shaped links and center links are individually prepared, each undergoing lapping on the underside and satin-brushing or mirror-polishing on top. The bracelet is then assembled by fitting the links together and installing the pins.

They are then rebuffed to create a full satin-brushed finish

The underside and top surface are then buffed to create a satin-brushed finish, followed by the chamfering of the edges. Afterward, the H-shaped links are protected with a masking tape, exposing only the center links that must undergo polishing and buffing once again. Following that, the clasp is assembled with its tension adjusted, and it is fitted onto the bracelet with the cover being riveted. As any mishap at this stage could result in parts having to be refinished, a protective film is used to cover the surfaces of the bracelet.

The H-shaped links are protected with a masking tape, exposing only the center links that must undergo polishing and buffing once again

Chamfering the edges

Case making, on the other hand, starts off by having the form of the case stamped from a strip of metal using a press. Then, a punch is used to force the piece into the cavities or impressions on the die block. This repeated pressing allows for gradual refinement of the case’s dimensions until the final shape is achieved. After forging, the case undergoes thermal treatment to homogenize the metal’s composition and structure, ensuring consistent mechanical properties to maintain the integrity and quality of the case. It then undergoes further machining in a CNC lathe before it is ready to receive surface treatments such as diamond polishing.

The various stages of machining, turning and finishing

One of the decorating techniques we got to witness was the creation of the Clous de Paris hobnail pattern on the caseband of watches such as the Calatrava Ref. 5531 as well as the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300. The guillocheur uses a hand-operated comb and plane lathe, where a comb tool with a series of fine parallel teeth is wielded with utmost control and precision to engrave the surface of the case while turning it. The difficulty lies in the delicate balance between applying just the right amount of pressure and ensuring consistent movement to achieve the desired results.

Applying the Clous de Paris hobnail pattern using a comb and plane lathe

In a particularly dim corner of the room, there is the gem-setting department, which consists of skilled gem- setters dedicated to working on special Haute Joaillerie pieces. One of them was working on the dial of an Aquanaut where its checkerboard pattern had been replaced by baguette-cut diamonds and emeralds using the invisible setting technique. This technique provides a seamless and smooth appearance by hiding the metal framework that holds the stones. The result is a striking and visually appealing design where the gemstones seemingly blend into the surrounding precious metal.

The dimly-lit environment of a gemsetter enhances their ability to assess and set gemstones with precision

A metal framework or setting is specially designed to hold the stones. The metal bars or channels have notches on their sides to securely hold the gemstones in place. Tiny grooves, known as girdle grooves, are present on the sides of the baguette-cut stones that interlock with the notches in the metal framework, ensuring a secure and precise fit. The gem-setter uses pressure to secure the stones gently and precisely into the metal setting. The gems are fitted closely together, with no visible gaps or metal prongs between them, giving the illusion that they are floating or magically held in place.

Setting the dial of an Aquanaut with baguette-cut diamonds and emeralds using the invisible setting technique

After the stones are set, the piece undergoes careful inspection to ensure that each stone is perfectly aligned and secured in place. The patience, steady hand and gimlet eye that we take for granted in watchmaking, are just as crucial for the maestros of the gem-setter’s craft. As a testament to its complexity, watches featuring the invisible setting technique often command a premium.

Grand Complications

PP6 also houses the production and assembly of grand complications, which is by far the most labor-intensive aspect of their manufacture. The CNC machines used in this department cater to small serial production. Our guide explained that in the Grandmaster Chime, the mainplate begins as a very thick plate of metal that requires four hours of milling and drilling on the front and six hours of milling on the back.

Skeletonized plates and other intricate small components, such as levers, are manufactured with high precision using an electro or wire erosion. In this process, the machine submerges a series of metal plates in deionized water and directs a thin, electrically charged wire downward to cut the plates with exceptional accuracy. The wire erosion technique allows for the creation of complex and delicate shapes with very tight tolerances, ensuring the precise and intricate construction of parts.

Unlike movement parts for the classic collections, parts for grand complications can be extremely difficult to finish by hand due to their complex shapes and sizes. While a bench-style wooden grinding wheel or a handheld rotary tool is used on the regular production floor, we saw more metal and wooden files being used in this department. A manual file is more time-consuming, but it offers maximum control on more delicate and hard-to-reach areas, as seen on components like the bridge for a tourbillon or a centrifugal governor. These various methods of anglage enable Patek Philippe to consistently maintain a high quality of finish.

Rare Handcrafts

Continuing our journey to the fourth floor, we were treated to a demonstration of champlevé enameling in the Rare Handcrafts department. In champlevé enameling, a thick dial plate is carefully hollowed out to create outlines of cavities where enamel is painted into, before firing to affix the colors. This method allows different colors of enamels to be mixed freely within one compartment to create gradients and shading without affecting the others. It is generally simpler and quicker to execute compared to cloisonné, which requires precise shaping and positioning of thin metal wires, making it more suitable for serial production.

An enameller showcasing the technique of champlevé enameling

The demonstration was eventually hijacked by our group and the artwork began deteriorating rapidly. We were told that Patek Philippe fires the enamel after the application of each layer, while some brands opt to fire at the end for quicker production, limiting color and shading adjustments if issues were to be discovered only at the end. Alas, the artwork did not advance to the stage of firing; by the time we were done, it was ready for the bin.

Bottles of enamel powder

Cloisonné enameling on the dial of the Golden Ellipse Ref. 5738/50G-025 “Snow-Covered Landscape” created for the Grand Art Exhibition in Tokyo this year

The team of enamelers based in PP6 are skilled in as many as 12 types of enameling. There are also enamelers based in Patek Philippe’s dial factory, Cadrans Flückiger in St Imier. For certain special pieces, independent enamelers, including Anita Porchet, are subcontracted.

By the end of the tour, it was impossible not to come away with a profound respect and admiration for the completeness and consistency that permeate every aspect of Patek Philippe, be it in terms of watchmaking or manufacturing. These qualities are emblematic of the fact that the manufacture is nothing if not superlatively astute about its future, as it has been since the dawn of the Stern era. The decision to strengthen its complicated and Rare Handcrafts collections is a move that will only reaffirm its position as the foremost complication specialist and a steadfast guardian of Genevan craftsmanship. In an era consumed by hype-y steel watches, this is the light at the end of the tunnel.

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FROM THE SHOP

Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross x Alessandro Palazzi x Revolution & The Rake Bellytanker Chronograph "Vesper"

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TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
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Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

The post Behind the Scenes at Patek Philippe’s New PP6 Manufacture appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Why Patek Philippe Remains Still and Forever the King of High Watchmaking

Wei Koh — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:30:09 +0000

Why Patek Philippe Remains Still and Forever the King of High Watchmaking

At its latest Watch Art Grand Exhibition, the manufacture continues its mission to share its savoir-faire, latest technical innovations and peerless métiers d’art to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Reference

By Wei Koh

Aug 4, 2023

When people ask me why it is that Patek Philippe, which already has staggering wait lists for almost all its watches and certainly its much sought-after complication, high-complication, grand-complication and sport models, would spend a staggering sum — easily in the millions — to showcase their history and craft in their Grand Exhibitions, my three-word response is invariably: “Because they can.”

Which is not meant to be so much glib as factual. As a wholly family-owned and -run company, Thierry and Philippe Stern can decide how to deploy their capital. For them, the objective has never been to sell more watches, but to tell the world their story with the greatest authenticity. Because when it comes to high watchmaking, the innovation of game-changing complications and the creation of peerless métiers d’art, there is only one king. And that king is Patek Philippe.

Even industry legend Jean-Claude Biver — a man who has, in some ways, competed against Patek Philippe for over 40 years since he revived Blancpain in 1982 — collects almost exclusively Patek Philippe watches himself. Why? He explains, “Because Patek is the best. It is as simple as that. No brand has brought greater creativity, better quality and more beautiful designs to watchmaking. No one.”

Today, all watch brands are engaged on a single-minded mission to create broader awareness, greater desirability and to reach the next generation of consumers. But each one at the top does it in a different way. Audemars Piguet has decided to engage with popular culture like hip hop and Marvel Comics. Rolex today completely dominates the world of sports, despite it very brilliantly shifting beyond the sports market and into the high-luxury world with its watches.

But no one tells the story of the history of watchmaking better than Patek Philippe. And when you attend the Grand Exhibition in Tokyo’s Sumitomo Sankaku Hiroba as a new watch fan, a young person still in his early formative stage in terms of taste, there is one message you will leave with — the one irrefutable and unassailable truth that will be imparted upon you so that it bonds forever with your psyche — which is that the history of high watchmaking is the story of Patek Philippe itself, certainly throughout the 20^th century and now in our new millennium.

Patek Philippe’s Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo’s Sumitomo Sankaku Hiroba

Nicholas Foulkes, President of the Geneva Grand Prix, and the journalist extraordinaire who literally wrote the book on Patek Philippe, says, “The motivation for Patek Philippe to stage these extraordinary Grand Exhibitions is the same one that inspired Philippe Stern to create the Patek Philippe salon in Geneva. Because when you enter inside and walk through the history of watchmaking, you realize that no brand has had a greater influence on shaping high watchmaking than Patek Philippe, thanks to the extraordinary leadership of the Stern family.”

Auro Montanari, one of the world’s foremost Patek Philippe historians and the author of the amazing Patek Philippe Steel Watches, says, “No one has achieved more to shape the culture of high watchmaking than Patek Philippe. Look at 1941, the world was at war, but Patek Philippe made two of the most iconic watches of all time: Ref. 1518, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph; and Ref. 1526, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar.”

From left: Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 and Ref. 1526

Montanari’s point is extremely salient, because in the annals of modern horology, there is no brand more synergistically associated with the perpetual calendar wristwatch. Patek Philippe was the very first to create a perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925, the first to create a retrograde perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1937, as well as the very first to produce a perpetual calendar wristwatch in series in 1941 with the legendary Ref. 1526. The manufacture was the first to create a sweep-seconds perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1944 with the Ref. 1591, and the first to serially produce this complication in 1951 with the Ref. 2497. It was also the first to create a self-winding perpetual calendar beginning in 1962 with the iconic Ref. 3448 — in fact, it would take a full 16 years before another Swiss watchmaker could match this achievement.

The iconic Patek Philippe Ref. 3448

In addition, as Montanari points out, Patek Philippe was also the first to create a perpetual calendar chronograph in 1941 with the legendary Ref. 1518. And Patek Philippe holds the record for the most expensive vintage perpetual calendar ever sold at auction: the stainless steel Ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph which went under the hammer for just over CHF 11 million at a Phillips Bacs & Russo auction in 2016.

Ahmed Shary Rahman, modern Patek Philippe collector and GPHG jury member, says, “More than shaping the history of high watchmaking. Patek is high watchmaking. And what I love is that when they launch new watches, it’s never a gimmick; it’s never to create a social media sensation, but to introduce new functional complications backed by a tremendous amount of research and new functional innovations.” The message is clear: amid a world where watch brands are launching a constant dizzying array of newer, better, splashier, crazier timepieces, Patek Philippe makes real watches. What do I mean by this? Let’s take a look at two timepieces introduced during the Tokyo Grand Exhibition as examples of real watchmaking.

Quadruple Complication Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 Ref. 5308P-010

You didn’t think that all this talk about Patek Philippe and perpetual calendars was going to lead nowhere, did you? So the predecessor to the Ref. 5308 was the Ref. 5208 launched in 2011. The latter featured an instantaneous perpetual calendar shown in apertures, a minute repeater and a chronograph. Famously at the time of the launch, there was only one other instantaneous perpetual calendar shown in apertures, which was made by Roger Dubuis; but as that brand abandoned this model, Patek Philippe then became the only brand with this function. Add to that the magnificent song of the world’s best minute repeaters and you already have a heady and alluring combination.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

But then Patek Philippe also added a chronograph. How? Patek Philippe’s Head of Watch Development, Philip Barat — who’s also known as “Mr Plexi” for his capacity to explain complex mechanisms using plexiglass models — says, “Amusingly, this is the one and only time that Patek Philippe had ever made a modular chronograph. The module in this case sits between the perpetual calendar mechanism and the minute repeater base caliber, but it is a highly efficient chronograph mechanism, which doesn’t draw much power for the underlying base caliber despite being laterally coupled.”

What was super amusing at the Tokyo Grand Exhibition was that the Ref. 5308, by all standards an utterly mind-blowing game-changing timepiece, was simply put on display in a vitrine in the Grand Complication room with a small plaque that read “New Model”. But it was when you read “Split Second Chronograph” in the watch’s description that things got exciting. There is no brand more famous for the split-seconds chronograph or “rattrapante” than Patek Philippe. As proof of this, they even brought the legendary “Duke Ellington” Ref. 1563, a simply incredible split-seconds chronograph version of the famous Ref. 1463 Tasti Tondi, with them to the Tokyo Exhibition.

Patek Philippe Ref. 542 HU in pink gold

Patek Philippe has also been an incredible innovator in the world of split-seconds chronographs, designing an isolator mechanism first for the Lemania 2310 — or CH27-525 in Patek speak — found in the Ref. 5004, as well as an all-new isolator mechanism for the in-house CH29-535, which is found in the Ref. 5204 and Ref. 5370. So, what is an isolator? To understand this, you need to visualize how a split-seconds chronograph works.

A Brief Look at Split-Second Chronographs

Basically, the split-seconds wheel is connected to the chronograph seconds wheel by a spring-loaded arm that sits against a heart cam found on the chronograph wheel. So when the split-seconds brake stops the split-seconds wheel, the chronograph can still continue to turn. But when it is released thanks to this arm, the split-seconds wheel can catch up immediately.

Now the problem is that the pressure of the arm against the heart cam can sometimes cause either a huge drag on the amplitude of the balance wheel, or it can cause the watch to stop altogether, especially when power reserve or mainspring torque is not high.

I cannot tell you how many super-high-end split-seconds chronographs I know of that are guilty of this flaw because they don’t have isolators, but let me just say there are a lot of them. So, of course, when Patek Philippe was going to add a split-seconds chronograph to the Ref. 5208 to create the Ref. 5308, they were going to do so accompanied by an isolator. Philip Barat says, “We didn’t want to increase the thickness of the movement, so we created an isolator mechanism that is on the same level as the split-seconds train, in between the split-seconds brake and the chronograph mechanism.”

But of course, typical of Patek Philippe, that’s not all. Indeed this laterally-coupled chronograph features a brilliant drive wheel made from nickel phosphorous using the LIGA process, which allows for the creation of extremely complex shapes down to a micron’s tolerance. A laterally-coupled chronograph means that the drive wheel and chrono wheel engage on the perimeter of both wheels using gear teeth.

The problem is that a lot of the time, as the clutch falls, the teeth hit each other rather than falling back into place in between each other. This causes backlash, meaning the seconds hand jumps either backwards or sometimes forwards, as the teeth struggle to find their place. Patek Philippe has solved this by creating a drive wheel where the teeth are flexible and each features its own leaf spring. As a result, the instantaneous perpetual calendar works perfectly with jumps of just 30 milliseconds even when the watch is down to just 10 hours of power reserve.

A Quick Refresher on Patek Philippe World Timers

What motivated Patek Philippe to create their first World Timers? Well, let’s look at this in the context of Patek Philippe’s history. The maison was acquired by the Stern family and run by brothers Charles and Jean Stern in 1932. This marked the start point of Patek Philippe’s truly glorious era, which stretches across the 20^th century to this day. And it cannot be overstated how brilliantly creative Charles and Jean Stern were.

Just nine years into their stewardship and in the throes of the Second World War, they launched two of the most important timepieces ever made — the Ref. 1518, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and the Ref. 1526, the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar — and single-handedly introduced us to the era of complicated wristwatches.

In 1937, Charles’s son, Henri Stern, brought Patek Philippe to the United States. Henri was a global gadabout like no other, fearlessly venturing to South America and other far-flung destinations to spread the gospel of Patek Philippe, now under the leadership of his father and uncle. What was clear was that the Sterns discussed the type of wristwatches the modern gentleman and, in particular, the American would like to wear. Their answer was: a watch made for the traveling man, a man of elegance who circumnavigates the earth in style.

Patek Philippe Retrograde Perpetual Calendar Wristwatch from 1937

Around this time, Louis Cottier had approached all of the major names in Geneva with his invention, the world-time complication. The very first piece that he delivered was one made for Baszanger, which had a dial made by the Sterns. Serendipity would have Louis Cottier and the Sterns set out on one of the most magical and mutually beneficial collaborations that would bear fruit in their legendary World Time and Travel Time complications.

On display at the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, amid a magnificent array of both vintage and contemporary timepieces, was a gem known as the Patek Philippe Ref. 542 HU. The Ref. 542 HU is absolutely stunning to look at with its small 28mm case, Cottier’s hour hand with a bisected circle design, and unusually long lugs. Cased in yellow gold, it is also special in that it is the very first Patek Philippe World Time wristwatch where noon and midnight are shown using a sun and a moon in the 24-hour ring. The genius of the Ref. 542 HU relates to the use of a large rotating bezel that bears the names of 31 locations for the earth’s 24 zones, meaning that you can easily switch the name of your local city.

According to Sotheby’s, five examples are known to exist, two of which were on display at the Tokyo exhibition. But it was this pink gold example that literally made my jaw drop as I stared transfixed in front of it.

Patek Philippe Ref. 542 HU in pink gold

Also on display was a stunning Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 World Timer with a cloisonné enamel map. This model has created quite a stir as a rare yellow gold version with a North American map of it was recently sold at auction for a staggering USD 8.5 million. While the initial Patek Philippe World Timers such as the Ref. 1415 featured engraved bezels which were manually turned to any new local city, in 1953, Cottier and Patek Philippe unveiled a stunning watch featuring the all-new caliber 12-400 HU, with a second smaller crown that turned an inner rotating city disk. The watch this new complication came in was an absolute masterwork of design and featured stunning faceted lugs that were made for Patek Philippe by Gerlach.

Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 World Timer

Yet, strangely, despite its unique beauty, the Ref. 2523 didn’t sell particularly well and, as a result, were made in very small quantities. The number of watches made is a topic of debate, but the total for the Ref. 2523 and Ref. 2523/1, according to Patek Philippe, can be placed at less than 40 in yellow gold, more than 10 in rose gold and just one in white gold.

World Time Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 Reference 5330G-010

Now let’s shift gears to talk about a modern watch. Because at the Tokyo Grand Exhibition, Patek Philippe launched what is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliantly innovative and enchantingly beautiful watches of all time: the 300-piece limited-edition World Time Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 Ref. 5330G with date. This is the third time a modern world-timer by Patek Philippe has featured an additional complication: a chronograph version, Ref. 5930, was launched in 2016; and a cloisonné enamel minute repeater version which strikes local time, Ref. 5331, was made first in 2017 for the New York Grand Exhibition depicting Manhattan’s skyline.

The Ref. 5330G is a magnificent white gold Patek Philippe world-timer with a purple guilloche à main dial and the date placed at the perimeter. “Thierry spent a lot of time deciding where to place the date,” says Philip Barat. “At one point he was thinking to place it between the city disc and the 24-hour ring, but decided it was not visible enough.” Finally the decision was taken to place it at the very edge of the dial — on the rehaut that marks the transition to the bezel.

Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

But then the question was, how to add a hand such that it would not disrupt the reading of all the other crucial world-time information? Barat explains, “We decided to use a glass hand that was almost invisible to the eye with a red hammer-shaped indicator. In order to do this, we had to learn how to weld the glass to a small tube that is coaxial to the cannon pinion.”

But that was far from the most complex technical feat required by the Ref. 5330G. Barat continues, “We realized we would have to deal with the International Date Line and that you could end up in a destination where the date was the day before when you travel east to west.” An example of this is a flight from Singapore to New York. In this scenario, you land the day before you departed. Amazingly, the Ref. 5330G understands this and compensates for it. But there is one more problem.

Barat says, “There is one hour a day where every one of the 24 zones is in the same date. So even when you cross the International Date Line, the date doesn’t change. We created a system with a differential mechanism to compensate for this. Actually, this is the second system we created, because in the first version we realized that the hand still wanted to change and you could see a sort of backwards and forwards tug of war on this hand during the one-hour period. Thierry immediately stopped production and had us rework the system to get it exactly right.”

This is a testament to how Patek Philippe never launches anything but a fully resolved timepiece. Ref. 5330G is exactly that and represents both transcendent beauty and, as always, real, functional innovation.

So now you understand the motivation behind Patek Philippe’s Grand Exhibition. As I pointed out earlier, this undertaking is both Herculean and extremely costly, but Patek Philippe clearly feels that it is worth everything — and I, for one, agree. It’s funny because, of late, it has been very fashionable to discuss the performance in terms of revenue of the world’s top watch brands. And many online pundits have discussed Patek Philippe’s ranking as the fifth biggest brand in the world at CHF 1.8 billion based on 68,000 units sold in 2022.

But, first of all, you need to understand something. Patek Philippe’s revenue is at the wholesale level. Patek Philippe — like Rolex, as opposed to Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille — believes in partnerships and always has. Could it shift to the model espoused by the latter to keep all revenue to itself and massively increase profit? Yes, easily. But Patek Philippe doesn’t because it is a family-owned company and thus makes decisions for the long term.

If you were to calculate Patek Philippe’s revenue at the retail level, it would probably exceed that of Cartier’s 2.75 billion — making it the number one high-luxury watch brand in the world. But Patek Philippe doesn’t need to, because it is already the number one watch brand in terms of desirability based on real authenticity and not marketing hype.

In many ways, even though they will never admit it, there is always a competition among the industry’s top CEOs to say that they make more revenue than the others. But Patek Philippe doesn’t think this way. Imagine if you were to go to a country where you don’t speak the language and perhaps the cultural differences there make you feel lost and confused.

Yet if you mention the name “Patek Philippe”, the vast majority of people around you, certainly in affluent circles, would immediately light up and want to talk to you. That is the power of Patek Philippe: it transcends language, culture, religion, and is the universal symbol for the very best when it comes to watchmaking. It has been for the last 100 years, and I am sure it will be so for the next 100.

So when people say, “Oh, but Patek Philippe doesn’t rank as high as this brand or that brand in terms of revenue,” tell them that it is because Patek Philippe is not playing this game. They are not motivated by revenue. They are motivated only by one thing: the preservation of their immortality as the very best.

I will say one last thing as a sort of warning to the rest of the industry. It is clear that with the completion of its new manufacture, Patek Philippe, which was previously restrained by the number of watches it could physically produce, is now capable of expansion. While the official statement is that this manufacture was created to “streamline production”, etc., the very brilliant Stern family is not going to invest CHF 600 million without a great reason.

With an already insurmountable delta between demand and supply, increasing production by, say, 30 percent, would do nothing to damage the desirability of Patek Philippe. It will, however, definitely take market share away from brands and groups that have profited all the times when a Patek Philippe was not available.

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TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber BR.CAL-301; 42-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
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Dial	Sunray brushed with applied, gold-plated indices
Strap	Black calfskin; satin polished bronze folding clasp
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 50 pieces

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Patek Philippe Unveils Rare Handcrafts Collection Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Japan

Sheng Lee — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 11:00:00 +0000

Patek Philippe Unveils Rare Handcrafts Collection Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Japan

Patek Philippe launches a Rare Handcrafts collection featuring enamelling, engraving, and guilloche for the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Japan.

News

By Sheng Lee

Jun 14, 2023

With the pandemic affecting the schedules of all events, Patek Philippe‘s world tour of watchmaking arts has finally arrived in Japan, four years after the previous event took place in Singapore. Following tradition, the Watch Art Grand Exhibition not only displays statement pieces from the brand’s archive, directly flown in from the museum in its hometown, but also unveils a range of new timepieces created specifically for the event.

Among these special editions, the Rare Handcrafts collection stands out as the pinnacle, thanks to its exquisite métiers d’art decoration that spares no expense, allowing for a full expression and precise capture of the essence of Japanese history, geography, and culture. The Rare Handcrafts collection for the Japanese market encompasses forty pieces, including table clocks, domed clocks, pocket watches, and wristwatches, each being a unique piece or limited edition.

Domed clocks – the perfect canvas for enamelling

The highlights of the Rare Handcrafts are led by the domed clocks, a signature of the Genevan watchmaker, standing over 21.3 cm tall and stretching over 12.8 cm in diameter. Their sheer size makes them the perfect canvas for elaborate cloisonné enamel, historically found on larger objects such as vases.

Patek Philippe domed clock collections

Patek Philippe has launched a series of domed clocks, among which three distinctly embody the essence of Japanese artistry. The standout model is the ref. 20140M-001 “Calligraphy”, featuring a floral backdrop in natural-looking colour combinations of green and gold. The intricate floral pattern is the result of painstaking cloisonné enamel work, requiring a remarkable 33 metres of gold wire. The wire is carefully cut, folded, and affixed to the surface of the clock, forming the precise outline of the pattern before the enamel is delicately painted within. Each side of the clock requires up to 13 firings to complete the floral painting, followed by the calligraphy written on top of it, also in enamel. The final process necessitates an additional 7 firings to set everything together.

The hour ring is rendered in mother of pearl, giving it a natural palette and lustrous sheen that complements the enamel painting well

Also intriguing, but in a completely different style, is the Ref. 20141M-001 “Japanese Stamps” clock, featuring a warm and nostalgic palette in rose gilt and black. Each side of the clock showcases a unique stamp design depicting Japan’s famous architecture and natural landscapes, such as the torii gate marking the entrance to a sacred space and Mount Fuji. Similar to the “Calligraphy” clock, the stamp design is created using cloisonné enamel. However, an additional technique is employed here: the centre of each stamp is first engraved with lines and then covered with translucent enamel. The combination of the horizontal stripes and the warm brown colour evokes a nostalgic sensation, reminiscent of aged stamps.

From left: Ref. 20140M-001 “Calligraphy”, Ref. 20141M-001 "Japanese Stamps" and Ref. 20137M-001 "Hanami"

The third highlight, the Ref. 20137M-001 “Hanami,” beautifully depicts the vibrant colours of Japan’s natural landscape and cultural heritage, which is a characteristic shared by other Patek Philippe creations for various countries. Although it embraces a souvenir style, the “Hanami” remains intricate and captivating. Not only is it crafted with cloisonné enamel, but it also requires a significant amount of miniature painting between the wires to bring the scene to life. The quality of the enamelling is evident, resulting in a lively portrayal of Japan’s spring season and the cherished tradition of hanami, where people gather to appreciate the blossoming sakura flowers.

Pocket watches – exquisite watches and stands

Another fascinating genre to explore is that of pocket watches. These timepieces are not only adorned with lavish decorations on the dial but also boast artisanal or sculptural cases and stands. With the scarcity of mechanical pocket watches today, the complete set with perfectly matching stands becomes truly exceptional. It serves as a delightful reminder of the past and stands as a testament to the core purpose driving Patek Philippe’s annual debut of the Rare Handcrafts collection – to preserve and celebrate these cherished traditions.

Patek Philippe pocket watch collections

The standout enamelled model in question is the ref. 995/135G-001 “Eagle”. Every aspect of this watch exudes intrigue and exquisite craftsmanship, from the vibrant grand feu enamel dial in a striking pink hue to the delicate painting on the back. The depiction of the eagle showcases the mastery of three enamelling techniques: cloisonné enamel for creating precise outlines of the tree and leaves, paillonné enamel for embedding golden flakes into the branch to mimic leaves, and, most notably, and a remarkable miniature painting of the eagle itself. The quality of the enamelling is clearly evident, and it is further emphasised by the signature “A. Porchet” at the bottom. While dials bearing the “AP” signature indicate pieces crafted by Anita Porchet’s workshop, the “A. Porchet” signature signifies that the decoration was entirely executed by Ms. Porchet herself.

To complement the painting, the case flank and bezel are adorned with enamel and embellished with gold flakes using the paillonné enamelling technique

Another noteworthy highlight is the ref. 995/131G-001 “Portrait of a Samurai,” which presents a lifelike depiction of a samurai adorned in armour. What sets this timepiece apart is the use of wood marquetry instead of enamel for the painting. This technique involves assembling the artwork using tiny pieces of wood. Patek Philippe has employed a remarkable 53 species of wood, utilising a total of 1,000 wood pieces for the marquetry. Although the wood pieces are arranged in a pixel-like manner, they are incredibly small and smooth, resulting in a realistic final depiction. Notably, this represents the most intricate wood marquetry ever produced by Patek Philippe.

Ref. 995/131G-001 "Portrait of a Samurai," which presents a lifelike depiction of a samurai adorned in armour

There are a few more beautifully crafted pocket watches, each featuring a unique aesthetic and requiring different combinations of decoration, including enamelling and engraving. Please enjoy the pictures below.

The ref. 995/134G-001 "Shizuoka and Mount Fuji" exhibits intricate paintings on both sides of the dial, complemented by additional engraving on the back, making it one of this year's most elaborate pocket watches.

The ref. 992/158J-001 "Kyudo" combines guilloche and flinqué enamel techniques. Notably, the watch stand takes the creative form of an arrow, complementing the miniature painting of the archer.

The ref. 992/178J-001 "Katagami" embraces a simple yet captivating concept, incorporating geometrical patterns and engraving to create a muted motif, resulting in a design that conveys depth and elegance.

Wristwatches – métiers d’art and haute horlogerie

Next up are wristwatches, with Patek Philippe introducing 18 new versions. Among them, you’ll find the classic time-only Calatrava and Ellipse models, where the entire dial serves as a canvas for decoration. However, the most intriguing timepieces are those that combine both métiers d’art and haute horlogerie.

First on the list is the ref. 5538G-016 “Tiger,” a 37 mm hand-wound Calatrava that boasts a tourbillon and a minute repeater. The dial depicts a roaring tiger gazing at the crescent moon, created using cloisonné enamelling. Gold wires form the tiger’s fur and outline, while vibrant enamel fills the spaces. The solid white gold caseback enhances the timepiece’s solidity, and the “Officer’s” style case back allows a glimpse of the movement.

Ref. 5538G-016 "Tiger"

Another intricate wristwatch is the ref. 7000/50G-011 “Bird on a Red Maple,” a 33.9 mm wide ladies’ timepiece that includes a minute repeater. The dial showcases a bird perched on a branch against a light green background, with a subtle gradient from top to bottom. The bird and tree are meticulously crafted using cloisonne enamel, while additional miniature painting brings out the intricate details.

Ref. 7000/50G-011 "Bird on a Red Maple"

Table clocks – cartographic objets d’art

Ref. 25014M-001 "Tokyo as the Crow Flies"

Last but not least, Patek Philippe also offers five table clocks, modelled after a design from the 1950s. The latest additions measure 5.35 cm tall and 12.6 cm wide, each featuring unique Japanese maps on the dial and case. Among them, the standout model is the ref. 25014M-001 “Tokyo as the Crow Flies,” showcasing the exact stylized bird’s-eye view of Tokyo’s streets found on the limited edition wristwatch ref. 5531R-014. These table clocks provide an extended view of the street due to their larger size, allowing for more intricate decoration. The dial of the table clock is adorned with both barleycorn guilloche and cloisonne enamel, representing a further step in craftsmanship compared to the wristwatch. However, the colours have been toned down, resulting in a more subdued appearance.

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TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber A-500; 60 hours power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	42.5mm; titanium; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Salmon (6N gold plated) with gené or frosted area; Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals
Strap	Ballistic gray rubber; titanium folding clasp

The post Patek Philippe Unveils Rare Handcrafts Collection Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Japan appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Patek Philippe releases six special editions at Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo

Revolution — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 03:40:14 +0000

Patek Philippe releases six special editions at Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo

The manufacture debuts a new quadruple complication, a new world timer with a unique date display, and other Tokyo-exclusive editions for the Japanese market.

News

By Revolution

Jun 13, 2023

One of this year’s most anticipated watch events, the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition has officially opened its doors on 10th June 2023. This is the sixth installation of Patek Philippe’s grand exhibition, and its largest one yet, stretching over more than 2,500 square meters in total.

As it occupies the cavernous interiors of the Sumitomo Sankaku Hiroba (the triangular plaza) Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo brings more than 500 timepieces and objects showcasing Patek Philippe’s vast manufacturing breadth and depth. They include the manufacture’s entire current collection, antique and vintage watches from the Patek Philippe Museum, horological masterpieces such as the formidable Caliber 89, Star Caliber 2000 and the Sky Moon Tourbillon.

Star Caliber 2000

On top of these major exhibits, Patek Philippe has also launched six completely new references launched exclusively for the Japan market. Along with a selection of Tokyo-exclusive Rare Handcrafts timepiece which we’ll cover soon.

Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

First of the six is a stunning world premiere quadruple complication that unites a minute repeater, a chronograph with split-seconds mechanism (this counts as two complications) and an instantaneous perpetual calendar while unveiling two new innovative patents just for the split-seconds chronograph. Ref. 5308P-010 is an evolution of 2011’s Ref. 5208 which combines a minute repeater with chronograph and instantaneous perpetual calendar.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Its movement, Caliber R CHR 27 PS QI, contains 80 additional parts vis-à-vis Caliber R CH 27 PS QI for the Ref. 5208 but in terms of dimensions, it only increased 4mm in diameter and 1.93mm in height. To ensure that power reserve was not compromised due to the introduction of the split seconds function, Patek Philippe work on improving the barrel spring torque, employing the use of a thicker mainspring blade made of a stronger material, along with a smaller barrel arbor.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Altogether, these features allowed the length of the spring, number of coils, and power reserve to be maintained between 38 and 48 hours. And to ensure that the balance is equipped to handle all that increased torque from the barrel spring, and that the movement won’t face issues of “knocking” (shocks to the escapement when the amplitude of the balance is too high), the manufacture had to increase the inertia of the balance for better rate stability.

With the addition of a split seconds mechanism comes two new patents designed to improve energy consumption as well as operating performance. As Ref. 5308P-010 utilizes a chronograph with a horizontal clutch design, the connection between the seconds wheel and the chronograph wheel (which carries the sweep seconds hand) is made through the clutch wheel actuated by the clutch lever. To avoid any quivering of the sweep-seconds hand, the usual chronograph wheels are equipped with a friction spring that exerts a slight braking effect, and that consumes energy.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Patek Philippe has eliminated this friction by replacing the usual clutch wheel with classic teeth by an innovative system of an anti-backlash wheel. Made from a nickel-phosphorus alloy, using LIGA technology (lithography, electroplating and molding) this component has an avant-garde geometry, with long split teeth each incorporating a tiny leaf-spring, 18 microns thick, that clamps the teeth of the chronograph wheel, thus eliminating any risk of quivering in the sweep seconds hand — all accomplished with no need for adjustment.

Next, Patek Philippe filed a second patent for a split-seconds isolator mechanism. With the objective to eliminate friction caused by the split-second lever as it rolls around the chronograph heart-piece even when the split hand is stopped, Patek Philippe introduces a new system with an isolator mechanism making it possible to lift the lever and uncouple it from the chronograph train. This prevents the stopping of the split-seconds train from having an influence on the amplitude of the balance — and therefore, on the movement’s reliability and on its power reserve when the chronograph is engaged.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Ref. 5308P-010 is a mono-pusher split-seconds column wheel-driven chronograph. A single pusher at 2 o’clock actuates the start, stop, and reset functions, while the pusher at 4 o’clock controls the split-seconds mechanism, which has its own column wheel.

Apart from the chronograph, Ref. 5308P-010’s quartet of grand complications also includes a minute repeater and an instantaneous perpetual calendar. The minute repeater here is a classical set-up with two hammers and gongs, and a highly sophisticated strike train all working together to chime the hours, quarters, and minutes in notes best described as the “Patek Philippe sound.” Like all Patek Philippe chiming watches, president of the company Thierry Stern personally listened to and signed off on these chimes.

And as an instantaneous perpetual calendar, the movement is capable of making 30-millisecond jumps of the indications in each of the four apertures. More impressively, it does so even when the power reserve is down to just 10 hours. Considering that the perpetual calendar display here is composed of discs rather than hands, where discs are far heavier than hands, this is a truly great achievement. The instantaneous display demands perfect mastery of energy to hold back the disks and then release them all at once.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

A large lever with 15 parts, some of which are mobile, ensures a precise jump by all the displays at the same time. A construction with two additional jumper springs acting in opposite directions ensures that the energy deployed for each change remains constant, despite large differences in the displacement angles — from the jump of one day at the end of months with 31 days to the jump of four days at the end of February in non-leap years. This avoids incomplete jumps caused by a lack of power or indications that jump too far owing to surplus energy.

Patek Philippe Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Cased in platinum, Quadruple Complication Ref. 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 has a dial in rose-gilt opaline with charcoal gray white gold baton-style hour markers, and faceted dauphine hands in the same material. It is delivered with two interchangeable case backs, one in sapphire crystal and another in platinum, both with the words “Patek Philippe Tokyo” inscribed. Worn on shiny chocolate brown alligator leather and platinum fold-over clasp, this watch is made its debut in a limited edition run of just 15 watches.

World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

The second key highlight is a consistent favorite among Patek Philippe aficionados, the world timer. World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 carries on a lovely tradition at the manufacture where the 24 time zone display goes hand-in-hand with beautiful métiers d’art décor in either Grand Feu cloisonné enamel featuring sections of the world map or hand-guillochéd designs. But this specific reference brings something else never-before seen in the Patek Philippe world timer: the date indication. And it is no ordinary date indication either. Ref. 5330G-010 offers a patented date display synchronized with local time and hence adjusts automatically backwards and forwards as the wearer navigates the different time zones. Prior to this new model, synchronizing the world time with another function was achieved only in the Ref. 5531 world time minute repeater.

Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

This time, to incorporate a synchronized date display with the world timer, the manufacture has developed a new movement, Caliber 240 HU C. Its date display module made up of 70 new parts comprises a patented central differential system with two concentric gear trains managing local-time date. When the outer train (of larger diameter) turns clockwise, the date hand advances clockwise by one notch. When the inner train turns clockwise the date hand moves back counterclockwise by a notch. When the two trains turn clockwise together, the date hand remains stationary. Just a push of the button at 10 o’clock and you’ll be able to set the city disc, the 24-hour disc, the center hour hand, and where necessary, the date.

Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Indeed, the date display doesn’t usually get to play a starring role in many timepieces due to its relatively simple concept, but here, Patek Philippe elevates it to a level of complexity that’s worthy of the exquisite high complication that is Ref. 5330G-010. Even the way it is displayed gets extra attention from the manufacture. The analog style indication sits around the outermost periphery of the dial, and numbers 1 to 31 are read off a hammer-shaped center hand with a red varnished tip. Most astonishingly, it is almost completely transparent as Patek Philippe had it made of glass — a first for the manufacture. The rationale behind this move was so that this hand would not come to obstruct one’s view of the city or time zone disc. Patek Philippe called upon two existing patents to realize this feature, the first of which enables it to apply red lacquer onto glass, and the second involves a brazing technique allowing the manufacture to attach the pipe of the hour wheel to the glass hand.

Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Ref. 5330G-010’s most outstanding physical attribute, however, is its elegant plum colored dial selected exclusively for the Japanese market. At its center, a hand-guillochéd décor affirms this timepiece as a product of Patek Philippe’s Rare Handcrafts division. The word “Tokyo” is also printed in red, and the sun icon on the German silver 24-hour disc reflects the emblem of the Japanese flag. The 40mm case is in white gold paired with two-tier fluted lugs and its sapphire-crystal back adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”. A 300-piece limited edition, it is worn on a shiny black alligator-leather strap with contrasting plum-colored hand stitching, secured by a fold-over clasp in white gold.

Ref. 5531R-014 World Time Minute Repeater Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Patek Philippe Ref. 5531R-014 World Time Minute Repeater Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

For the third timepiece in Patek Philippe’s Tokyo special series, the manufacture offers a grand complication combining world time and minute repeater, Ref. 5531R-014. First introduced in 2017, this watch made its mark as the first minute repeater synchronized to local time. But where the inaugural model featured a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel map of downtown Geneva, Patek Philippe’s home city, this Tokyo exclusive version adorns it with a map of the historic Chuo district in the center of the city. Always dedicating this segment of the watch for the exhibition’s host city, Patek Philippe shows collectors in this market how deeply it value their appreciation and support. With the word “Tokyo” marked out in red on the city disc, this watch is made in a 15-piece limited edition run.

Ref. 7121/200G-010 Ladies’ Moon-Phase Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Patek Philippe Ref. 7121/200G-010 Ladies’ Moon-Phase Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Never forgetting the ladies among its clientele, Patek Philippe also created this 200-piece limited edition model unique for its elegant pearl gray tone dressing the dial as well as the alligator leather strap. This Ladies’ Moon-Phase model is based on a recently introduced 2022 model in blue, which has a 33mm officer’s style case, beautiful applied Breguet-style numerals and poire-shaped hands all made in white gold.

Patek Philippe Ref. 7121/200G-010 Ladies’ Moon-Phase Limited Edition Tokyo 2023

Encircling the dial in two staggered rows, 132 brilliant-cut diamonds (approximately 1.09 ct) showcase the exclusive “Lace” setting unique to Patek Philippe. On the inside is Caliber 215 PS LU manually wound mechanical movement — the smallest complicated movement made by Patek Philippe. Visible through the transparent sapphire-crystal back which bears the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”.

Calatrava Refs. 6127G-010 and 7127G0-010

Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 7127G0-010

Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 6127G-010

Knowing how couple watches are a popular tradition in Japan, Patek Philippe’s Tokyo special series includes this delightful pair of Calatravas already introduced in late 2022. Vibrant and youthful in spirit, these white gold timepieces stand out for their colorful personality. The men’s Ref. 6127G-010 is dressed in a stylish light-blue lacquer dial and matching shiny alligator leather strap. Sized at 36mm it offers the perfect dimensions especially for the sartorially savvy crowd. Meanwhile the ladies’ Ref. 7127G0-010 with its 31mm diameter arrives in a delicate lilac hue. Both references are crafted in polished white gold, with case backs adorned with the engraved inscription “Patek Philippe — Tokyo” housing the manually wound Caliber 215 PS, Patek Philippe’s smallest mechanical caliber. Both editions are limited to 400 watches each, of which 300 are destined to be sold as a set, with the remaining 100 available for individual purchase.

Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo is open from 10th to 25th June 2023 at the Sumitomo Sankaku Hiroba, 2-6-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo. The exhibition is open to the public, free admission is available upon reservation on patek.com.

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Angelus

ANGELUS x REVOLUTION CHRONODATE "ANGELS' SHARE"

$23,800.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber A-500; 60 hours power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	42.5mm; titanium; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Salmon (6N gold plated) with gené or frosted area; Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals
Strap	Ballistic gray rubber; titanium folding clasp

The post Patek Philippe releases six special editions at Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo appeared first on Revolution Watch.

The Last Emperor’s Patek Philippe: History in the Making

Revolution — Mon, 29 May 2023 01:48:25 +0000

Step into history and witness the remarkable journey of Puyi’s wristwatch, an artifact that carries the weight of a bygone era. This iconic timepiece, belonging to the legendary emperor, will soon go under the hammer at Phillips auctioneers, and its story is truly captivating. Georgy Permyakov, Puyi’s Russian translator, was entrusted with preserving the memories of the last emperor. In 2001, renowned journalist Russell Working had the privilege of interviewing Permyakov, who proudly displayed the watch and other artifacts he had received from Aisingyoro Puyi himself. Working even captured a captivating photo of these treasures in Permyakov’s house.

Phillips sought additional authentication for this extraordinary piece. They reached out to the Imperial Museum of the Manchurian regime, the sole institution wholly dedicated to Puyi. Through their collaboration, they managed to connect with the last living scholar, who personally interviewed members of Puyi’s entourage and family during their time in Soviet camps. In 2009, a group of scholars from the museum visited Permyakov’s house and testified to witnessing these precious artifacts in the exact same condition, further solidifying their provenance and historical significance. A fascinating detail about the watch’s “two-tone” dial adds to its allure. According to research, a servant of Puyi scraped away the paint from the dial at the emperor’s request, hoping to reveal platinum beneath its surface. However, only brass was discovered. Upon this discovery, Puyi decided to halt the process, resulting in this curious dial condition we see today.

Memoirs from Puyi’s nephew, Yulan, provide written evidence of the watch’s fascinating journey. Yulan’s book recounts the precise moment when Puyi gifted the watch to Permyakov in the 1950s. Now, this extraordinary timepiece, with its rich history and remarkable provenance, is set to capture the hearts of collectors and history enthusiasts alike.

The post The Last Emperor’s Patek Philippe: History in the Making appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Introducing the New Patek Philippe Aquanaut Collection

Sheng Lee — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:45:40 +0000

Following the revamp of its Nautilus collection in late 2022, Patek Philippe has shifted its attention to upgrading the Aquanaut with new style and mechanical features. At Watches & Wonders 2023, the Geneva watchmaker unveils three new Aquanaut models, all fashioned from rose gold, including a brand-new reference that comes equipped with an annual calendar complication.

Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar Ref. 5261R

The Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar ref. 5261R is the stand out of the new Aquanaut releases as it is an all new reference. This is the first time Patek Philippe has included an annual calendar in the Aquanaut collection, specifically the Aquanaut Luce collection, highlighting the brand’s efforts to expand its range of women’s complicated watches beyond gemstone-studded timepieces.

In fact, the ref. 5261R strikes a balance between understated and high-end aesthetics thanks to the omission of gemstones and several thoughtful details. The warm rose gold case is paired with a stylish blue-grey dial, creating a contemporary, casual yet luxurious appearance that has been aptly described by the brand as “modern casual chic”. More importantly, the annual calendar display adds a touch of complexity to the dial, enhancing the watch’s overall refined look.

Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar Ref. 5261R

Although the brand has an abundance of annual calendar wristwatches – having invented the complication in 1997 – the new ref. 5261R manages to stand out with a subtle twist to its layout. Instead of the typical configuration, which combines the moon phase and date at six o’clock, Patek Philippe has opted for a new (and perhaps quirky) look achieved through an inversion of the annual calendar module.

This change results in the moon phase register moving to 12 o’clock, while the month and day register swap positions, creating a dial that’s unconventionally top-heavy. However, the date remains at six o’clock since it relies on a disc that encircles the dial, so inverting the module does not affect its position. Ultimately, the date’s location depends on the opening’s placement.

Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar Ref. 5261R

Tech Specs

Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar Ref. 5261R-001

Movement: cal. 26‑330 S QA LU.; automatic; 35-45 hours power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, annual calendar, and moon phase
Case: 39.9 x 10.94 mm; 18k rose gold; water resistant to 30 m
Strap: Blue-grey composite strap with 18k rose gold folding clasp

Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5268/200R

For collectors who prefer simpler watches without the added complexity of the annual calendar, there are several time-only models available in the Aquanaut Luce collection, such as the new ref. 5268/200R. The newest ref. 5268 sports a chocolate-coloured dial that complements the rose gold case, and like many of its counterparts, it features a diamond ring on the bezel, adding a dash of sparkle to the watch. However, unlike many of its counterparts, the latest is not a quartz watch. Instead, it is equipped with an automatic movement, the cal. 26-330, which is the same base movement used in the more complex Aquanaut Luce Annual Calendar.

Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5268/200R

Tech Specs

Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5268/200R-010

Movement: cal. 26‑330 S C; automatic; 35-45 hours power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Case: 38.8 x 8.5 mm; 18k rose gold; water resistant to 120 m
Strap: Taupe composite strap with 18k rose gold folding clasp

Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968R

Patek Philippe has also updated the men’s Aquanaut Chronograph lineup, which is distinguished by a larger case size of 42.2 mm compared to the 39.9 mm case of the women’s Aquanaut Luce Chronograph. The latest ref. 5968R expands the precious metal choices by introducing a rose gold case option to the line up. This comes after the introduction of a pair of white gold models in 2021, which featured fashionable green and blue dials. Amongst the Aquanaut Chronograph lineup, the ref. 5968R is the only option with a coloured metal case, and it conveys a more luxurious feel with its rich brown dial and rose gold case.

Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968R

Tech Specs

Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968R-001

Movement: CH 28‑520 C; automatic; 45-55 hours power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, and flyback chronograph
Case: 42.2 x 11.9 mm; 18k rose gold; water resistant to 120 m
Strap: Dark brown composite strap with 18k rose gold folding clasp

The post Introducing the New Patek Philippe Aquanaut Collection appeared first on Revolution Watch.

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Tech Specs

Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5268/200R-010

Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968R

Tech Specs

Aquanaut Chronograph ref. 5968R-001