Patek Philippe

COMPLICATIONS - Ref. 5960/1A, Ref. 4968G and Ref. 7121/1J

 

Ref. 5960/1A

When the Ref. 5960 was launched in 2006, the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph in platinum was the manufacture's first self-winding chronograph. It manifested a new and unique style with its prominent monocounter and three large calendar apertures, and quickly established itself as one of the most coveted timepieces of the Patek Philippe portfolio. Later it was introduced with different dials and in different precious metals. This time it was introduced in steel and with a bracelet. All other versions are discontinued, now.

 

Patek Philippe's stainless steel watches have always ranked among the most desirable timepieces because they were crafted only in small numbers. They were not regularly produced until 1976, when the manufacture introduced the casually elegant Nautilus line. Its memorable slogan: "One of the world's most expensive watches is made of steel." Twenty years later, the attractively stylish Aquanaut was also endowed with a stainless steel case. With very few exceptions – such as the ultra-thin Ref. 5950A split-seconds chronograph which has been in the collection since 2010 – all other Patek Philippe men's wristwatches were systematically cased in gold or platinum. As regards this strict distinction between casual and classic watches, the new Ref. 5960/1A is another one of these seductive exceptions.

When I saw the first official pictures I was surprised to see it in steel and with such a sporty style. Was it love at the first view? No.

 

But when it comes to Patek Philippe I tend to have at least a second look, because quite often it’s worth to look closer. To create icons is a tough job which they managed quite often so far and to change iconic watches is probably even more difficult. Not all icons of today have been loved from the beginning …

 

Let´s have a look in detail, now. Was it only a change to steel, plus a bracelet?

No, not at all!

 

For better readability they redesigned the co-axial monocounter – as you can see in the picture above.

 

Now all the date windows have frames. The new silvery-gray dial (note: even when it looks almost white in pictures, it isn´t) with its striking red accents, interesting bright-dark contrasts, and the dynamic, performance-oriented looks of its explicitly three-dimensional architecture. The latter gets much more obvious if you see it in the metal, but I will try to show it later with some pictures. An uncommon feature in a Patek Philippe watch: the red "1" in the date aperture, which kicks off each month with a colorful stimulus while the dates from the 2nd to the 31st days are, displayed black on white. Thierry Stern had the idea and he thought it could be a nice detail to mark something special. It is a genuine premiere for Patek Philippe, as is the combination of an Annual Calendar chronograph with a steel case and the stainless steel "drop" links bracelet.

 

Hands-on pictures :

The watch in hand feels solid, without being too heavy. Everything is smooth, no sharp edges or something like this. The polishing is executed with scientific precision.

The artisans are required to accrue several years of experience before being entrusted with the finissage of the manufacture's cases. Because of its hardness, stainless steel challenges the skills of the case specialists and imposes special requirements on their tools. It takes much longer than a gold case would to polish a steel case with consecutively finer abrasives until it reflects light with an immaculate sheen.

Maybe for some the bracelet looks familiar, because it was first introduced in 1997 for the Ref. 5036/1 Annual Calendar and now celebrates its debut in stainless steel.

 

Close-ups :

Even when the style is quite new for Patek Philippe, the attention to details is not new at all and proofs their skills once more.

 

The movement is well-known, but I would like to add some pictures just for completion.

The Patek Philippe CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H caliber beats with a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 hertz), which assures a constant balance amplitude and thus high rate accuracy. The movement is a prime example of tradition paired with innovation. It combines the classic columnwheel control concept with a modern vertical disk clutch that eliminates the risk of hand jump or recoil when the stopwatch function is activated. The clutch is practically friction-free, so that the chronograph hand can be used as a permanently running seconds hand if desired.

 

The patented Spiromax® balance spring made of Silinvar® is another innovative feature. Its isochronous oscillation, low mass, antimagnetic properties, and unique geometry assure high rate stability and uniformity.

On the wrist :

Conclusion :

 

It is “only” water-resistant to 30 meters, but that is fine if you don´t expect it to be a sports watch. I really like it for what it is, a modern and sporty interpretation of a classical watch. The case is 40.50mm/13.55mm and that means it should be fine on a lot of different wrists, casual with T-Shirt and under the sleeve of a business shirt. Especially for markets with high humidity it should be a great addition to the collection, because if you like it in general I can imagine the watch 24h/7d on the wrist. So for some it may be collectible and for some it may be just convenient, but I guess all of them will be happy at the end.

 

Me would be happy to wear it, but it doesn´t make me smile – at least not yet.

 

 

Ref. 4968G

Case diameter:   33.3 mm

 

Movement:         Caliber 215 PS LU

 

 

Ref. 7121/1J

Case diameter:   33 mm

 

Movement:         Caliber 215 PS LU

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