Patek Philippe

Acquiring the watch, strengthening of friendship and confirming my loyalty:

I was invited in March 2013 for a factory visit to Patek Philippe’s Geneva factory. What a wonderful visit we had and one of the highlights was a lunch at the headquarters of Patek. Good food, by the way.

During the lunch Mr. Claude Peny, Chief Executive of Patek was sitting on my right side and my wife opposite to us. I noticed that Mr. Peny had 5550P on his wrist even just a small part of the watch was visible and mostly covered by the cuff of his shirt.

 Small devils came into my mind and I asked Mr. Peny: “How is it possible that a Patek employee, even being the Chief Executive, has a 5550P? I love the watch but I was told that all 300 examples are all sold out.” Mr. Peny gave me a fast reply explaining that he is just testing the watch and is wearing it in hard conditions even when working in his garden. To that my wife, those days just 25 years of age, said: “Mr. Peny, also our garden is in miserable condition. Could you come there to work, cut the lawn and you can test your beautiful watch at the same time”. I did not know what to say but Mr. Peny just laughed. Naturally I asked Mr. Peny to show his watch and told him openly that ref. 5550P is one of my dream watches. In fact, before the introduction of ref. 5370P, it was basically on top of my dream list - just below the minute repeaters. I must say that Mr. Peny has obviously a great taste.

A few months later Mr. Ed Butland, Director of Patek Philippe London Salon, called me and told that Geneva “found” one 5550P for me. That was a chock! Unfortunately, I had to explain Ed that my wife is pregnant, I am re-structuring my company by taking over the majority of the shares of the same and I need to buy a house because of the newcomer. I told Ed that it hurts but I can’t justify spending € 100 k on a watch never mind how great it is.

By October 2013, my business was restructured. In January 2014, I bought our dream house from the dream location. The house was just what we wanted and in a very good condition. Still we decided to make a major, minute repeater costing, renovation. And then our small daughter was born on 26th February 2014. Life was good, even without owning a 5550P. Naturally, I bought my newly born daughter on the day she was born an over 100 years old Patek Philippe ladies wrist watch. That watch has now spent some two years in complete restoration in Geneva and our Anne daughter will get the watch when she will turn 21 or goes to a respectable university. Patek Philippe has still plenty of time to work with this watch as Anne turns four next year.

I mentioned in this forum in summer 2013 that I was offered the watch. There were two members very interested to buy it but I was told that the watch is not available anymore. So I tried to forget it.

 On 23rd March 2015, I visited London Salon. I told Ed Butland, who was already a good friend of mine, that “the biggest mistake of my watch-nut career was that I did not stretch to buy 5550P when it was offered”. To this Ed replied: “I knew it! Your 5550P is in the back of my safe waiting for you”. That was a great, huge and positive surprise – I was astonished! I wired the purchase price of £ 69,190.00 on 9th April 2015 to London and picked up my 5550P on 13th April 2015. Ed had one more surprise for me: the watch came with three bespoke straps of just the right length. Sometimes in 2012 they measured my wrist in London Salon in order to deliver the watches with perfectly fitting straps. You can’t imagine the joy I felt!

I guess this level of service is very difficult to receive from anywhere else but from Patek Philippe Salons. My Patek AD is and will be Patek Philippe London Salon.

Advanced Research:

Before reviewing my 5550P Perpetual Calendar some words about Patek Philippe’s Advanced Research are needed. Purists are not only interested how the watch looks like and how it is finished but also, we are very interested what is ticking inside.  

One of the very best posts describing Patek's Advanced Research watches you can find from here: 

www.watchprosite.com

The above post written by Mark in Paris tells us everything we need to know about Advance Research watches from 2005 to 2015. I warmly recommend that you go through this post before continuing reading.

As you can see from Mark's post, many of us believed that 5550P is the final stage of Advanced Research. But how wrong we were! In 2017 a new AR version, ref. 5650G was introduced. This watch offered two new developments:

1. Reference 5650G debuts a new and improved Spiromax hairspring with two terminal curves that reproduce the effects of the Grossmann curve (on the inner end of the spring) and Phillips curve (on the outer coil) that are often found in traditional hairsprings of high-end watches. Thanks to this innovation, the watch can meet the accuracy of Patek Philippe tourbillon watches. This means that with the new hairspring, it is possibe to narrow the deviation to -1 to +2 seconds daily. When I tested my 5650G, the average deviation in two weeks time was minus 0.2 seconds per day. Impressive! My accuracy review you can find from here:

www.watchprosite.com

2. The second innovation, which is displayed on the dial side of the watch, is a time zone corrections system that uses a single flexible piece of steel to adjust the GMT indication forwards and backwards. The main part of this mechanism consists of four leaf springs - two for each corrector button, each with defined pressure points. Each individual leaf spring is extremely thin, and they cross over each other at a distance of just 150 microns. Also manufactured in conventional horological steel, the development of the whole system required sophisticated computer simulations.

Think if this technology will be, one day, transferred to the chronographs of Patek Philippe. The result will be a slimmer watch with softer feeling of pushers and much less parts. Simply a great dream. Mr. Stern and Ed! Please check that my name is already on the list.

Now it should be clear that the Advanced Research unit of Patek Philippe is not resting but bringing new developments aiming to improve the accuracy and reliability of Patek Philippe timepieces. Obviously, the new developments will with time be introduced to most of Patek Philippe timepieces and the Advance Research timepieces are made just to test the reliability and characteristics of the newly developed technologies. Thus, it is important to Patek that the AR pieces are allocated to clients who actually wear their AR pieces. I do not think that these watches should just stay in the back of the safe. I sincerely hope that the next AR pieces will again be made of platinum. That material, in my opinion, fits best to these highly interesting and much demanded watches.

I have to give my respect to Patek. The development of the new movement to 5550P was surely costing a lot. Still, the retail price of 5550P was exactly the same as its sibling 5140P. This illustrates that the Advanced Research pieces are not developed in order to make a quick buck but they are real test pieces to secure that the new technologies actually work like planned. Did you know that the guarantee of the AR pieces is longer than the one of standard production pieces?

Advanced Research Perpetual Calendar ref. 5550P:

To understand ref. 5550P, the best way is to read the Press Release from April 2011. Here you can find it:

https://static.patek.com/pdf/pressreleases/en/2011_PatekPhilippe_Advanced_Research_5550P.pdf 

This watch is nothing but extraordinary. Okay, the platinum case is the same as the one used in ref. 5140P. However, in the display back there is a loupe like 5250G, 5350R and 5450P had. Also, a solid platinum case back is delivered. I have been thinking to engrave my name to the movement side of the solid case back with date 13.4.2015. Then my daughter or grandson who gets the watch after me can engrave the next name and date. Heritage from one generation to the next one...

Scope of delivery :

Together with the watch, a beautiful winding box made of dark wood is delivered. This is the same box as with all other automatic winding Grand Complications. The watch comes also with another case back, in this case a solid platinum one of snap-in type. Also, a white gold stylus with ebony handle is delivered.

The documentation is standard: Certificate of Origin and a booklet explaining in detail cal. 240 Q Si. The Certificate of Origin confirms that the watch was produced as a limited edition of 300 watches.

Movement:

In 1977, 40 years ago, Patek introduced a new movement, cal. 240. That was first used in the legendary Golden Ellipse. Later in 1985, the perpetual version cal. 240 Q was introduced. This movement was first used in a fantastic and classic perpetual calendar watch, ref. 3940. Actually, 3940 J was my first dream watch but I never managed to acquire it. For me 3940 was the Mother of all Perpetual Calendars till 5550P was introduced.

Reference 5550P uses the latest development of 240 Q, the new Caliber 240 Q Si

The main characteristics of this new movement are:

Ultra-thin self-winding mechanical movement. Perpetual calendar with analog displays for the day of the week, date, month, and leap-year cycle. Moon phases and 24-hour display.

Diameter:                                                    27.50 mm

Height:                                                        3.88 mm

Number of parts:                                         281

Number of jewels:                                       25

Power reserve:                                             Max. 70 hours

Winding rotor:                                             Minirotor in 22K gold

Frequency:                                                   21,600 semi-oscillations per hour (3 Hz)

Oscillomax:                                                  Balance: GyromaxSi (in Silinvar and 24K gold)

                                                                      Balance spring: Spiromax (in Silinvar)

                                                                      Escapement: Pulsomax (lever and escape wheel in Silinvar)

Displays:                                                       Hours and minutes from the center

                                                                      Day of week and 24-hour dial at 9 o'clock

                                                                      Month and leap-year cycle at 3 o'clock

                                                                      Analog date and moon-phase aperture at 6 o'clock

Some of the benefits of the 240 Q Si movent are:

- Silinvar escapement wheel requires no lubrication

- Concentrially breathing flat Spiromax balance spring in Silinvar for improved isochronism

- Pulsomax escapement in Silinvar for more efficient power transmission

- Silinvar is also

            - antimagnetic

            - corrosion-resistant

            - hard

            - shock-resistant

For me one of the biggest benefits is the increase of power reserve from 48 hours to 70 hours - nearly 50% increase from standard cal. 240 Q. That is really impressive taking into accout the complications and the slimness of the movement.

The 240 family movements are always nice, finished in a beautiful way. The perpetual version, in this case, 240 Q Si is just 3.88 mm thick. The movement used in the popular World Time watches is 240 HU and the thickness is the same as the one of all 240 Q family movements. The movement used in Nautilus ref. 5712, cal. 240 PS IRM C LU is a little bit thicker with its 3.98 mm height.

 It is an achievement to press a perpetual calendar with all new innovations to a height of 3.88 mm. Additionally, the level of finishing of cal. 240 Q Si is very high class. The integrated magnification class in the display back is a great detail even the watch is 10.10 mm thick where the magnification loupe is placed. I will never get bored to stare the case and dial of my 5550P but if I would, then I would start admiring the movement.

I have owned my 5550P now for 2 years and 8 months. I am always keeping, if the watch is not on my wrist, it in the watch winder. The watch is very accurate and I have nothing negative to comment about the functioning or performance of the watch.

Dial :  

The moon phase display is a very tasteful one and the selected colours fit well to the dial. However, if I want to know the moon position, I bend my neck and look to the sky in the night. But for me this display is very useful. Once every month my lovely wife might turn to a Devil. Thus, with the moon phase display I follow her menstrual cycle. When the full moon is approaching, my perpetual 5550P tells me: "Kari, it is high time to go for a business trip somewhere for three days or so. Leave before the thunderstorm starts and come back earliest when the sun is shining again". Quite often I travel to London during the full moon days. I spend a day or two in my London office and naturally go for a visit to the Salon in New Bond Street. They serve, by the way, very good cappuccino, the cheapest in London. I wonder why Patek did not suggest this special usage of moon phase in the Instructions Manual. There is always space to improve, even for Patek...

Is there anything I would change? I could well live without text Advanced Research on the dial and I think that having the text on the back side on earlier AR versions was a good solution. On the other hand, I also always order my cars without any markings on the back side and in the case of PP watches, it is Mr. Stern who decides, not me. As always, my right is either to buy a watch or drop it in case I am not satisfied with the details. So, what would a review be without finding some flaws even from a perfect watch.

Salmon dial:

Many of us are calling the dial of ref. 5450P salmon dial. I wonder what a heck are they speaking about.

In reality, the dial of 5550P is the real salmon dial. Just have a look:

Thanks to the red gold indexes and hands, I would rather call the dial of 5550P a lake trout dial or arctic char dial. This or that, the dial is simply beautiful. However, I have never been able to decide is the dial is modern, classic or something between those. For sure it is elegant and stylish.

The dial of 5450P does not match with the colour of the meat of Salmo Salar but warm smoked salmon is pretty close.

I love to wear my watch with cufflinks. In more formal setting I wear the WG Patek cufflinks and when dressing more casual, the RG cufflinks emphasising the red gold details of the dial are my choice.

Case and the feeling on the wrist :

The diameter of the case is 37.20 mm. It is of the same size as 5140. I love the new 5327 with its 39 mm case diameter and Breguet numbers. I might be forced to get one whenever 5327P will be introduced. However, even my wrist is 200 mm, the 37.20 mm case of 5550P feels absolutely perfect. From the perspective of case diameter and thickness of 8.80 mm, 5550P is a perfect dress watch.

 On the wrist, the watch feels much slimmer than many so called ultra slim watches. Strictly spoken 8.80 mm is not a super slim watch but like always, the cases and lugs of Patek Philippe watches are designed in such a way that the watch looks even slimmer than what it actually is. Naturally, an 8.80 mm thick perpetual calendar is very slim taking into account the complication.

I must admit, however, that I love to wear my 5550P also during leisure time. My watch has experienced bumpy snowmobile tracks and sometimes due to the vintage look of the watch, I have been wearing it when cruising around with my Harley Davidson motorbike.

The feeling of 5550P on the wrist is that it is a very stylish, somehow understated, watch. At the same time there is nothing snobbish, it is just different compared to the mass. At the moment, I am wearing the chocolate brown strap but sometimes I am dressing the watch to a navy-blue strap. Then it feels like getting a new watch.  

The case is relatively modestly sized and thin. Still, thanks to the material of the case, the watch has a very good wrist presence without feeling too heavy and still giving a feeling that I am wearing a serious watch.

Strap and deployment buckle :

  Sometimes I hear people saying that the deployment buckle of Patek is not the most comfortable one. Believe me, it is extreamly comfortable. The trick is to have a good leather strap correctly measured and after that the watch sits on the wrist like bespoke gloves. When measuring the strap, the circumstance of the wrist is not the only factor but also the shape of the wrist. Each and every Patek of mine has a bespoke strap with deployment buckle. Even the bracelet watches can be adjusted in such a way that the locking mechanism sits perfectly on the wrist. I also encourage everybody to look for different strap options. If you look at the samples in Patek Salon or AD, you will notice that the number of options is huge. After selecting the colour of your strap, think about the different stitching options. Totally there are hundreds and hundreds of options.

Comparing ref. 5550P to my 5450P and 5650G :

No question, 5550P is still holding the crown and it is the King of all Advanced Research watches. It is also the only AR which belongs the Grand Complications family. I hope that you day Patek will introduce a new AR well deserving the Crown.

The Queen is 5450P. It is very understated, somehow modest. The not-so-salmon dial is well hiding that the watch has a platinum case and thus, belong to the Royalty. This reference is the champion of readability and without any doubts, the finest Patek Philippe Annual Calendar ever produced.

The Crown Prince is ref. 5650G. It is revolutionary and showing a new direction of Patek Philippe. Perhaps 5650G does not have as sophisticated complications as its King but for sure, the complication of 5650G is among the most useful one. Mine has spent a lot of time on planes, swimming pools and in the ocean. This watch is probably the most comfortable watch I own and the dial is simply fantastic. I cannot describe the blue dial but it needs to be seen in different light conditions. Due to cultural reasons the man from the deep forests is not easily wearing a rose gold watch. But often just before falling asleep, I hear a weird sound saying: "You need to get also 5164A and 5164R...".

For me the Advanced Research watches are timepieces I wear on regular basis and enjoy them in all kinds of conditions. I do not cry if some scratches appear because I know that the watches can always be restored back to the original condition.

 Temptations :

  For me it was too late to acquire ref. 5250G and 5350R when I got interested about Advanced Research. However, luckily all the new AR features of 5250G and 5350R are used in ref. 5450P, one of my favourite watches. My Advanced Research trio, 5450P, 5550P and 5650G is not complete but I cannot live without the future Advanced Research watches. I am sure that some surprising and ground-breaking innovations are still to be introduced.

However, the very nicest AR watches like 5550P is forcing me to look at watches fitting to pair my favourites. What about ref. 5496P-015? Same colour world as we can see in 5550P, perpetual calendar but with the retrograde date display, a different family movement. So similar and totally different. Also with the help of 5496P I could make my monthly escape when needed. The world of Patek Philippe is so full of temptations and the Advanced Research timepieces are just adding the appetite.

Final thoughts :

Always when I think about a fine Patek Philippe watch, I am dreaming either about steel or platinum. The following picture explain my reasoning: the deployment buckle on the left is a white gold one I had on my 5960-1A for a year. The one on the right is a platinum one. A fact is that gold is yellow and white gold has a tendency to change its colour with time towards yellow. Platinum is a 95% pure white metal and it always keep its white colour. In general, coloured metals are not my cup of tea due to the cultural reasons. In Lapland, where I love to spend my time, a man wearing yellow or red gold is considered to be very snobbish while platinum looks like steel. The only difference for the non-trained eye is that the owner feels the weight of platinum on the wrist.

When writing this review, I could not speak about ref. 5550P separately from its siblings of the Advanced Research family. The readers of this Forum know, that there are a couple of things I deeply love: young women and naturally I mean my four daughters... good wine, Lapland, wild nature, fast cars and Patek Philippe timepieces. And when speaking about Patek Philippe, the Advanced Research watches have a very special chamber in my heart. I sincerely believe that the AR project is one of the factors placing Patek miles ahead of the competition. Think, some 17 patents are protecting the innovations used in ref. 5550P!

Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar was manufactured a limited edition of 300 watches. I am very proud and extremely happy to be a member of a group of 299 owners. But what about the missing watch? The total production was 300 watches...

I feel sorry for poor Mr. Claude Peny, Chief Executive of Patek Philippe, who is wearing his 5550P and trimming the lawn of his garden. I guess he is measuring how long he has been working there. If his garden is big and the workload continues till eternity, a perpetual calendar watch like 5550P is mandatory.

In my family, it is the duty of the wife and daughters to keep the garden nice and tidy. While they are working, I can admire my 5550P and a couple of other Patek Philippe I am happy and proud to own.

 For me 5550P is a dream watch with one of the most desired complications. It simply represents perfection!

Thank you for spending your time reading my modest trial to write a review in a language which is not my mother tongue. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed your reading.

Sincerely,

Kari