Patek Philippe

Mark in Paris
[Purist]
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End of year Greetings and noteworthy 2016 Patek Philippe Anniversaries

Dear all,

Let me begin with a personal note to thank everyone of you for your participation, your support, your time spent sharing your friendship, experience, pictures and opinion with us all. Our discussions are great reading and fuels my (and I hope our) experience and evolution in this little watch making world of ours. You are what makes this forum a wonderful place to be for so many of us.

I wish you all the best for you and your beloved ones. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

_________

Aside from being the 40^th Anniversary of the launch of the first Nautilus, the famous 3700 reference, this year is also the time to celebrate other remarkable dates in Patek’s history.

I thought we could list, as the year 2016 is ending, some of these significant events for the brand.

Best regards,

Mark

2006 (10y) - The new Chronograph 28-520 caliber

The new Chronograph caliber was launched for the first time in 2006 in the 5960P-01 with its fantastic grey dial. It is the first automatic chronograph designed and produced in-house from Patek Philippe. For that reference, the brand introduced the CH28-520 IRM QA 24H spec. (Chronograph with Power Reserve, Annual Calendar and Day/Night indicator).

The main complications it embeds are a great and interesting combination of an Annual Calendar and a Flyback Chronograph (with vertical clutch) that can run continuously without altering significantly its accuracy.

2006 (10y) – Launch of the Nautilus 5711, 5712 and 5980 references

A significant moment in the Nautilus line’s timeframe is the launch of the 5711, successor of the 37XX line-up (ending with 3711/1), together with the 5712 succeeding to the 1-year produced new 3712/1 and the brand new 5980 Chronograph.

While the 240 and its 5712 specific functions display was something new in a Nautilus (but not that so in the Patek catalogue as it was available in more classical pieces), the 5980 was the first Nautilus chronograph (CH 28-520). As you can imagine, its size and thickness were something very different back then thus surprising for the clients. Today, we sometimes talk about sizes and style but the 5980 was certainly not a standard Patek for that time either. It is now a part of what shapes its DNA. The DNA is not something that stands still but that should evolve respecting several specific values and criteria.

2006 was in that sense a year to remember for Patek Philippe.

The 5711...

...with the 5712...

...and the 5980 (with black dial)...

1996 (20y) – Annual Calendar

It was the year the new patented Annual Calendar complication was presented and launched in the 5035J. Between the standard date mechanism that needs to be set several times a year (anything else than 31-day months) and the much more complicated and expensive Perpetual Calendar, Patek Philippe introduced a complication that needed to be set only at the end of February. That’s a great addition to multi-complicated watches from the catalogue.

The 5035J, here below...

A picture from Lifebreath on PuristSPro (next to a beautiful 5127, if I'm not wrong):

1986 (30y) – Launch of the CH 27-70 Chronograph manual winding caliber

This year was quite a very important date for Patek as the debut of one of the most famous Patek chronograph movement: the CH27-70 based on a Nouvelle Lemania ebauche but which has been modified and marvelously finished at the brand’s high standard level. It replaced the previous Valjoux 23 VZ.

The CH 27-70 caliber has been replaced progressively by the new in-house and re-designed CH 29-535 caliber in 2009 (with the lady’s 7071R).

This remains today an iconic caliber for the brand and for watch fans.

1986 (30y) – The new 3970

The CH 27-70 caliber launched that same year was unveiled in a new reference: the 3970 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar. This was something very important for watch making at a time when the Quartz trend was powerful. Brands providing such complicated mechanical watches at that time weren’t that active, to say the least.

While the previous reference 2499 (heir of the 1518 ref., first manual-winding Chronograph Perpetual Calendar wristwatch launched for the first time by Patek Philippe in 1941) was produced from 1951 to 1985, it is with a different perspective that we can observe this new launch from Patek and what it meant in such context.

Please, do not hesitate to share a picture of yours in that thread if you feel like it!

Credit: Fabios on PuristSPro

1916 (100y) – First wristwatch Minute Repeater

The reference N°176 603 is a platinum wristwatch for women housing a 5-minute Minute Repeater complication with a 10''' manually wound movement, has a straight-line equilibrated lever escapement and compensated balance, and a case diameter of 27.1 mm.

If I’m not wrong, this piece is exposed at the Patek Philippe Museum (to be confirmed).

Happy birthday to them!

____