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Enchanting watch
Without a single doubt, my favorite watch from this edition of Watches & Wonders is the Patek Philippe with on-demand hour and minute display with automaton ref. 5249R-001.
It is directly inspired by the pocket watch ref. 784 designed by Louis Cottier in 1958 and based on Jean de La Fontaine's fable, The Crow and the Fox , in which the fox flatters the crow so that it starts to caw and inadvertently drops the cheese it is holding in its beak.
The lesson of the fable is as follows: “Flatterers thrive on fools’ credulity”.
This pocket watch is on display at the Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. P-109...
... along with other timepieces also made by or in collaboration with Louis Cottier.
Note that last August, I had of course included this watch in my thread dedicated to "Bras-en-l'air" pocket watches, of which it is a variation.
And it is precisely described in the museum's catalogue:
The watch is powered by automatic caliber 31-260 PS HMD AU, which features a platinum off-center minirotor.
Rear view
Under the dial view
The closed officer-style caseback.
After this brief presentation, here are the first real photos of the watch as it is displayed at Watches & Wonder: they have been made and posted by Watchmania & Pedro Pastor aka @repeticiondeminutos:
Of course, the original pocket watch has momentarily left the museum to be exhibited as well.
credit: @watchmania (1) & @repeticiondeminutos
And it is precisely described in the museum's catalogue:
The 18k rose gold dial features an opaline finish and a matara brown color.
The hour is indicated by the fox's paw (1 to 6?) or snout (7 to 12?), whereas minutes are indicated by the cheese-tipped hand which, at rest, stays in the crow's beak.
The applied “fox” and “crow” are highlighted with contrasting colors and set against hand-engraved foliage decorations in gold.
At 6 o’clock sits a decorative star-shaped small seconds set with a diamond at its center, indicating that the movement is running.
The hour and minute scales, as well as the Patek Philippe cartouche are in rhodium-plated yellow gold, with black transferred numerals and logo.
The 43 x 11.5 mm “Officer” style rose gold case is fully polished with sapphire crystal caseback protected by a dust cover with an invisible hinge.
The crown is turban-style and the on demand retrograde indication of hours and minutes is activated by the pusher at 2 o’clock.
The watch is powered by automatic caliber 31-260 PS HMD AU, which features a platinum off-center minirotor.
Rear view
Under the dial view
The closed officer-style caseback.
Shiny chocolate brown alligator leather strap, with rose gold patented triple-blade fold-over clasp.
After this brief presentation, here are the first real photos of the watch as it is displayed at Watches & Wonder: they have been made and posted by Watchmania & Pedro Pastor aka @repeticiondeminutos:
Of course, the original pocket watch has momentarily left the museum to be exhibited as well.
credit: @watchmania (1) & @repeticiondeminutos
To conclude this post, I would like to add the fable by Jean de la Fontaine, both in French and in English:
What do you think about this watch?
There are only two things I personally would like to be different:
- I would prefer a manual movement, not an automatic one, like in the original pocket watch.
- I would prefer the brand name (the cartouche) to be absent from the dial, again, as on the original pocket watch.
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
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Enchanting watch
Without a single doubt, my favorite watch from this edition of Watches & Wonders is the Patek Philippe with on-demand hour and minute display with automaton ref. 5249R-001 . It is directly inspired by the pocket watch ref. 784 designed by Louis Cottier in...
My pleasure, Gordon!
I love the pocket watch so much that I took photos of it during each of my visits to the PP Museum. This is really the Patek Philippe I'm in love with.
I remember the fable
thank you for bringing the watch to our attention, i would have undoubtedly missed it. It evoked emotions from childhood, and for the watch itself what a clever and whimsical way to show time. Best, Ashot.
Thank you, Ashot.
I'm in love with this watch, even if it would be even greater with a manual-winding caliber and no brand cartouche on the dial. But apart from these points, I couldn't love it more. Best, Emmanuel
Intriguing piece for sure.
Not to nit-pick a nice watch but it would have been nice if the minute hand was completely behind the bird, I think it is somewhat distracting to the view of a gorgeous dial. Just my .02 cents worth on a $400,000+ watch.
The crow is holding the cheese in its beak, so goes the fable.
So it makes total sense to have placed the cheese-tipped minute hand in its beak. At least, it makes total sense to me... 🤷🏽♂️ Best, Emmanuel
I love it too. Wonderful, poetic, yes, and beautiful.
I just wish they had done a manual-winding movement. Best, Emmanuel
Yes, they managed to remain just under
the thickness of the pocket watch: 11.5 vs 11.8!
This is my favourite model from Watches and Wonders 2026
Demand for this model will be huge.
My favorite model too.
Given the very high price, do you really think that demand will be huge? Or maybe huge among the very happy few who can afford it. Best, Emmanuel
Pieces like 5531G, 5316/50P-001, 5308G -001 are significantly expensive than 5249R-001 but have a huge demand.
It is very difficult for a collector to obtain any of the above pieces as their first minute repeater.
Good to know. I’m sorry for the
collectors who can afford these pieces but have a hard time getting an allocation…
It is a truly stunning piece indeed.
I might never see one in person and I regret it, but I couldn’t admire it more. Best, Emmanuel