Patek Philippe Twenty~4 4910 Eternal Gray (4910/10A-010)

Patek Philippe ranks among the few manufactures that consummately master the orchestration of "cathedral" gongs - extra-long gongs which produce an inimitably voluminous and reverberant sound. Its latest minute repeater, the Ref. 5073 with cathedral gongs and a perpetual calendar, leaves connoisseurs speechless: not only due to its breathtaking sound quality, but also given the 103 baguette diamonds on its bezel and 55 further diamonds on the dial and clasp.
Patek Philippe strikes the right chord
The minute repeater is considered to be the queen of the so-called Grand Complications. But even here, it is possible to push the envelope of excellence. Obviously, the key issue is to manufacture the many tiny components of the mechanism to the utmost of perfection, to fastidiously finish them, and to integrate the ensemble in the confines of a wristwatch movement. The second challenge is acoustic in nature: achieving full and vibrant sonority in the restricted volume of a timepiece worn on the wrist. Given all the repeater wristwatches produced by Patek Philippe since 1916, the manufacture's micromechanical virtuosity does not need to be further expounded. This leaves some space for details regarding the chimes produced by the new Ref. 5073. Here, Patek Philippe opted for a construction that in 2001 attracted considerable attention when the Sky Moon Tourbillon was presented. It is the solution with "cathedral" gongs that are nearly twice as long as conventional ones. The acoustic principle of this extra length is self-explanatory: Long strings produce rich, long-lasting sounds that reverberate and carry clearly. But how can the tight space of a wristwatch case accommodate two gongs that wrap around the movement more than once? The "cathedral" gongs must neither touch each other nor should their freely suspended blades contact the movement or the case. The only permissible contact is that of the tiny short-stroke hammers. Thus, with the self-winding caliber R 27 Q consisting of 467 individual parts, the Ref. 5073 offers striking evidence of the sublime artistry of those Patek Philippe specialists whose hands craft the mechanical marvels that count the hours, quarterhours, and minutes with a melody of low-, high-, and high-low-pitched double chimes. The mellowness of this refrain is personally verified by the owners and presidents of the manufacture as guardians of its heritage: every completed watch is assessed by them before it is released for delivery.

Perpetual calendar and winding: totally automatic
Apart from striking the time, the 467 individual parts of the movement perform further functions. Many of them constitute the perpetual calendar, with which the Ref. 5073 always correctly indicates the date, day of week, month, leap-year cycle regardless of the number of days in each month, including the 29th day of February. These displays are clearly organized with three auxiliary dials and small hands at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. The extremely precise moon-phase display within the date scale at 6 o'clock deviates from the true lunar cycle by only one day in 122 years and 45 days.
To assure continuity in the displays of the perpetual calendar and of the moon phases, the movement is self-winding thanks to an off-center minirotor made of 22K gold; it is fully recessed in the plate. The rotor assures that the watch remains wound as long as it is regularly worn on the wrist or safeguarded in a winder. A calendar adjustment is not necessary until 2100: this is a secular year in which the 29th of February is omitted as a leap day based on the rules of the Gregorian calendar.

True artistry shuns no effort
To adequately showcase the micromechanical brilliance of the Ref. 5073 Grand Complication, Patek Philippe also pulled out all the stops with respect to the case and exterior elements. With a diameter of 42 mm, the heavy case is fashioned on premises with the traditional cold-forming method from blanks made of 950 platinum, the precious metal that is most difficult to machine. Then, the manufacture's master jewelers rely on their artistry to transform it into a breathtaking magnum opus for the wrist. 103 flawless Top Wesselton baguette diamonds totaling approx. 4.33 ct. adorn the bezel and the case lugs. On the black lacquered solid-gold dial, 13 set baguette diamonds (approx. 0.25 ct.) serve as hour markers. And 42 further baguette diamonds (approx. 0.69 ct.) convert even the platinum clasp into a masterpiece of gemsetting prowess. As always at Patek Philippe, a discreet 0.02-ct. diamond between the lugs at 6 o'clock identifies platinum as the case metal. The sparkling fire of precious stones legitimately raises the question whether the adornment of a watch at this level should not count as a complication as well.
The watch is delivered with a solid platinum case back and an interchangeable display back with a sapphire-crystal window that reveals the meticulous finissage of the movement. Highlights that immediately meet the eye are the lavishly guilloched 22K gold winding rotor and, beneath the goldplated cap with the pierced Calatrava cross, the small centrifugal governor that controls the disciplined rhythm of the striking mechanism.
The new Ref. 5073 Grand Complication is a Patek Philippe debut that benchmarks a significant trend in haute horlogerie. While the focus among women is shifting from the outward appearance of precious wristwatches to a greater appreciation of what is inside them, men with a penchant for complicated calibers are also beginning to attach greater importance to elements that adorn their micromechanical masterpieces. The directives of the Patek Philippe Seal explicitly specify that the art of haute horlogerie merits only the ultimate in gemsetting expertise. The Ref. 5073 is a fine case in point.