News
Patek Philippe 5270 In Yellow Gold for the First Time Ever
News
Patek Philippe 5270 In Yellow Gold for the First Time Ever
And this was certainly the case with the reference 1518 that was launched in 1941 amid the full maelstrom of the Second World War. This watch driven by the Valjoux Calibre 13 base (also featured in the reference 130 launched in 1936) and forged the aesthetic blueprint of the modern perpetual calendar.
The unbroken chain of Patek Philippe perpetual chronograph majesty goes as follows. The 1518 (1941-1954), the 2499 (1950-1985), the 3970 (1985-2004), the 5970 (2004-2011) and then the fantastic 5270 (2011 to present day). While the 1518 and the 2499 used the Valjoux base, the 3970 and the 5970 used the Lemania 2310 calibre as its base. But when the 5270 was launched it had the honor of being the first Patek Philippe that feature a completely in-house movement. And what a movement it was. The CH 29, which formed the base caliber of the 5270, was one of the most advanced and technically innovative chronograph calibers in existence. It is to my mind the best thoughtout laterally coupled chronograph movement ever designed. And here’s why: the movement featured six patents.
Read more about the history of Patek Philippe’s Perpetual Calendar Chronographs, here.
Why the CH 29 Is So Awesome
This can create some amount for friction and can potentially be a drag on the movement especially when the torque of the mainspring weakens as it unwinds. Patek Philippe came up with a system with a pierced cam with a much gentler slope and a system that appears to be aided by a spiral all its own. A sort of remontoire d’egliate just for the minute counter.
The History of the 5270
OK, so now that we understand how amazing the CH 29 is, let’s look at the history of the 5270. The watch was launched in 2011. And instantly you could see several key differences. First the leap year indicator was no longer co-axial to the minute counter (as in the 3970/5970) but in the form of two apertures.
The one at 4:30 showed the four-year sequence of the leap year cycle. The aperture at 7:30 turned blue during evening hours, a pragmatic indication while travelling but that was also important for setting your watch without damaging the date mechanism.
Sub dials were placed slightly lower on the dial and were enlarged to aid in visibility. Says Thierry Stern, “I love perpetual calendars, but the irony is when you get to the stage in life when you can own one, sometimes your eyes sight is not the best. As such, I wanted to create a design that was as clear and visible as possible.”
And looking at the dial of the 5270 you can immediately see that every single indicator has been subtly optimized for better visibility. The case of the watch received flared lugs similar to those of the 5970 but with just a touch greater exaggeration which made for a wonderfully exciting timepiece.
The different series of the 5270 break down as follows. The first series watches have no tachymeter. The second series has a tachymeter and what is referred to by collectors as the “chin” where the tachymeter wraps around the date indicator. The third series has a tachymeter but no chin and the integration of the date into the tachymeter is beautifully done and reminiscent of the way it is incorporated in the 5970. The fourth series watches featured a pink gold black dial watch on an integrated brick bracelet, as well as, an amazing salmon dial watch with Arabic indexes, in a platinum case.
This is important to collectors as with each phasing out of the older model of a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph the model increases in value, collectability and desirability. I’m not saying it is definitely going to be discontinued but if you think about it Patek Philippe has now completed every possible color combination for this timepiece. Finally, as this is the first and only yellow gold 5270 despite the fact that the model is a decade in existence it is probably the rarest execution of this reference.
Movement
Caliber CH 29-535 PS Q, Manually wound mechanical movement, chronograph with column wheel, chronograph hand, instantaneous 30-minute counter and subsidiary seconds, Perpetual calendar with day, month, leap-year cycle and day/night indication in apertures, analog date Moon phases
Case
18K yellow gold, Sapphire-crystal case back and interchangeable solid back in 18K yellow gold, Water-resistant to 30 meters
Dial
Silvery opalescent, 12 applied baton markers in 18K yellow gold, Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands in 18K yellow gold, Counterbalanced chronograph hand, arrow-shaped, Pfinodal, yellow-gold plated and sandblasted
Subsidiary dials offset, pierced:
– Subsidiary seconds with baton hands in 18K yellow gold
– 30-minute counter with baton hand in 18K yellow gold, sandblasted
– Analog date with baton hand in 18K yellow gold
Strap
Hand-stitched alligator leather with large square scales, matt chocolate brown, with fold-over clasp in 18K yellow gold
Price
CHF 149,000[/td_block_text_with_title]