patek philippe grand complications ref 5085

The undisputed champion of the watch world is the complicated Patek Philippe. Nobody, and we mean nobody, is going to knock you if they see a Patek with more than a few complications on the dial. The reference 5970 sits proudly in the lineup as Patek’s legendary combination of perpetual calendar and a chronograph. It costs as much as a Porsche 911 Turbo, there is a waiting list to get one, and it is just about the most historic and coveted modern timepiece in production today. (It’s also the watch that Charlie Sheen claims was stolen from his hotel room after a coke-fueled encounter with a 22-year-old porn star named Capri. Nice, Charlie, real nice.) 95 Uniqueness Following in the tradition of the great Patek perpetual calendar chronos of yesteryear, the 5970 is made in limited numbers each year by the company’s group of master watchmakers. Vintage Patek perpetual chronos are now fetching upward of $1 million at auctions, and it can be assumed the 5970 is destined for the same greatness once it goes out of production. The watch features Patek’s own 27-70 Q caliber that is exposed through the sapphire caseback. This manually wound movement is a work of art -- and ownership is nothing short of a privilege. Now that Charlie has lost his, there is one more floating around, but our guess is Capri (who may or may not have grabbed it on her way out of the Plaza that morning) had no idea how valuable it was -- and that’s half the fun. Read more 99 Durability The Patek 5970 is a modern classic, and you can be sure people will be spending small fortunes on this reference chronograph long after we have forgotten all about Charlie Sheen’s legendary benders. In fact, this is one watch that could be considered absolutely timeless -- just like Hot Shots! Part Deux.

This year Patek Philippe has unveiled the Pulsomax Ref. 5450, a new annual calendar watch. This limited edition of 300 platinum watch includes the newest technological development from Patek, the Pulsomax? escapement. It features a trilogy of Silinvar? components which provide a greater degree of accuracy and precision. Because Silinvar? is made from the chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, it is anti-magnetic and therefore is immune to magnetic influence which has caused disturbances in precision time keeping with steel components. In addition it has 1/3 the mass of steel and it is highly resistant to corrosion. With the combination of Silinvar? against Silinvar? the movement does require lubrication because of the low amount of friction created. All of these advancements means the time between required servicing of the watch is greatly increased. Over the past few years Patek Philippe has been changing the world of mechanical watches, and showing their superiority over other manufacturers with their bold new ideas and technology. The Pulsomax? is bringing watchmaking to a whole new level in the 21st century.