Patek Philippe Gray Watches

It is absolutely legitimate to assign Patek Philippe's split-seconds or rattrapante chronographs to the category of Grand Complications which also includes minute repeaters, tourbillons, and particularly elaborate calendar mechanisms as well as astronomical functions. The Ref. 5951P, which combines a split-seconds chronograph with a perpetual calendar, will therefore no doubt rank among the most exciting debuts at this year's Baselworld show.The specifications imposed another challenge: the movement was to be as thin as possible. Patek Philippe's CHR 27-525 PS basic caliber is already the thinnest column-wheel-controlled split-seconds chronograph movement, so it seemed appropriate that the perpetual calendar cadrature should be similarly discreet. The task was compounded by the fact that the movement has a diameter of only 27,3 mm. Nonetheless, the workshops succeeded in designing a calendar module with a day/night display that indicates the date, day, month, leap year cycle, and moon phase yet measures only 2.05 mm from top to bottom. Together with the basic movement, this adds up to an overall height of just 7.3 mm, *** the new Ref. 5951P the thinnest rattrapante chronograph with perpetual calendar ever crafted by Patek Philippe.Perpetual calendar with moon-phase displayThe outcome of this innovation is a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display comprising 148 individual parts in a cadrature with a diameter of just 27,3 mm and a height of 2.05 mm. It controls a moon-phase display and an analog date as well as the day, the month, the day/night indication and the leap-year cycle in apertures.This module with a perpetual calendar was developed expressly for the CHR 27-525 PS split-seconds chronograph movement launched in 2005 and now joins it in the new caliber CHR 27-525 PS Q. Due to its extreme complexity, this caliber is exclusively hand-crafted one by one. Among its special features is the 60-minute chronograph counter driven via the cannon pinion, an ingenious construction that contributes significantly to the ultra-thin silhouette of the movement. Of course, the chronograph wheels of the caliber also have Patek Philippe's patented tooth profiles that improve its efficiency, reduce friction, and boost functional reliability when the chronograph is engaged.Its Gyromax balance wheel is fitted with a Breguet balance spring that breathes with a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour (3 hertz). The chronograph's start, stop, and reset commands are activated by a single in-crown pusher. Lap times are stopped with a rectangular push piece at 2 o'clock.Elegance and legibilityThe design of the dial also proved to be a challenge. In a relatively small area, it delivers no fewer than 12 indications: three hands for standard time in hours, minutes, and seconds, three hands for the splitseconds chronograph functions, plus the day, month, date, leap-year cycle, moon phase, and day/night indication. Mission accomplished: despite the density of information that it provides, the sporty black dial of the Ref. 5951P is quickly and easily readable. The moon-phase display in the gracefully curved aperture at 12 o'clock deviates from the true lunar cycle by only one day in 122 years.Standard time is indicated with leaf-shaped white-gold hands and applied baton-style hour markers. For contrast, short-time measurements are tracked with red hands. The fine tips of the chronograph and rattrapante hands follow a scale that precisely emulates the contour of the cushionshaped bezel. The subdial for the analog date is positioned at 6 o'clock flanked by round apertures for the day/night indicator and for the leap-year display. For once, the years are indicated with Arabic rather than Roman numerals, emphasizing the modern, masculine style of this split-seconds chronograph. The days of the week are displayed in an aperture between the date scale and the seconds subdial, whereas the month aperture is symmetrically positioned on the 60-minute counter side. With such a clear and aesthetic time and calendar data presentation, Patek Philippe demonstrates yet again that it tolerates no compromises, neither in functionality nor in design.A contemporary, art-deco-inspired platinum caseIn the spectrum of classic case materials, platinum occupies a special position, and because it is so hard, it is very difficult to machine. Accordingly, Patek Philippe often chooses this precious metal to pay tribute to an exceptional movement. This also applies to the Ref. 5951P (P = platinum), which has been endowed with a cushion shaped case to accommodate its ultra-thin movement. It is reminiscent of the famous art-deco watches for which the manufacture received rave reviews in the 1920s and 1930s.The rectangular rattrapante pusher in the side of the case at 2 o'clock �C it is used to stop lap times �C was also inspired by historic models. Next to it is the knurled crown which contains the pusher that controls the chronograph. The sapphire-crystal glass duplicates the cushion shape of the case, a square form with curved sides. The sapphire-crystal insert in the snap back has the same contour. It is a show window on a magnificent movement, revealing many hand-finished components, the elaborate rattrapante mechanism, and the rhythmic beat of the Gyromax balance wheel. It is a sight that will never bore the true watch enthusiast even though the ballet repeats itself infinitely.

Four years ago, on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, the entire Nautilus collection was subtly refined and scaled up with new models. Special acclaim was garnered by the Nautilus Chronograph with a sporty complication to enhance its intrinsic casual elegance. Within the scope of its chronograph premi��res at Baselworld 2010, Patek Philippe is now launching two further Nautilus chronograph models that with their differentiated personalities will appeal to an even broader audience.The common denominatorsWhat both watches share is their inimitable style, the elaborate construction of their cases, and the modern self-winding CH 28-520 C chronograph movement that has already become a legend. The three-part, 44-mm-wide case with a screwed sapphire-crystal display back exhibits a typical Nautilus feature: the lateral ridges with the porthole mechanism for securing the bezel. Together with the hightech crown and pusher seals, it contributes to the remarkable water resistance of 12 bar (120 meters). This case, at once elegant and rugged, accommodates Patek Philippe's self-winding CH 28-520 C chronograph movement with a column wheel, a vertical disk clutch, and an instantaneous aperture date at 3 o'clock that switches in a tenth of a second.Thanks to the nearly wear-free disk clutch, the chronograph hand can double as a continuously running sweep seconds hand without hesitation. Accordingly, the flyback chronograph movement does not have a seconds subdial. The minute and hour counters are unusual as well: they are grouped in a monocounter with three concentric scales. It totalizes the minutes from 0 to 30 and from 30 to 60 on separate scales, while the innermost scale shows elapsed hours from 1 to 12.The special facets of the Ref. 5980R-001 in 18K rose gold on a leather strapAt this year's Baselworld, Patek Philippe is presenting the first Nautilus worn on a leather strap and featuring a precious-metal case crafted from 18K rose gold 5N. Because of a slightly higher proportion of copper, this alloy has a darker red hue than rose gold, so it has a more masculine look without compromising elegance. As a perfect match, the brown dial has a horizontal embossed texture and a bright/dark gradation from the center to the periphery, two typical manifestations of the Nautilus style. The prominent hour markers, nine rose gold appliques filled with a luminescent compound, constitute the formal complements to the baton-style luminescent hands in rose gold. The vibration-free counterbalanced chronograph/seconds hand is made of 18K rose gold as well. The shorter hourcounter hand of the monocounter is white; for better distinguishability, the longer and thinner minutecounter hand is red.The new Nautilus Chronograph in rose gold is worn on a brown, large-scaled alligator strap; it is almost seamlessly integrated into the case with exclusive lug links and secured with a comfortable fold-over clasp in 18K rose gold.The special facets of the Ref. 5980/1A-014 in steelThe new Ref. 5980/1A-014 distinguishes itself from the rose-gold model in terms of the case material, the dial and date display colors, and the bracelet. This casually elegant classic leverages its masculinity in steel. It owes its unique look to the u***takable shape of the case with prominent lateral ridges and the rounded octagonal bezel as well as to decorative finishes such as the straightgraining on the bezel and the mirror-polished su***ce of the bezel and case flank chamfers. The perfectly integrated stainless steel bracelet with polished center links and satin-finished outer links produces the same choreographed light effects.The new stainless steel Nautilus Chronograph also has a distinctive dial that differs from its counterparts in the rose gold and previous stainless steel models. Typical Nautilus traits include the embossing and the bright/dark gradation, but the color black is new, as are the date display with white numerals on a black background and the silvery gray monocounter with black numerals for the minute count from 0 to 30 and the hour count. The minutes from 30 to 60 are printed in red. The nine baton-style applied hour markers as well as the baton hour and minute hands are 18K white gold filled with a luminescent compound. The steel chronograph/seconds hand is sandblasted and rhodiumed. The sandblasted brass monocounter hands are color-coded: white for the hours and red for the minutes.As its 2006 predecessor, which remains in regular production, the new stainless steel Nautilus is worn on a stainless steel bracelet. It affords a truly comfortable fit thanks to the carefully rounded links and tightly toleranced gaps. It is easy to open and secure with a practical fold-over clasp.With its new models for the Nautilus Chronograph line, Patek Philippe has imbued the legendary Nautilus collection with fresh appeal. The new stainless steel model with a darker face expresses strength and determination while the new rose gold model showcases the chronograph function with masculine elegance. Indeed, the emotional spectrum of these Nautilus newcomers is inviting.