It is a unique combination of sports appeal and technical sophistication, ruggedness, and the ultimate in watchmaking artistry – with the discreet elegance of a white-gold case and the utility of a calendar that automatically recognizes the number of days in each month as well as the periodically recurring 29th of February. Thanks to the famous self-winding ultra-thin caliber 240 Q movement – it can be observed in action through the sapphire-crystal case back – the height of the case (water resistant to 60 m) is still only 8.42 mm, making this watch one of Patek Philippe’s thinnest perpetual calendar models.

Returning to the dial side only for one more serious departure, the Patek Philippe 5170P is an interesting beast. The watch market as it’s suffers no shortage of platinum-clad, diamond-brazen watches — but something is telling me nobody in the hippie-hoppie music sector will be viewed rocking the 5170P in almost any of the movies anytime soon. No, the 5170P is more like a rich grandpa with diamond cufflinks: weird, but face-to-face you’ll probably need to keep your view to yourself.The Patek Philippe 5170P is interesting because I could envision it to be far over the top to get some, and rather stale in the view of many others. It is, because it takes that stealth-wealth single lug-diamond and complete platinum nonsense to another level by showing a number of those lion’s teeth around the front. I mean, with no diamonds and in humble increased gold, this is a ~$75k view, so why not allow it to live a little?Last thing worth thinking about is how there could be a particular charm to brilliantly implemented watches from big brands that still show a little — and the 5170P is near to being a good example at that. However, once we speak of brilliance in execution, reflective crystals actually shouldn’t be a part of this discussion. Legibility should not be sacrificed for any reason, and that is why the baguette markers operate so nicely: they function to style while also being exorbitantly unnecessary and luxurious. The same cannot be said about the destroyed crystal. I know it supposedly works in the boutique, but it’s an inexplicable and complete fail everywhere else. It is like rocking this view with a perfect tux — and then walking everywhere with a stain on your lapel.
Today, though? Dressed in all of the things it’d set on as it advanced through its own dead-end route of evolution, it seems as preposterous and absurd, as it is awe-inspiring and intriguing. I am glad I had the memorable chance of seeing it live and I will forever look forward to seeing another in the actual world; although deep down I know that won’t ever happen.If you arrived here to the specs and those fawning superlatives, I will not leave you. The Patek Philippe Watches Boston Calatrava 5180/1R is just one magnificently implemented dress watch — especially in the sense that it might dress the most nude of emperors. Patek Philippe calls for the 2.53mm thick self-winding 240 caliber “famous” and “ultra-thin” — we’re more convinced about the latter, but not so much concerning the former. I mean, in the nerdiest of watch get-togethers, I find it challenging to imagine people lining up en masse and shouting upon first sight: “Wow, that is the grade 240! “The hand-engraving is topnotch quality, based on what you would expect from an 87,000 CHF watch. Lots of thickness meet constant intricacy: it is the type of handmade where it creates things distinctively beautiful, and not where it is a justification for sub-par performance. Patek say it requires approximately 130 hours of effort to perform the engraving job — that is over 3 months of work and although strictly speaking it isn’t watchmaking, the engraving represents some tangible and very real additional value.

Patek Philippe’s thinnest perpetual calendar models © Patek Philippe

The characteristic design of the bezel is emphasized by surfaces with a vertical satin finish as well as polished chamfers. The dial is decorated with the same sunburst blue motif as the watches that celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Nautilus collection in 2016; it is a nautical nuance that matches not only the original case design inspired by portholes but also the name of the collection itself. All three subsidiary dials of the perpetual calendar (day and 24-hour display at 9 o’clock, month and leap year cycle at 3 o’clock, date and moon phases at 6 o’clock) are harmoniously and legibly integrated in the octagonal face with the rounded corners. The horizontal relief embossing is a typical feature of the casually elegant Nautilus.

Many more even refrain from diamonds onto an differently conservative-friendly Patek Philippe Watches Houston chronograph like the 5170 — a much lass offensive design move, I would say, compared to the manufacture’s current foray into pilot watches. I belong to this particular bunch of horological outcasts. If we’re honest, any watch that prices more than say, $1,000 is in 1 way or another an excess, luxury trait — and with that in mind (and especially when you’re paying into five figures), diamond hour markers seem more natural than ever.The 39.4mm-wide platinum case might just be 10.9mm thick — the Patek Philippe 5170P gets proportions right — but it still has significant heft to it. As the “P” from the reference number along with the weight over the wrist indicate, this 5170 is crafted in the heaviest of valuable luxury watch materials. In a Patek Philippe, further involves a little diamond set between the lower lugs of the timepiece, nothing more than a reminder that you need nothing but the best — and/or most expensive — the world must offer.Speaking of the best, the hand-wound Patek Philippe Caliber CH 29-535 PS is indeed among the best quintessential luxury chronograph moves, leaving no room for differing tastes or arguments. The technically inferior horizontal clutch makes for an aesthetically superior caseback — those two always linked brakes around the left hand side of this motion on the picture above swivel ever so slightly to mesh with the chronograph seconds’ center wheel once the chronograph is initiated.

The Nautilus perpetual calendar ref. 5740 / 1G-001

Rice to your Patek Philippe 5960/1A Annual Calendar Chronograph in steel with black dial is unchanged at 45,000 CHF, which is only a hair over precisely the same amount in US dollars. Considering this is the newer version, I have not noticed many out there (though there are several white dial models available on the resale market). Time will tell if the other retains value better, but it’s going to be interesting to find out exactly what Patek unveils alongside their brand new products targeted towards the younger market. Evidently, there are lots of ways the new-for-2017 Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R may be clarified. The most convenient way would be a comprehensive usage of fawning superlatives — it’s, after all, a full-gold, skeletonized Patek Philippe. Is it for older men and women? That is a pinhead of a target audience, hardly worthy of a lot of effort put into a watch, so who? Younger folks? Do not see rappers or footballers rocking this. It is too thin and filigree to appear good on Instagram or in poorly lit VIP locations. Is it for the Wall Street banker? Well, if you’re purchasing it with newly laundered Russian natural gas cash, this sure helps make a statement — no offense to the rest decent people of de Waalstraat.In all seriousness though, what about us, watch enthusiasts? For us, this really is a museum piece — it functions much like that aforementioned dinosaur. I believe, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R should be on display in museums across the world, in which it might be admired as a interesting thing of the past, something that so loudly and basks in its irrelevance and oddity today. In a sense, it is the king of its kind that could, were it in its natural habitat, command respect and humility.

Considering that this is the newer model, I have not noticed many out there (although there are several white dial versions available on the resale market). Time will tell if one or the other holds worth better, but it’s going to be interesting to find out exactly what Patek unveils alongside their brand new products targeted towards the younger market. Obviously, there are many ways the new-for-2017 Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R could be described. The most convenient way would be an extensive use of fawning superlatives — it is, after all, a full-gold, skeletonized Patek Philippe. Is it for old people? Perhaps some cigar-smoking, retired baddie in Florida, perhaps. That’s a pinhead of a target group, barely deserving of so much effort put into a watch, so who else? Younger people? Don’t see rappers or even footballers rocking this. It’s too thin and filigree to look good on Instagram or in poorly lit VIP areas. Is it for the Wall Street banker? Well, if you are purchasing it with freshly laundered Russian natural gas cash, this will help make a statement — no offense to the remaining decent people of de Waalstraat.In all seriousness though, what about us, watch enthusiasts? For us, this really is a memorial piece — it works much like that aforementioned dinosaur. I think, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R ought to be on display in museums around the world, in which it might be admired as a fascinating thing previously, something that so loudly and basks in its irrelevance and oddity now. In a way, it’s the king of its type that would, were it in its own natural habitat, command respect and humility.

Legibility in the dark is enhanced with the luminous coating of the hands and gold hour markers. An ingenious system of deflection mechanisms made it possible to position the correctors of the perpetual calendar in a way that optimally matches the design of the Nautilus case. To improve wearing comfort, the white-gold bracelet, polished and satin-finished, was fitted with a new Nautilus fold-over clasp that has four independent catches which further optimize opening and closing.