The modern reinterpretation

This year, Patek Philippe premiered their latest interpretation of the annual calendar mechanism at the 2016 Baselworld fair. As a nod to the complication being only 20 years young, the new annual calendar piece, now Ref. 5396, looks fresh and stylish. Either in 18K rose or white gold, the 38.5mm timepiece fits the wrist elegantly. It gets it just right in terms of thickness at 11.2mm. The dial comes in dark grey sunburst or silvery white opaline, but with so many new endearing elements compared to the original 1996 piece.

For one, Breguet numerals replace the previous roman numerals, which allows easier time reading. The new day, date and month format frees up a lot of space on the dial and causes less clutter. The 24-hour counter with a moon phase in the middle at 6 o’clock serves as a day/night indicator. These elements, satisfyingly, add aesthetic charms that are as alluring as the history the timepiece represents. It is worth mentioning, too, that