Beyond Intricate
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THREE PATEK PHILIPPE NOVELTIES THAT SHOW WHY THE GENEVAN MANUFACTURE REMAINS THE UNDISPUTED MASTER OF GRAND COMPLICATIONS
Three Patek Philippe novelties that show why the Genevan manufacture remains the undisputed master of grand complications
There is something inherently intriguing in the way Patek Philippe creates its watches—which are arguably among the best timepieces in the realm of haute horlogerie. While people often talk about, say, the hand finishing on the movements or the Patek Philippe Seal, an even more remarkable aspect of the Genevan watch manufacture is its long line of grand complications.
Before we continue, let’s take a quick look at the definition of a grand complication watch. In the world of watchmaking, a “complication” refers to anything that a mechanical watch might do beyond telling the time. Simple date displays are usually not counted as a complication. So, we’re talking about chronographs, minute repeaters, second time zone indicators and so on. A grand complication, meanwhile, refers to a watch with several complications and represent the very pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking.
Since early in its history, Patek Philippe has shown itself to be a master of creating grand complications and miniaturizing these mechanical marvels to fit increasingly compact cases. A frequently cited example would be the Stephen S. Palmer Patek Philippe Grand Complication, No. 97912. Created in 1898, the watch features a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, grande and petite sonnerie, and moon phases. Then there is the Calibre 89, a commemorative pocket watch created in 1989 which houses a grand total of 33 complications. No less impressive is 2014’s Grandmaster Chime, which sees 20 complications fitted into a wristwatch.
Now, as impressive as these feats of watchmaking are, what is even more remarkable is that Patek Philippe has an extensive collection of grand complication watches as part of its regular production. In other words, not only is the Genevan manufacture capable of creating the most complex of timepieces, it does so as a fundamental part of the way it creates watches.
This year, three new models join Patek Philippe’s Grand Complications collection, namely Ref. 5303R-001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon, Ref. 5370P-011 SplitSeconds Chronograph and Ref. 5270J-001 Chronograph Perpetual Calendar. Each, in their own ways, reassert Patek Philippe’s standing as the undisputed master of grand complications. Moreover, while technical complexity is of paramount importance, it doesn’t come at the expense of aesthetics. All three watches house their myriad mechanical functions in the smallest possible space while at the same time maintaining simplicity of operation, convenience, functional integrity and also legibility.
Turn the page for a closer look at these three grand complication novelties...
“What is even more remarkable is that Patek Philippe has an extensive collection of grand complication watches as part of its regular production”