Favorite Complications in Category

[dddrees]

A thread to discuss the merits of those Complications we like the best.


Remember there are no winners and there certainly are no losers.


Just a discussion of which Complications we like and why.


Pictures are a must whenever possible, remember it's awfully hard to discuss the beauty of something without a picture.

There are 31 models in this category, as such I actually have more than just one which I like.

From the Patek Phillipe website:

Complicated Watches
A supreme test of ingenuity

A 'complication' in watchmaking is anything a mechanical watch might do beyond telling the time and simple date. Patek Philippe upholds a tradition in complications that are useful in everyday situations, such as Annual Calendars, dual time zones and World Time displays. At Patek Philippe, we enjoy unrivalled expertise in our knowledge and practice of this pinnacle of the watchmaker's art.

[HL65]

Dan--for me it is also easy but of course the one I like most I own and it is discontinued with only around 200 at most made for only 1 year. I am fortunate to have this one that was sold in late 2010. Now that it isn't too early so I will get it right--the 5070P.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Dan--for me it is also easy but of course the one I like most I own and it is discontinued with only around 200 at most made for only 1 year. I am fortunate to have this one that was sold in late 2010. Now that it isn't too early so I will get it right--the 5070P.

Absolutely beautiful Ken.

In my opinion no one does a chronograh better than Patek Philippe. The fact that this one is a limited production run and it is in platinum all the more special.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Absolutely beautiful Ken.

In my opinion no one does a chronograh better than Patek Philippe. The fact that this one is a limited production run and it is in platinum all the more special.

Thanks Dan!

[capote]

SteelerFan65 makes a strong case for the 5070p

I really like the 5146R also. The dial isn't too crowded although there are more indications on it than I normally like. Even the PR indicator - that usually drives me mad on an automatic watch - looks great. If I could change one thing, it would be to remove the date window and arrange for the date in a circle outside the moon phase. That would look amazing.



Pic from internet

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by capote

SteelerFan65 makes a strong case for the 5070p

I really like the 5146R also. The dial isn't too crowded although there are more indications on it than I normally like. Even the PR indicator - that usually drives me mad on an automatic watch - looks great. If I could change one thing, it would be to remove the date window and arrange for the date in a circle outside the moon phase. That would look amazing.



Pic from internet

I think this is the first Patek that really got me interested in the brand itself. Very nice, thanks for sharing Brady.

From the Patek website:

5146J-001> Men Complications
Watch:
Annual Calendar
Day and month by hands, date in an aperture
Moon phases
Power reserve indicator
Sweep seconds hand
Cream dial, gold applied hour markers and numerals
Fold-over clasp
Sapphire-crystal case back
Water resistant to 30 m
Yellow Gold
Case diameter: 39 mm
Caliber:
Mechanical self-winding movement
Caliber 324 S IRM QA LU
Annual Calendar
Day and month by hands, date in an aperture
Moon phases
Power reserve: indication
Center sweep Seconds hand
Diameter: 32 mm
Height: 5.32 mm
Jewels: 36
Bridges: 11
Parts: 355
Balance: Gyromax
Vibrations/hour: 28 800 (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 45 h max.
Hallmark: Patek Philippe Seal

[texex91]

Tough category. I would go with 5205G. Like the simple design, but very striking dial. It's a winner for me.

Mechanical self-winding movement
Caliber 324 S QA LU 24H
Annual Calendar
Day, date, month in apertures
Moon phases and 24-hour display
Sweep seconds hand
Two-tone dial: matt black and slate gray, gold applied hour markers
Prong buckle
Strap: alligator with rectangular scales, hand-stitched, matt black
Sapphire-crystal case back
Water resistant to 30 m
White gold
Case diameter: 40 mm

[brian8121]

Of the complications (non-grand), I'm heavily biased the ones I own: annual calendar (5146) and the annual calendar - chronograph (5960).

The 5146 has Patek's well-regarded annual calendar movement. Movement aside, I think Patek design team did a fantastic job making what could have been an overly busy dial look uncluttered.

I think the 5960 is a great innovation and significant for Patek (the fact that it is PP's first in-house chrono). The dial design isn't for everyone, but I personally love it (obviously).


Here are my two guys.

[texex91]

Originally Posted by brian8121

Here are my two guys.

Brian those are

[brian8121]

Originally Posted by texex91

Brian those are

Thank you sir

[FeelingTheBlues]

Dan, I must admit this one has been very hard to decide but I've finally made my choice. Surprisingly enough this one doesn't have a moonphase indicator (you know me, I'm a big fan of those) and it doesn't even display the date but I must admit that its way of working is rather stunning and unique. Besides, I can't help but drool over this dial.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

Dan, I must admit this one has been very hard to decide but I've finally made my choice. Surprisingly enough this one doesn't have a moonphase indicator (you know me, I'm a big fan of those) and it doesn't even display the date but I must admit that its way of working is rather stunning and unique. Besides, I can't help but drool over this dial.

I just love the dial on this watch. I think it's gorgeous. If I were to go withn a World time I would chose this one.

From the Patek website.


5131G-001> Men Complications
Watch:
World Time
Indication of 24 time zones
"Europe/Asia" dial center in cloisonné enamel
Fold-over clasp
Sapphire-crystal case back
Water resistant to 30 m
White gold
Case diameter: 39.5 mm
Caliber:
Mechanical self-winding movement
Caliber 240 HU
Height: 3.88 mm
22K gold off-center mini-rotor
Indication of 24 time zones
Diameter: 32 mm
Jewels: 33
Bridges: 8
Parts: 239
Balance: Gyromax
Vibrations/hour: 21 600 (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 48 h max.
Hallmark: Patek Philippe Seal
Patent: CH 595 653
Patent: CH 693 191

[dddrees]

This category so many great watches to chose from. So I would have no problem going with either a World Time, Annual Calendar, Perpetual Calendar, or a Chronograph. So for me there are many favorites in this category.

However currently if I had to choose just one it would probably be a Chronograph. Within the current lineup I would either go with a 5170 or a 5960P. In regards to the 5960 it would be a toss up between the blue dial or the Anthracite dial.


From the Patek Philippe website:

5170J-001> Men Complications
Watch:
Chronograph
Mechanical manually wound movement
Central chronograph hand and 30-minute elapsed time counter
Seconds subdial
Opaline-white dial, gold applied hour markers
Strap: alligator with rectangular scales, hand-stitched, matt chocolate brown
Fold-over clasp
Sapphire-crystal case back
Water resistant to 30 m
Yellow Gold
Case diameter: 39 mm
Caliber:
Mechanical manually wound movement
Caliber CH 29-535 PS
Column-wheel chronograph
Center chronograph hand, 30-minute counter
Seconds sub-dial
Diameter: 29.60 mm
Height: 5.35 mm
Jewels: 33
Bridges: 11
Parts: 269
Balance: Gyromax
Vibrations/hour: 28 800 (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 65 h max.
Hallmark: Patek Philippe Seal


Press release
Baselworld 2010
Patek Philippe, Geneva
March 2010
Annual Calendar chronograph Ref. 5960P
At Patek Philippe, announcements of totally new watch models are typically years apart. But the company places all the more emphasis on keeping its existing collections up to date with continuous refinements. Because of this ongoing care, the success stories of the individual timepiece families have been particularly enduring: the Calatrava since 1932, the Golden Ellipse since 1968, the Nautilus since 1976, etc. Slight modifications, such as new dials or case materials, not only add fresh touches to collections but also limit the number of watches in a given series. Aficionados and collectors of rare timepieces appreciate the fact that their watches remain desirable rarities even if they are not part of an expressly limited edition. Thus, the new 2010 version of the Annual Calendar chronograph differs in subtle ways from its predecessors.
Launched in 2006, the Ref. 5960P Annual Calendar chronograph was endowed with the first regularly produced chronograph movement developed from the bottom up by Patek Philippe and crafted entirely in-house from the movement blank to the finished caliber. It is a very modern self-winding movement with a nearly wear-free vertical clutch. A genuine manufacture chronograph movement combined with Patek Philippe’s legendary Annual Calendar was exactly what the market had been waiting for. As a matter of fact, the Annual Calendar chronograph instantly became one of the manufacture’s most sought-after models. The 2006 debut platinum model with the charcoal gray dial received a sibling in 2009: a rose gold version with a dark silvery gray of the vertically satin‐finished dial silvery gray face. And now, the collection is being expanded by a second platinum model with a matt blue sunburst dial.
Two popular complications united in one watch
The Ref. 5960P unites a mechanical flyback chronograph and an Annual Calendar, two of the most popular complications in timekeeping. The calendar mechanism is based on a patent granted to Patek Philippe in 1996 for the Annual Calendar – it relies on wheels and pinions rather than the more common may we replace this word by “springs”? and levers to control the calendar displays. The underlying idea is that rotary motions are more straightforward and easier to control than the reciprocating movements of levers. In actual fact, Patek Philippe’s annual calendar mechanisms have a proven 15-year track record for above-average functionality and reliability. The manufacture’s patented Annual Calendar is a full calendar that automatically distinguishes months with 30 and 31 days and, if kept running, only needs to be manually corrected once a year on the first day of March. It shows the day of the week, the date, and the month, and it has an am/pm indicator.
The chronograph module of the new Ref. 5960P is just as modern. It relies on the traditional column-wheel construction for controlling the start, stop, and reset commands, but instead of a lever for a horizontal wheel clutch, it actuates the clamp of a vertical disk clutch. This solution is extremely dependable and eliminates the risk of hand bounce in either direction when the chronograph is switched on, because no wheels are abruptly engaged. Since the disk clutch is virtually wear-free, the chronograph hand can be used as a running seconds hand without hesitation. This mode of operation
Continued 2
has no negative effect on the rate accuracy of the movement. This is why the Ref. 5960P, contrary to most chronographs, has no seconds subdial.
Cool elegance in platinum with a blue dial
Like the first 2006 model, the new Ref. 5960P has a round case in 950 platinum with an antireflection-coated sapphire-crystal glass and a sapphire-crystal display back. The round chronograph pushers and the large easy-grip crown are located on the right-hand side of the case. The push pieces for adjusting the calendar indicators are on the opposite side. With a case diameter of 40.5 millimeters, the Ref. 5960 ranks among Patek Philippe’s larger timepieces. Its stately visual presence is amplified by the tangible weight of the platinum case. These decidedly masculine attributes underscore the technical appeal of the chronograph. The watch is worn on a blue, large-scaled alligator strap with a platinum fold-over clasp.
The matt blue sunburst dial with the two-tone monocounter in blue and silver is totally new. Blue harmonizes with the cool gloss of platinum and creates a new timepiece personality with emphasis on fast and convenient readability of all indications. Unlike most other chronographs, the Ref. 5960P does hot have three subsidiary dials for the running seconds as well as the minute and hour counters. Instead, it features the combined minute and hour counter on a subdial that largely occupies the bottom half of the watch face. On three concentric scales, it indicates the minutes and hours totalized by the chronograph. The two outer scales are assigned to the longer red hand that shows elapsed minutes from 0 to 30 (blue numerals) and from 30 to 60 (black numerals). The shorter white hand indicates recorded event times of up to twelve hours on the innermost scale. The day/night indicator in the small round aperture progressively changes from white (day) to dark blue (night). This function is particularly useful when the watch has stopped, making it necessary to distinguish between morning and afternoon hours when setting the time and the calendar indications.
The upper half of the dial is dominated by the Annual Calendar, which indicates the day of the week, the date, and the month in three apertures arranged along an arc between 10 and 2 o'clock. The size of the date at 12 o'clock is particularly remarkable. With its polished white gold frame, the date aperture forms a visual equilibrium with the prominent monocounter in the bottom half of the dial. The small hand of the power-reserve indicator beneath the date aperture moves from plus to minus as it shows the state of wind of the mainspring.
Eight slender applied hour markers in white gold, eleven luminescent dots, and the crisp transfer-printed scale produce the clarity needed for instant legibility of the dial. The tips of the leaf-shaped hour and minute hands extend nearly all the way to the hour and minute markers, and the end of the chronograph hand skims the fractionally graduated seconds scale.
Patek Philippe’s new Ref. 5960P Annual Calendar chronograph shows how important even seemingly small details really are in haute horlogerie, be they a minor modification in power transmission or subtle color variations in dial design. Sometimes, the consequences are striking and expressive. The new dial of the Ref. 5960P is a case in point.
Continued 3
Technical data
Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960P
Movement: Caliber CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H
Self-winding mechanical movement, column wheel chronograph Annual Calendar, power-reserve indicator, 24-hour display, sweep seconds (chronograph hand)
Diameter: 33 mm
Height: 7.68 mm
Number of parts: 456
Number of jewels: 40
Power reserve: Max. 55 hours
Winding rotor: Central rotor in 21K gold, unidirectional winding; oil-free ball bearing with zirconium balls
Balance: Four-arm Gyromax with four poising weights
Frequency: 28,800 semi-oscillations/hour (4 Hz)
Balance spring: Breguet
Functions: Two-position crown:
- Pulled out: To set the time
- Pushed in: To wind the watch
Displays: Center hour and minute hands
Sweep chrono/seconds hand
Power-reserve indicator at 12 o'clock
Combined monocounter dial at 6 o'clock with
- 60-minute counter (counts the elapsed minutes on two concentric scales from 0 to 30 in blue and from 30 to 60 in black)
- 12-hour counter
Display apertures: - Day of week between 10 and 11 o'clock
- Date at 12 o'clock in a polished white-gold frame
- Month between 1 and 2 o'clock
- Day/night indicator at 6 o'clock
Function buttons: - Chronograph start and stop at 2 o’clock
- Chronograph hand reset and flyback at 4 o’clock
Corrector push pieces: - Day-of-week correction at 9 o'clock
- Date correction between 9 and 10 o'clock
- Month correction at 10 o’clock
Continued 4
Features
Case: 950 platinum, cambered sapphire-crystal glass and sapphire-crystal display back, diamond at 6 o'clock
Water-resistant to 30 meters
Case dimensions: Diameter: 40.5 mm
Diameter including crown: 43.25 mm
Height: 13.55 mm
Width between lugs: 21 mm
Dial: Two-tone: matt blue sunburst and silvery
Eight hour markers in 18K white gold
Eleven Superluminova luminescent dots
Leaf-shaped hour and minute hands in 18K white gold with Superluminova luminescent coating
Baton-style chronograph hand in rhodiumed steel with counterweight
Power-reserve indicator with baton-style hand in rhodiumed 18K white gold
Subsidiary dial with circular guilloché pattern with a matt blue center and a silvery periphery
Baton-style hour-counter hand with counterweight, white-lacquered brass
Baton-style minute counter hand with counterweight, red-lacquered brass
Strap: Hand-stitched, large-scaled blue alligator strap with platinum fold-over clasp

[FeelingTheBlues]

If I may Dan I must admit that the 5170J would probably be my choice. I really love the 5960P (and the R even more) but there is something in the first one that is really stunning. It's a very simple chronograph with two sub dials and a manual winding movement, yet Patek found a way to exploit this simplicity and put it up in such an elegant way that you can only love the watch.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

If I may Dan I must admit that the 5170J would probably be my choice. I really love the 5960P (and the R even more) but there is something in the first one that is really stunning. It's a very simple chronograph with two sub dials and a manual winding movement, yet Patek found a way to exploit this simplicity and put it up in such an elegant way that you can only love the watch.

Absolutely, and that's why I love the 5170, it's very elegant in it's simplicity.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Absolutely, and that's why I love the 5170, it's very elegant in it's simplicity.

Yes indeed, now I'm just waiting for your picture to know which one is your official choice.

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

Yes indeed, now I'm just waiting for your picture to know which one is your official choice.

Actually I have a number of favorites in this category. So for now I think I'd rather not choose but rather admire them all instead.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by dddrees

Actually I have a number of favorites in this category. So for now I think I'd rather not choose but rather admire them all instead.

Not a bad idea, I did that for several minutes before making my choice, imagine how long it would have taken me if I had to buy one!

[dddrees]

Originally Posted by FeelingTheBlues

Not a bad idea, I did that for several minutes before making my choice, imagine how long it would have taken me if I had to buy one!

I've been thinking the same exact thing for the last couple of years.

[ocwatching]

Originally Posted by brian8121

Of the complications (non-grand), I'm heavily biased the ones I own: annual calendar (5146) and the annual calendar - chronograph (5960).

The 5146 has Patek's well-regarded annual calendar movement. Movement aside, I think Patek design team did a fantastic job making what could have been an overly busy dial look uncluttered.

I think the 5960 is a great innovation and significant for Patek (the fact that it is PP's first in-house chrono). The dial design isn't for everyone, but I personally love it (obviously).


Here are my two guys.

FANTASTIC...that platinum 5146 is just awesome