Description
Best known for their Grand Complications watches Patek Philippe masters the “Haute Horlogerie” and are arguably the best in the industry.
In 1989, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the manufacture, Patek Philippe developed what is one of the most complicated portable timepiece in the world: the Calibre 89 with 33 complications but half a century ago in 1932 they had built the “Henry Graves Supercomplication” which had at that time 24 complications, including Westminster chimes, a perpetual calendar, sunrise and sunset times, and a celestial map of New York as seen from Graves’s apartment on Fifth Avenue.
For decades they did held the title of the most complicated watches built. Mastering their craft they perpetuated the skills and traditions to deliver in their current collection pieces of the highest quality.
The lineage of the 5970 goes back to the great-great grandfather reference 1518 (1941-1954), followed by the reference 2499 (1950-1985), the reference 3970 (1985-2004) and then our model the 5970 (2004-2010) and finally the current production model on the Patek Philippe catalogue the reference 5270 (2010-Present).
The present watch, reference 5970G-001 with a Tiffany-stamped dial, is a white gold version from the 5970 series. This model was produced from 2006 to 2011, and its discontinuation has rendered it increasingly rare. Among the three modern references with similar complications—3970, 5970, and 5270—the 5970G-001 had the lowest production output. Moreover, it houses the last non-manufacture perpetual calendar movement, which, despite being based on a Lemania ébauche, was heavily modified and refined by Patek Philippe. This exemplifies why the 5970G-001 is considered one of the best-designed cases by the Geneva-based watchmaker.
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Nestled within its elegant 40mm white gold case is a captivating grey dial, displaying a host of features—perpetual calendar, moon-phase, tachymeter scale, and chronograph—all rendered highly legible by white gold hands and faceted baton indexes. A notable element is the “Geneva Hallmark” seal, a mark of quality, stamped on the lower left side of the watch’s movement. Notably, after 123 years of using the Geneva Seal certification, Patek Philippe replaced it with their own “PP” seal starting from 2009/2010.
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The manual winding chronograph movement, visible through the sapphire crystal case-back, boasts a power reserve of 60 hours. This particular iteration of the perpetual calendar chronograph is one of Patek Philippe’s most sought-after modern timepieces. Its manually wound movement is a nod to the last non-manufacture perpetual calendar based on the legendary Lemania 2310.
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Adding to the allure for any true watch connoisseur, the dial features the “Tiffany & Co.” stamp, making this an extraordinarily rare example sold by Patek Philippe’s oldest retail partner in the United States.
Patek Philippe – Bio
Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in 1839, located in Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. It designs and manufactures timepieces and movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches. It is considered by many experts and aficionados to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers.
In 1868, Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch, which was sold on November 13, 1876 to the Hungarian Countess.
It is the last independent, family-owned Genevan watch manufacture with uninterrupted operating history spanning nearly 180 years.