First Patek Philippe wristwatch with fully in-line perpetual calendar displays (day, date, month), platinum case (41.3 mm), blue dial with gold hour markers, new ultra-thin self-winding 31-260 PS QL caliber, navy blue alligator strap.
Patek Philippe is enriching its calendar watch range with a brand-new perpetual calendar displaying day, date and month indications through a large single aperture at 12 o’clock. This type of “panoramic” aperture is not entirely new for Patek Philippe. In the course of its history, the Manufacture has already produced pocket watches for the American market featuring this style of in-line display. As devotees of horological complications as well as user friendliness, customers in the New World wanted at-a-glance reading of the indications provided by their perpetual calendar. Nonetheless, the in-line perpetual calendar display appearing in the new Reference 5236P-001 had never previously been featured on a wristwatch – a feat of miniaturization involving numerous technical challenges.
So as to combine originality, legibility and reliability, the watch design engineers have developed a new self-winding movement, caliber 31-260 PS QL, featuring an additional module for which three patents have been filed. The in-line display system alone – based on four disks (two of which are for the date) aligned on the same plane – required an extra 118 components. It is complemented by two round apertures for the leap-year cycle and day/night indication, as well as a moonphase aperture. The mini-rotor’s winding power has been enhanced by the use of platinum, a metal with a higher density than the 22K gold normally used by Patek Philippe for these components.
This new highly sophisticated caliber is housed in an elegant platinum case measuring 41.3mm in diameter and just 11.07mm thick. Set with a diamond at 6 o’clock, it is entirely hand polished and its sloping lugs prolong the momentum of the beveled bezel. The blue dial with its black-gradient rim is graced with a fine vertical satin finish. The in-line display stands out with great clarity in blue against a white background. The time is punctuated by slender applied hour markers swept over by baton-style hands in white gold. The railroad minutetrack is echoed by the small seconds scale at 6 o’clock. The navy blue alligator strap with platinum fold-over clasp harmoniously matches the dial color.
