The Patek Philippe 5970. One of the most legendary references in history. The confluence of both an incredible design and a brilliant movement. Simultaneously one of the rarest and most desired pieces Patek has ever made, the 5970 has achieved a status rivaled by few. What makes this watch so special?
First, a little bit of history. Patek is known as a master of complications, but few complications have played a more substantial role in solidifying this legacy than the perpetual calendar chronograph. Manually-wound chronographs on their own are usually a bit on the thicker side, so preserving a slender, elegant case profile in spite of both a perpetual calendar and a chronograph is no easy feat — especially in wristwatch format. It’s this challenge that has limited perpetual calendar chronograph production to just a few of the greatest makers.
The first serially-produced perpetual calendar chronograph from any brand was the 1518, introduced in 1941 by none other than Patek.
Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 - (Image by Hodinkee)
Patek’s 1518 was made in just 281 examples during its production run from 1941 until 1954 before it was replaced by the 2499, also produced in extremely limited numbers and discontinued by 1985. Over the life of the 2499, the model evolved extensively. In spite of the longer production run, the 2499 was still made in just 349 examples.
Then, in 1986, the 2499 was supplanted by a slightly more contemporary general-production model, the 3970. The 3970 was the first piece to be made at scale, with a couple thousand examples produced. With the 3970, Patek moved away from the Valjoux base calibers of the 1518 and 2499 and for the first time used a Lemania base.
Patek Philippe Ref.3970 - IN THE SHOP
The new 3970 was sized 36mm in spite of the complication, and was a welcome modern interpretation of the 1518 and 2499. This piece brought the perpetual calendar chronograph to the global market not simply as a rare collector’s dream, but also as a more attainable, aspirational piece. Finally, in 2004, Patek replaced the wildly successful 3970 with the 5970. Built on the same ébauche as the 3970, the 5970 grew to 40mm and is considered by many to be the greatest Patek Philippe of all time.
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Moonphase Chronograph - IN THE SHOP
So what makes the 5970 so incredible? Its combination of modern solidity and high-end complication yields a rare, wearable piece from the world's greatest watchmaker, making for a collector’s dream. The 5970 is also proportionally fantastic: At 40mm, it wears in a contemporary way, but has the look and feel of a neo-vintage piece. Furthermore, it was only produced from 2004 to 2011 in roughly 2,800 examples across all metals, giving it the shortest production run of any of Patek’s perpetual calendar chronographs.
Movement of the Patek Philippe Ref.5970, Cal. CH 27-70Q
The movement of the 5970 is the same as that within the 3970: a Lemania ébauche, reengineered and finished by Patek Philippe. Many consider the output of the Lemania-Patek partnership to have yielded the maison's most attractive manually-wound chronograph calibres. And despite the fact that Patek moved on to its own in-house version of this movement with the introduction of the Ref. 5270 in 2011, collectors still go gaga for the CH 27-70Q.
Based on the Lemania Calibre 2310 — the ébauche that formed Omega’s Cal. 321, a number of Audemars Piguet movements, and several Vacheron Historiques collection movements — the CH 27-70Q is lovely to behold. While in the contemporary market, modified third-party movements are often given short shrift, there’s a nostalgic appeal that the older highly modified, expertly finished Lemania movements possess that’s not quite like anything else.
Patek Philippe 5970 dial - IN THE SHOP
The dial also bears examination: Since the movement of the 5970 is the same as that of the 3970, there’s a swath of added space on the dial of the former's larger 40mm case to fill. Patek increased the size of the 6 o’clock date register and expanded the exterior of the dial to include both a minute scale and chronograph scale. The result is a brilliantly balanced dial that looks extremely well apportioned. While the initial exercise was to fit the dial to the movement, many actually feel the 5970 is better proportioned than the 3970.
So there you have it: The 5970 is a unique mix of details — it’s a modern watch, but with a neo-vintage feel. Produced for a short window and in few examples, the 5970 is both rare and significant. It captures a pivotal time in the evolution of Patek Philippe from third party to in-house movement production. And to top it all off, it’s perhaps Patek’s best aesthetic execution of the perpetual calendar chronograph complication. It’s the confluence of each of these elements, independently significant and unique, that makes this watch so monumental.
