Two useful complications come together for the first time. Patek Philippe combines two of its outstanding patented complications for the first time in one watch: the Annual Calendar —which requires a manual correction only once a year— and the Travel Time system for the display of a second-time zone. The outcome is a travel watch whose date display is synchronized with the respective local time. It simultaneously adjusts the date when the time zone is corrected. The new automatic calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H movement is endowed with eight patents. Patek Philippe created a totally new Calatrava case for this watch measuring 41 mm in diameter and made of 18K white gold. Its flanks are guilloched with the inimitable hobnail pattern and its dial is framed in the vintage genre inspired by old photo cameras.
The dial is crafted entirely by Cadrans Flückiger in Saint-Imier, a dial specialist which has belonged to Patek Philippe since 2004. The dial is charcoal gray with a fine gradation to the periphery and has a slightly granular structure that is reminiscent of the cases of old photo cameras. It is an aspect that quickly associates with getaways, wanderlust, and exploration.
The time of day is shown by applied Arabic numerals in white gold with beige luminous coatings. The hours of local time and the minutes are displayed with luminous white-gold “Seringue” hands that with their long tips resemble syringes. A pierced “Seringue” hand indicates the hours of home time. The three apertures of the Annual Calendar —day of the week and month on one line at 12 o'clock, date at 6 o'clock— show easily legible black inscriptions on white backgrounds. Two small round windows marked “LOCAL” at 8 o'clock and “HOME” at 4 o'clock are day/night indicators for local time and home time, respectively. This balanced arrangement is complemented by the subsidiary seconds that sweep the moon-phase aperture at 6 o'clock. The calendar indications can be adjusted with the aid of small correctors in the case band located near the respective functions: day at 10, a month at 2, date at 4, and moon phases at 8 o'clock. The vintage aspect is emphasized with a slightly raised box-design sapphire-crystal glass.
The connection between the Annual Calendar and the Travel Time function involved several technical challenges. The issue wasn’t just to accommodate both mechanisms in the same case. They had to interact in such a way that the displayed date corresponded with local time, hence the time at the location of the wearer of the watch. And it may need to be adjusted when the time zone is corrected. Thus, in the new caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H movement, the Annual Calendar is controlled by the Travel Time function and it is the local-time hour wheel that drives the calendar. Connoisseurs will be delighted to note that the principle of the Ref. 5531 World Time Minute Repeater from 2017 has been retained. It is the first minute repeater that always sounds local time because the World Time mechanism controls the minute repeater.
For the new Ref. 5326G-001, Patek Philippe redesigned the Travel Time function as well. While the basic principle with two hour hands from the center is retained —solid hand for local time, pierced hand for home time—, the two common time zone pushers in the left-hand case flank were replaced with a winding-stem setting mechanism that has three positions. The user merely needs to pull the crown to the middle position and then turn it clockwise or counterclockwise to adjust the local-time hour hand in one-hour increments in either direction without affecting the precise rate of the movement.
Setting the time in the home-time zone is done in a classic manner with the crown in the outermost position. The caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H movement has a stop-seconds mechanism that allows the time to be set with one-second accuracy. This function is only active while the crown is pulled to the outermost position. This prevents the movement from stopping when selecting a new time zone and preserves the rate accuracy of the movement. When the owner is not traveling, the two hour hands can be superposed with the crown and will then look like one hand.
The sapphire-crystal case back reveals the architecture of the calibre 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H movement with the elegantly cut and gently curved bridges. It affords a better view of the wheels of the base movement and the exquisite manually executed finissage that reflects the strict directives of the Patek Philippe Seal.
The new Ref. 5326G-001 Annual Calendar Travel Time is delivered with two interchangeable straps, one beige calfskin with nubuck texture (original version), the other black calfskin with an embossed textile finish and beige decorative stitching (additional strap). Both straps underscore the vintage style of the dial. They both assure comfort and safety with a fold-over clasp in 18K white gold.
On the wrist, the new Patek Philippe Calatrava Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G-001 wears true to its size and remarkably well. One of the most unique-looking Pateks out there and a watch that calls for adventures. We can definitely see ourselves wearing this watch while traveling through the Pyramids of Giza or the Sahara desert.
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