The Ultimate Timepiece To Start Your Fall With - The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 5205R-011
Fall is upon us, which means another blog on a watch for fall. This time around, we have the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar ref. 5205R-011, which was released earlier this year. This model is an addition to the ref. 5205 collection, which was launched in 2010.
As we transition out of the summer season into autumn, there are many watches that are perfect for this transition. However, some watches are the perfect embodiment of specific seasons, such as the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar ref. 5205R-011.
One might ask how the annual calendar differs from the perpetual calendar. Well, we will answer all of your questions today before looking at the ref. 5205R-011.
How Do The Annual Calendar And Perpetual Calendar Differ?
The perpetual calendar is the more complex of the two. It allows a watch to display the day, date, month, and often the moonphase while also keeping track of leap years. Subsequently, a perpetual calendar indicates the correct date without the need for any kind of manual adjustment till March 1, 2100, the day when the leap year will be disregarded. A watch with a perpetual calendar will continue to show accurate dates and times till then.
On the other hand, the annual calendar also displays day, date, month, and typically a moonphase. While it is still very complex, not more than the perpetual calendar though, it requires a manual adjustment once a year. This is done on the first of March when the last day of the month of February, be it the 28 or 29, has to be pushed forward manually.
This History Of The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar
The Annual Calendar is a relatively younger complication. It was introduced in 1996 when Patek Philippe was awarded the annual calendar patent. They started producing their new type of calendar watch, with the first one in the line being the ref. 5035 in yellow gold.
In over two decades, the annual calendar has quickly risen to become one of the most coveted models Patek Philippe offers. It is similar aesthetically to the perpetual calendar but costs less due to the required once-a-year adjustment.
Patek Philippe introduced the annual calendar chronograph for the first time in 2014. The platinum ref. 5690 featured an in-house automatic caliber, Patek Philippe's Caliber CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H. In 2014, the stainless steel version of the ref. 5690 joined the collection.
Now let us look at the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar ref. 5205.
THE MOVEMENT
The Annual Calendar ref. 5205R-011 boasts a self-winding mechanical movement, Caliber 324 S QA LU 24H/206. This movement is equipped with the highly coveted and ingeniously patented Patek Philippe Annual Calendar mechanism, which requires one manual adjustment every year at the end of February.
FEATURES
Apart from the aforementioned and obvious annual calendar complication, this particular Annual Calendar watch displays day, date, and month in apertures while also displaying the moon phase.
THE DIAL
The Patek Philippe ref. 5205R-011 features a rich olive green dial that is given life by a sunburst pattern and by a black gradient around the rim. There are day, date, and month apertures in the upper part of the dial, and there is a rose gold frame at 12 o'clock, making the date, the most important item of the annual calendar information, prominent. Gold-applied hour markers complete the dial.
THE CASE
With the ref. 5205R-011 Patek Philippe has revisited the original model ref. 5205 in original and contemporary color. The case is distinctive with its concave bezel, hollow flanks, and skeletonized lugs. The rose gold case is entirely hand-polished and measures 40 mm in diameter and 11.36 mm in height. The Sapphire-crystal caseback allows one to admire the working of the self-winding Caliber 324 S QA LU 24H. The case is also water resistant to 30 meters.
THE BRACELET OR STRAP
A hand-stitched two-tone green hand-patinated alligator leather strap with square scales connects this gorgeous watch to the wrist with the help of a prong buckle.
Conclusion:
Patek Philippe is considered by many to be the best watch manufacturer in the luxury watchmaking industry, with a history of many of the world's firsts in horology. They have come up with many innovations, two of the most famous being the perpetual calendar and the annual calendar. The brand continues to evolve, coming up with many innovations and new incredible additions to its line of already incredible watches. It will be interesting to see what new things the brand comes up with within a couple of years. Exciting!
