The perpetual calendar chronograph is the face of complex watchmaking at Patek Philippe. 5270 is part of a long, illustrious line of perpetual calendar chronographs produced by watchmaking’s most revered maison. This year, the mention receives a royal makeover which will split even the most seasoned of connoisseurs: a platinum case and yes, a salmon dial. Here, we Have a Look at the newest Patek Philippe Ref. 5270P-001 perpetual calendar chronograph replica watches.
The case, dial and hands
For the first time, the Ref. 5270 comes at a platinum case; all prior versions have been crafted in gold. Platinum Patek Philippe watches are largely more coveted by collectors than its gold counterparts, and auction results back this thought. 5270 with a platinum case presents an air of regality to it and also will serve to add desirability for the opinion. Substance aside, the situation remains mostly unchanged in dimensions and design; the only difference is that it now includes a diamond set between the bottom lugs, the tell-tale sign of a platinum Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph minute repeater replica watches timepiece.
Assessing the opulent platinum case of the Ref. 5270P-001 is a celestial salmon-coloured dial. Salmon dials are typically reserved for exclusive Patek Philippe pieces (hence why they’re so desired by collectors) — to view it on the Ref. 5270 is interesting. Suffice to say, it has successfully diverted heaps of favorable attention in the media, collectors and fans onto the Ref. 5970, for such a long time. The salmon color, or’golden opaline’ in Patek speak, has a deep heat to it and goes extremely well with the blackened gold components on the dial. This is not the very first time that gold has been utilized from the Ref. 5270, but it’s the first time the hours are marked by Arabic numerals instead of stick indices. Using Arabic numerals (in the style of those found on the Ref. 5070) leads to a less streamlined look than before but gives the watch more character.
The layout for the displays remain unchanged: small seconds at 9 o’clock, month and day at 12 o’clock, chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock, date and moon phase at 6 o’clock with the day/night and jump year indicators on the left and right, respectively.
Apart from the above, nothing else on the dial has shifted. It’s still got the exact same feuille hour and minute hands, the identical dial layout and the same typography — Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph 5970 replica knows better than to mess with a winning formula.
The motion
The Ref. 5270P-001 is powered by precisely the same movement used in previous versions of the reference: the Calibre CH29-535 PS Q. For Patek Philippe, the creation of the 456-part, 33-jewel Calibre CH29-535 PS Q signified the end of the manufacturer’s dependence on Lemania-based moves for its perpetual calendar chronographs. The in-house designed and manufactured motion is manually wound (as it must be) and has a power reserve of 55 to 65 hours with all the chronograph disengaged.
The column wheel/lateral clutch chronograph movement exerts Patek’s very own Gyromax® equilibrium and beats at a contemporary 4 Hz. Actuation of this chronograph start/stop and reset functions is crisp and provides immense tactile pleasure. Unbeknownst to many, the CH29-535 PS Q is packed with patented Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph 3970 j imitation watch innovations (not as half of them) that remove hand jitters, improve efficiency and reduce wear. The motion is perhaps the most advanced of traditionally built chronograph movements, even today — a real technical achievement. As with most moves with the perpetual calendar function, the perpetual calendar module is concealed from view and resides just under the dial. The moon phase indicator of the CH29-535 PS Q is very precise and deviates from the lunar cycle by merely one day every 122 decades.
From an aesthetics perspective, it might not be a Datograph but it’s still breathtaking to behold throughout the sapphire crystal case back. The borders of the sprawling levers and bridges are bevelled and polished to a sheen. While there are plenty of curved and external angles, the motion does lack interior angles, which would be the toughest to finish. The upper surface of the bridges are adorned with Côtes de Genève that length from 1 bridge to the other, while the screw heads and the pillar wheel cap are mirror polished. The finishing and decoration of this CH29-535 PS Q is undeniably worthy of the Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph ref. 2499 clone Seal which also makes certain that the speed accuracy of the watch is inside -3/+2 moments every day. All in all, the CH29-535 PS Q scores high points for style and substance even 7 years after its debut.
5270 has been living under the shadow of this cult-favourite Ref. 5970 — this, despite having a technically superior in-house movement. Maybe it’s the size and design of the Ref. 5970 that everyone is hooked on, maybe it’s the nostalgia; observe collecting is after all an emotionally driven match. Prior to the Ref. 5270P, the most outstanding version of this Ref. 5270G-019 using its blue dial and strap, but that couldn’t exorcise the ghosts of the past. If anything, the Patek Philippe community mainly considered the Ref. 5270 to be inferior to its predecessor. All that could be about to change with the introduction of the Ref. 5270P-001. The opinion has been overwhelmingly well-received as it was introduced at Baselworld last month and has shone a good light onto the unjustly maligned reference. Will Patek’s salmon-dialled wonder finally inject much needed interest and desirability for your Ref. 5270? What we do know is that the Ref. 5270P-001 is priced at a trendy CHF165,000 — an obscene amount, but to get a stunning salmon dial Patek, it will probably be worth every penny.
Few perpetual calendar chronographs on the marketplace can rival Patek Philippe’s, but they certainly do exist. 5270P. The scenario, however, is much less nuanced in layout in comparison with Patek’s. The dial layout is considerably more contemporary than the Ref. 5270 with tones of grey/white/silver/blue, as well as the outsize date. But the Lange overlooks the mark where it counts: legibility. Because of the judicious use of aperture displays, the dial of this Ref. Nevertheless , the Datograph Perpetual easily makes up for its front-end shortcomings using its exemplary motion, the Calibre L952.1. While maybe not quite as contemporary and innovative since Patek’s CH29-535 PS Q, the Calibre L952.1 features superior finishing and a more attractive design. It’s worth noting also that the motion also has a chronograph flyback function. At about $115,800 or CHF136,600 for the snowy gold/grey dial variation, the Datograph Perpetual costs nearly 20% less than the Patek Philippe.
The 2017 Chopard flagship timepiece has an austere platinum case but a rather flamboyant dial. At 45 x 15.06 millimeters in the event measurements, it is the largest of the three and also may be unwieldy to get some. Contrary to the Lange or the Patek, the movement of the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono employs a vertical clutch mechanism; the picturesque structure that normally includes horizontal clutch chronograph movements is therefore lost on Chopard’s Calibre 03.10-L. However, make no mistake, the Calibre 03.10-L remains completed superbly and controlled to the elevated standards of this Hallmark of Geneva. Limited to only 20 bits, the L.U.C Perpetual Chrono in platinum comes at a fairly reasonable price of $101,710 or CHF120,000, nearly 30% less compared to Patek equivalent.
Concluding thoughts
An easy dial change has not brought this much hype to Patek Philippe in quite a long time. The Ref. 5270P is currently the only leather-strapped perpetual calendar chronograph left Patek Philippe’s current catalogue, since the remainder have already been discontinued. We know that the achievement of the Ref. 5270P is confirmed, but does this also translate to better days ahead for the other versions i.e. improvement in sentiment and valuation? For now, any guesses are purely speculation. The Ref. 5270 deserves more appreciation for what it is; it might never reach the heights of the Ref. 5970 but it deserves admiration, not scorn, from your neighborhood.
