Chronographe à Quantième Annuel

Complications in stainless steel: a rare fusion at Patek Philippe.    

Patek Philippe's new Ref. 5960/1A Annual Calendar Chronograph is a wristwatch that emanates the cool sheen of stainless steel. It is one of the manufacture's rare classically elegant wristwatches outside the casually exclusive Nautilus and Aquanaut collections that combine a complicated movement with a stainless steel case. This debut is bound to capture the attention of collectors and brand aficionados.     

When it was launched in 2006, the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph in platinum won instant acclaim. It was the manufacture's first self-winding chronograph, manifested a new and unique style with its prominent monocounter and three large calendar apertures, and quickly established itself as one of the most coveted timepieces of the Patek Philippe portfolio. The success story continued with further versions in platinum and rose gold. Now, the letter "A" in the model designation 5960/1A, which stands for acier (steel in French), announces a paradigm change. The Annual Calendar  Chronograph in stainless steel is not only the latest sibling of its lineage but will also replace all current gold and platinum versions.     

Patek Philippe's stainless steel watches have always ranked among the most desirable timepieces because they were crafted only in small numbers. They were not regularly produced until 1976, when the manufacture introduced the casually elegant Nautilus line. Its memorable slogan: "One of the world's most expensive watches is made of steel." Twenty years later, the attractively stylish Aquanau  was also endowed with a stainless steel case. With very few exceptions – such as the ultra-thin Ref. 5950A split-seconds chronograph which has been in the collection since 2010 – all other Patek Philippe men's wristwatches were systematically cased in gold or platinum. As regards this strict  distinction between casual and classic watches, the new Ref. 5960/1A is another one of these seductive exceptions.     

Masculine elegance    

The new stainless steel case imbues the coveted Annual Calendar Chronograph with authoritative technical finesse that melds classic elegance with masculine sportiness. It emphasizes the active and dynamic nature of the chronograph and underscores its function as a convenient timekeeping instrument of everyday utility. Nonetheless, the new Ref. 5960/1A has a decidedly elegant nimbus attributable to the balanced, gently rounded case contours and the superb finishing touches that reflect the competence of Patek Philippe's casemaking ateliers. Here, polishing is executed with scientific  precision. The artisans are required to accrue several years of experience before being entrusted with the finissage of the manufacture's cases. Because of its hardness, stainless steel challenges the skills of the case specialists and imposes special requirements on their tools. It takes much longer than a gold case would to polish a steel case with consecutively finer abrasives until it reflects light with an  immaculate sheen.     

The elegance of the case also comes to the fore at the sublime transition to the signature bracelet with its five rows of “drop” links. It is eminently supple and of filigreed elegance. Developed by Patek Philippe, this bracelet was first introduced in 1997 for the Ref. 5036/1 Annual Calendar and now celebrates its debut in stainless steel.     

Red accents with a signal effect    

Technical elegance also characterizes the new silvery-gray dial with its striking red accents, interesting bright-dark contrasts, and the dynamic, performance-oriented looks of its explicitly three-dimensional architecture. An uncommon feature in a Patek Philippe watch: the red "1" in the date aperture, which kicks off each month with a colorful stimulus while the dates from the 2nd to the 31st days are displayed black on white. It is a genuine premiere for Patek Philippe, as is the combination of an Annual Calendar chronograph with a steel case and the stainless steel "drop" links bracelet that underscores the functionality of the Ref. 5960 as a measuring instrument. Thirteen appliques in black  oxidized gold produce the expressive 3D effect: the chronograph scale on the periphery of the dial with twelve luminous five-minute markers, the three distinctively contoured frames for the aperture displays of the day, date, and month, the eight pointed-baton hour markers, each with three facets and a recessed sink at the flat end, as well as the 12-hour counter scale at 6 o'clock. Additionally, the dial features two printed concentric chronograph minute counter scales (0 to 30 and 30 to 60 minutes) within the applied hour counter scale, a small day/night indication at 6 o'clock, and the minus and plus  symbols for the power-reserve indicator beneath the date aperture. The redesigned hands of the Ref. 5960/1A accentuate the dynamic elegance of the watch. The hour and minute hands in black oxidized gold feature three facets to match the hour markers and have a luminescent coating to improve legibility at night.The brass hour-counter hand is black nickel-plated to match the applied counter scale. The large counterbalanced chronograph hand in steel and the small minute-counter hand in brass are bright red as dynamic hints that they are used for measurements in competitive sports. The power-reserve hand in black nickel-plated gold was redesigned as well. It is now somewhat wider and  skeletonized.    

Precision conceived from tradition and innovation   

The hands and the calendar displays are powered by the Patek Philippe CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H caliber with flyback chronograph and Annual Calendar as well as power-reserve and day/night indications. It beats with a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour (4 hertz), which assures a constant balance amplitude and thus high rate accuracy. A heavy central rotor in 21K gold winds the watch automatically.     

The movement is a prime example of tradition paired with innovation. It combines the classic column-wheel control concept with a modern vertical disk clutch that eliminates the risk of hand jump or recoi  when the stopwatch function is activated. The clutch is practically friction-free, so that the chronograph hand can be used as a permanently running seconds hand if desired.     

The patented Spiromax® balance spring made of Silinvar® is another innovative feature. Its isochronous oscillation, low mass, antimagnetic properties, and unique geometry assure high rate stability and uniformity. These are ideal prerequisites for the fulfillment of the Patek Philippe Seal precision criteria which for mechanical movements of this size tolerate a rate deviation of no more than -3 to +2 seconds per day.     

This rate accuracy also benefits the patented Patek Philippe Annual Calendar, a modular ensemble that is a scant 2.48 mm high despite its 154 parts. Displaying the first day of the month in red, the calendar automatically recognizes months with 30 and 31 days and only needs to be manually corrected by one day on March 1 of each year.    

With its elegance and technical panache, Patek Philippe's new Annual Calendar Chronograph 5960/1A is destined to become a bestseller that derives fresh charisma from the noblesse and cool luster of stainless steel. As of this year, it replaces all Ref. 5960 Annual Calendar Chronographs in gold and platinum.