Patek Philippe is celebrating artisanship in watchmaking with its Rare Handcrafts exhibition. The horology house is showcasing more than 75 pocket watches, wristwatches, dome pendulums and table clocks at its headquarters in Geneva between the 16th and 26th of June. The focus is on hand engravings, enamel, guilloché, wood marquetry, gem-setting and their combination. To mark the occasion, Patek is also presenting six new models adorned with these traditional finishings.
The Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon first launched in 2001 as Ref. 5002 and is one of the most complicated watches of the maison. It combines 12 complications, including a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and a minute repeater. What is special, however, is the back of the watch. Here, the wearer looks upon a starry sky that reflects the positions of the heavenly bodies and the moon. The manufacture is now presenting a new version of the double face watch in a rose-gold case. This case is extensively engraved by hand, which, according to Patek Phillipe, takes the artist more than 100 hours of work. The watch also bears a dial with brown Grand Feu enamel. In the centre is a floral decoration with fine gold wire and Grand Feu cloisonné enamel.
This Grande Complication with a sapphire crystal dial was originally launched in 2006 with a platinum case and rose-gold inlays (reference 5104). The watch features a minute repeater along with a perpetual calendar displayed with transparent sapphire crystal discs and a retrograde date via a hand with a red crescent moon. The mechanics are visible through the sapphire crystal dial on the front. Additionally, the movement with its hammers and micro-rotor can also be viewed through the transparent caseback. The watch now appears as a Haute Joaillerie version with a rose-gold case set with 80 baguette diamonds.
For the Rare Handcrafts exhibition, Patek Philippe is presenting a new variation of the Reference 5374 from 2016 that offers both a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar. The new Reference 5374G-001 has a 42 mm white-gold case. Furthermore, it now appears with a blue “Grand Feu” enamel dial. Here you will find the perpetual calendar and a 24-hour display. At the same time, the moonphase display is highlighted by a white gold frame in champlevé style. For better readability, the fuille-shaped hands also have a luminous coating. Inside the Reference 5374G-001 is the self-winding Calibre R 27 Q, which is visible through the transparent caseback. However, Patek Philippe also supplies a replaceable solid caseback.
Patek Philippe is also presenting a Rare Handcrafts Minute Repeater for ladies. The Ladies First Minute Repeater (Reference 7000R-001) was produced between 2011 and 2017. Now, it is making a comeback with a 36 mm white-gold case and diamond-set bezel. Here, 168 diamonds of flawless quality lie offset from each other in the “flame” setting. The latter is a patented technique that makes the gemstones sparkle even more intensely. Elsewhere, the blue dial is made of “Flinker” enamel. The circular motif is created by guilloching the base and then applying the enamel, leaving the pattern visible. On the back, the calibre R 27 PS is visible. With a height of 5.05 mm, it is extremely flat. Nevertheless, it offers automatic winding via a microrotor and, of course, the minute repeater. The manufacture also includes a solid caseback.
The Ellipse d’Or is an oval-shaped watch that displays only the hours and minutes. Patek Philippe uses the free space on the dial in the Rare Handcrafts collection to create small works of art. This Ellipse d’Or 5738/51G-001 complements the existing collection and comes in a white-gold case. The dial consists of 18-carat gold and bears black Grand Feu enamel. The manufacture also engraves floral motifs inspired by the contours of the case. Beneath the dial is the Calibre 240, which measures only 6.58 mm in height. Nevertheless, it integrates an automatic winding mechanism with a microrotor, which, however, remains hidden due to the lack of a visible caseback. Finally, the Reference 5738/51G-001 appears on a hand-stitched strap made of alligator leather and a pin buckle made of white-gold.
In spring, Patek Philippe presented the rose gold Ladies’ Nautilus 7118/1450R, which is set with diamonds in a snow setting. The case, bezel and dial are paved with diamonds in a gridless manner, minimising the amount of exposed gold surface. The lack of a grid leaves the execution up to the artist, which makes each piece unique. Now comes another version of the watch, this time with a white-gold case. The Reference 7118/1450G is set with no less than 2,553 flawless brilliant-cut diamonds. To ensure legibility, alpha hour and minute hands in blackened white gold, as well as indices and Arabic numerals in luminescent white gold, indicate the time. The ornate calibre 324 S is also visible through the caseback.
