BASELWORLD 2019: Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A-001

Patek Philippe has developed a broad spectrum of calendar functions, from the simple aperture date to the extremely complex secular perpetual calendar that is preprogrammed into the 28th century. At this years Baselworld 2019, Patek Philippe introduced a new function for calendar watches: the weekly calendar. The Calatrava Weekly Calendar (Ref. 5212A-001) is a semi-integrated mechanism that in addition to the day of the week and the date also displays the week number. Further, the Reference 5212A-001 is endowed with a totally new self-winding base caliber.

The Calatrava appears with a new face

The new Calatrava Weekly Calendar is equipped with a silvery opaline dial and five hands from the center. The hours and minutes are indicated with Dauphine hands in blackened white gold, which feature two lapped facets. A slender counterbalanced hand tracks the seconds. The day of the week is displayed by a hammer-shaped hand with a red hammer head on a circular scale in the middle of the dial. A second hand delivers week number and month readings on two concentric scales at the periphery of the dial. The date at 3 o’clock complements the calendar indication. Another special feature: The typography created explicitly for this watch is based on the handwriting of one of the manufacture’s designers, recalling an epoch in the not too distant past when notes were still written by hand in paper diaries.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A-001​

An elegant case-design

The stainless steel Calatrava case – a rarity at Patek Philippe – also stands out on account of the finesse of the bezel that extends over the two- tiered, gently curved strap lugs. Its design is inspired by the Reference 2512, a one-of-a-kind piece made in 1955 and held in safekeeping by the Patek Philippe Museum. This kinship is emphasized by the reference number of the new Calatrava Weekly Calendar that consists of the same numerals in a different order. The vintage aspect is amplified by a box-type sapphire-crystal glass with a slightly cambered profile. The stainless steel snap back has a sapphire-crystal inset that allows the movement to be observed at work.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A-001​

A partially integrated weekly calendar

To display the day of the week and the number of the current week, Patek Philippe developed a totally new semi-integrated mechanism with a height of 1.52 mm, containing 92 additional parts. Thanks to a special plate developed and produced for this specific mechanism, the movement remains very svelte. A 7-point star on the hour wheel in the center of the movement controls the day-of-week display. Via a lever, a second 7-point star with an extended Sunday tip drives the 53-tooth week wheel. Corrections of the day-of-week and week-number displays are performed with two push pieces recessed in the case flank at 8 and 10 o’clock. The date can be corrected with the crown pulled halfway out. The 53-graduation scale considers years with an extra week. This is the case every 5 to 6 years. The next occurrence falls in 2020.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A-001​ – The Movement

A totally new base caliber

The weekly calendar mechanism is not the only special feature of the Reference 5212. Patek Philippe also endowed this watch model with a totally new movement based on the self-winding caliber 324. The new movement sports several innovations and optimizations that improve its performance and dependability. The first innovation concerns the center second. To prevent the seconds hand from vibrating and to eliminate friction, the manufacture’s engineers decided against the habitual center second pinion with friction spring. They replaced it with an innovative system based on an anti-backlash third wheel. Friction is further reduced by suspending the pivots of the seconds-hand arbor between bearing jewels. The stop seconds (balance stop) mechanism provides further optimization: it becomes effective when the crown is pulled into the handsetting position. Thanks to this device, the user can set the time with one-second accuracy. When the crown is pushed home, the mechanism kick-starts the balance, so to speak, to set it in motion again. The self-winding mechanism was also completely reworked and refined.

Patek Philippe Calatrava Weekly Calendar Ref. 5212A-001​ – Caseback

The sapphire-crystal case back of the new Reference 5212A-001 Calatrava Weekly Calendar reveals the movement of the new model.

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