More than just a watch complication
Chronographs play a bigger role at Patek Philippe than people think
MENTION “watch complications” and “minute repeaters”, tourbillons and perpetual calendars come to mind. Chronographs which measure speed, distance and heart rate are only an afterthought.
Similarly, minute repeaters and perpetual calendars are what most watch fans think of when the name Patek Philippe is heard – not chronographs.
Chronographs don’t stand out perhaps because they have become commonplace, thanks to their popularity and accessibility, compared to other complications. But the folks at Patek Philippe haven’t forgotten – nor taken for granted – this “practical” complication invented in 1815 by French watchmaker Louis Moinet.
The venerable Swiss brand has continued to push the technical limits of Moinet’s invention; it recently staged an event for retailers and the media to underscore the chronograph’s prominence in Patek Philippe’s collections, and to highlight its “leading” role in shaping the brand’s history.
The chronograph is “right up there” with, if not more important than, the minute repeater and perpetual calendar at Patek Philippe, its officials say.
Driven by the promise of a large US market for timekeepers in horse racing, Patek Philippe produced its first chronograph pocket watch in 1856. Its first chronograph wristwatch – a split-seconds model – was released in 1923. But it was only in 1934 that the first serialised Patek Philippe chronograph wrist watch, the Ref 130, rolled out of its factory.
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Patek Philippe has produced many chronographs since then, reflecting their importance to the brand. Around 30 such models are available in its current catalogues, including the Ref 5924 launched this year – the first Calatrava Pilot Travel Time combining a two time-zone function with a chronograph.
Patek Philippe’s earlier chronographs ran on movements made by others. The Ref 5959, a split-seconds mono-pusher chronograph unveiled in 2005, was the first chronograph with a Patek Philippe-made movement; the 33 mm wide watch was, for many years, the thinnest split-seconds chronograph ever built.
Like the movements of its earlier chronographs, Patek Philippe’s first in-house chronograph movement came with a manual-winding mechanism. Its first automatic chronograph movement was unveiled a year later, in 2006. This was the Ref 5960, an annual calendar chronograph with a flyback mechanism.
A flyback chronograph allows the reset function to be used without the need to first stop the chronograph. It is perfect for use when speed is of the essence. All Patek Philippe automatic chronographs are equipped with the flyback mechanism.
A higher level of complication is the split-seconds or rattrapante chronograph, which measures, for instance, a motor racer’s lap time while keeping the overall time in view.
Even more refined is a chronograph that measures tenths of a second, like the Ref 5470P-001. Rolled out last year, the model is a 1/10th of a second mono-pusher (one pusher) chronograph. It is the brand’s most complicated chronograph so far.
Chronographs are activated and reset with a pusher. All chronograph wristwatches come either with two pushers (usually at 2 and 4 o’clock) or just one (at 2 o’clock). With the latter, pressing the pusher starts the time measurement and pressing it a second time stops it for the result to be read; pressing it a third time resets the chronograph to zero.
In a two-pusher chronograph, the measurement starts by pressing the upper pusher; pressing it a second time stops the mechanism to show the amount of time elapsed. The measurement of time is restarted and stopped by using the pusher again. The timer is reset by pressing the lower pusher.
For aesthetic reasons, Patek Philippe uses a two-pusher for a single complication chronograph, and a mono-pusher if more complications are added. The mono-pusher tends to be used because it needs less height in the movement, so the watch can be slimmer.
Amendment note: The paragraph has been edited to reflect the accurate watch reference number.
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