Lot 118

Patek Philippe

Retrograde Perpetual Calendar

An extremely rare, very fine Geneva wristwatch with perpetual calendar, centre seconds, retrograde date, moon phase and leap year indication

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Reference 5059 comes from Patek Philippe's Grandes Complications collection and was launched in 1998. The watch convinced immediately with its characteristic combination of perpetual calendar, retrograde date display, white dial and 36 mm case size in 18 K white gold. The cool, elegant indications for day of the week, month and leap year are displayed in three windows, while the moonphase is revealed in a curved aperture at 6 o’clock.
The hinged back with sapphire crystal allows to reveal the complicated manufactory movement with Geneva seal. The movement calculates the individual lengths of the months as well as the leap years through a complex system of rockers and cams; the retrograde date is another ingenious complication because the date indication does not complete a full circle but moves according to the length of the month in an arc of up to 270 degrees and then jumps back to the first day of the next month. During the flyback, the hand is disconnected from the gear and immediately secured on the numeral 1, so that it cannot accidentally rebound forward by a day or two.