The Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater Ref. 5074
The Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater Ref. 5074 is among the most aesthetically pleasing and technically impressive watches Patek Philippe has ever made. Patek Philippe’s Perpetual Calendar complications alone are worth significant note and are certainly among the best in the industry, however the quality of the illustrious brand’s Minute Repeaters are in a league of their own. Of those spectacular minute repeaters, there are only a few that boast “cathedral gongs,” chimes that ring out a particular sweet and powerful sound: the Sky Moon Tourbillon, 5374, 5178 and the 5074.
The Process
In an article published by The Hour Glass, David Chan explained the detailed and extensive process of bringing a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater to life:
“The process for a Patek Philippe minute repeater to pass muster is such: the single watchmaker who works on the repeater from beginning to end – typically 200 to 300 hours of assembly, excluding further optimization – approves it by him-, or herself; it then proceeds to a anechoic, echo-free chamber, where the parameters of its chimes are recorded and computationally analyzed against the template of previously approved and archived repeaters, ensuring continuity in the acoustic qualities across all Patek chiming watches. The repeater is then presented to the head watchmaker overseeing the chiming complications, and then finally – and most famously – to Thierry Stern, President, for his approval; in the same way as it was presented to the ear of his father and grandfather before him.”
Cathedral Gongs
A minute repeater compilation operates with three main components; the watchcase, which acts as a resonance chamber; the hammers that strike the gong; and the gongs which give off the sweet sound. The “gongs” of the minute repeater are thin wires that circle the movement. When the two hammers, visible through the caseback, strike, they are striking those wires or gongs. A traditional repeater gong circles the movement once, while Cathedral Gongs circle the movement two times, making it twice as long for a better sound.
Design
The case of the Patek Philippe 5074 is similar to the other 507x references, most commonly seen is the 5070. At 42mm, the case does offer some heft but the traditional design elements with the flat, stepped bezel and straight lugs make the watch timeless and wear nicely. The dial’s arabic numerals and well balanced subdials also give the watch a very classic, vintage feel and look fantastic.
Production
The Patek Philippe 5074 was first released in 2001 in yellow gold which was replaced in 2005 with pink gold followed by platinum which was introduced in 2009. It has been reported that fewer than 40 rose gold examples were ever made and fewer than 25 in yellow gold.
Collecting
If you are a passionate collector of complicated Patek Philippe watches, the 5074 needs to be on your radar. This is one of the most attractive, technically amazing and special minute repeaters that Patek Philippe has ever made. Couple that with the rarity and labor intensity it takes to create such a special piece, and you have an undeniably special watch.
At The Keystone, we are currently offering the two examples shown in this post. Both unworn and complete with original box and papers, we are offering the Rose Gold 5074R and the Platinum 5074P.
