Patek Philippe Joins a Travel Time to an Annual Calendar in the Ref. 5326G-001
Luxury worlds collide in the master watchmaker’s latest
Written by THEO BAKER
April 30, 2022
Few brands are so closely associated with the world of luxurious watchmaking quite like Patek Philippe. With collections like the famed Nautilus and Calatrava, original complications like the annual calendar and travel time, and unmatched quality in manufacturing and finishing— it’s little wonder how the Maison has come to embody the pinnacle of the luxury mechanical creation.
In Patek Philippe’s latest, the brand joins many veins of its modern mechanical and aesthetic efforts into a single watch, now seen in the Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G-001. As the watch’s name indicates, it joins together two of the brand’s signature complications: an annual calendar and a travel time. The first, an annual calendar, allows the timepiece to run continuously while requiring only a single adjustment per year on March 1 to maintain date accuracy. The second, a travel time, is another Patek Philippe original, itself a novel and sophisticated take on a classic GMT complication.
The new 5326G-001 represents the first time the brand has joined these two mechanical marvels within a single case. The feat comes as a result of the caliber 31-260 PS QA LU FUS 24H, which Patek Philippe specially developed for the challenge. The self-winding movement seamlessly integrates the annual calendar with the travel time functionality, in addition to standard timekeeping. The movement’s development facilitated the creation of no less than eight patents, with it comprising 409 individual components inclusive of a precious metal micro-rotor. The caliber is gorgeously finished, with its many hand-finished facets visible via a sapphire exhibition case back.
As impressive as the mechanical ingenuity of the 5326G-001 is, its aesthetic charm is equally so. On the wrist, it measures 41mm across, cased completely in 18k white gold with mirror polishing throughout. The case is flourished via the use of a “Clous de Paris” pattern on its sides, the style reminiscent of the pattern first introduced by Patek Philippe in its Calatrava line in the 1980s.
The dial, like the case, is a textural muse, its vintage-influenced style developed by Cadrans Flückiger— a dial specialist firm owned by Patek Philippe since the mid-2000s. The style recalls the color and texture of vintage cameras, with its white gold appliques and creamy tan accents adding to its unique look. The annual calendar, travel time, and standard timekeeping are at work using the aesthetic, complete with a 6 o’clock running seconds sub-dial integrated with a lovely moon phase indicator. Stylized, syringe-tipped hands pass over it all, the two lume filled pointers accompanied by a skeletonized third indicating an additional time zone.
For those looking to add this timepiece to their collection, the new Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G-001 will be available later this year, though like many other Patek Philippe timepieces, is likely to be in high demand while limited in production. The watch will come standard with two calfskin straps, one in beige with a nubuck texture and the other in black with an embossed textile finish and beige decorative stitching. Once available, pricing will be marked at $76,880.
