Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces
Hong Kong, Jul 23, 2020
LOT 375
Patek Philippe
Ref. 5016, one-minute tourbillon regulator, minute-repeater, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, leap-year indicator, moon phases, black dial; platinum
HKD 3,000,000 - 4,000,000
CHF 360,000 - 490,000 / USD 390,000 - 520,000
Platinum, manual-winding, round-shaped, gentleman’s wristwatch, sapphire-crystal snap-on case-back, with subsidiary seconds at 6, a one-minute tourbillon regulator and seven horological complications:
• Minute-repeater on two steel gongs (activated by the slide at 9 o’clock)
• Half-instantaneous perpetual calendar à guichets (with apertures)
•Retrograde (fly-back) date of the month (three-quarter circle graduation in the centre)
• Day of the week (aperture at 9 o’clock; indications given in English)
• Month of the year (aperture at 3 o’clock; indications given in English)
• Four-year cycle of leap-years (aperture at 12 o’clock)
• Phases of the moon (aperture at 6 o’clock)
• Half-instantaneous perpetual calendar à guichets (with apertures)
•Retrograde (fly-back) date of the month (three-quarter circle graduation in the centre)
• Day of the week (aperture at 9 o’clock; indications given in English)
• Month of the year (aperture at 3 o’clock; indications given in English)
• Four-year cycle of leap-years (aperture at 12 o’clock)
• Phases of the moon (aperture at 6 o’clock)
Black lacquered dial with applied platinum suspended “Breguet” numerals.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 1 |
As new |
Movement: 1* |
As new Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Brand Patek Philippe, Geneva
Reference 5016
Year circa 2000
Movement No. 1 905 184
Bracelet black leather PP strap, platinum PP “Officier”-type buckle
Caliber RTO 27 PS QR, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, Geneva Quality
Dimensions Ø 36.8 mm.
Signature dial, case and movement
Accessories Extract from the Archives, original fitted box
Notes
Patek Philippe, Reference 5016
This reference is launched in 1993 and remained in production until circa 2011.
This reference is launched in 1993 and remained in production until circa 2011.
It’s a wristwatch with one-minute tourbillon regulator, minute-repeater, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, leap-year indicator and moon phases, fitted with the calibre R TO 27 PS QR LU.
The movement incorporates a retrograde (or fly-back) date hand whose specially developed mechanism absorbs almost no energy when the hand returns on the 1st of each month. Month, year and leap-years indications will change instantaneously and if it is always kept running, no adjustments need to be made to the watch until February 2, 2100. The moon phase indication will show a deviation of one single day only after 122 years and 45 days.
The minute-repeater sounds with unequalled purity and clarity and the tourbillon cage lies on the same rotational axis as the balance and fourth wheels, a very difficult configuration. All harmoniously blended together in this timepiece of the highest quality, beauty and prestige.
During the 18 years of its production, this watch has been the object of great admiration from connoisseurs. This model was wanted by Philippe Stern in the late 1980’s, at the time of the 150th anniversary of the manufacture, event marked by the creation of the “Calibre 89” (who was at the time the most complicated pocket watch in the world).
The Ref. 5016 was a wristwatch of a new type, the most complicated ever, having with its one-minute tourbillon regulator no previous antecedent.
Until the “Sky Moon Tourbillon” was introduced in 2001, the Ref. 5016 was the Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatch. Today, it has to be classified in Patek Philippe’s “Grand Complication” collection (a category that did not exist at the time).
In 2011, when his successor was launched, the new Ref. 5216 occupies rank 4 in this category, behind the “Sky Moon Tourbillon” Ref. 5002, the new “Triple Complication” Ref. 5208 and the Ref. 5207, first presented in 2008.
In 2017, Patek Philippe has redesigned this famous “Grand Complication”, under the Ref. 5316. It sports a new platinum case with a two-tier bezel and lugs as well as a black enamel dial with an aperture for the enamel lunar disk. The retrograde date is indicated by an unusual hand with a diamond-shaped tip.
As can be seen by looking at the three models, the diameter of the case has been increased each time. On the one hand, it meets the expectations of the market. On the other hand, it allows this amplifies the chime and enhances sonority and fullness of the tone.
To sum up:
- Reference 5016 (Ø 36.8 mm.), launched in 1993, produced in platinum, 18K white, pink and yellow gold; the watches featured silvered or black dials with numerals matching the case. We can think that approximately 200 examples were manufactured until production ended in 2011. One stainless steel version, Ref. 5016 A, was especially made in 2015 for the caritative auction Only Watch (sold for the amount of CHF 7 300 000.-).
- Reference5216(Ø39.5mm.), launched in 2011, first produced in pink gold and later in platinum. We can deduce that approximately 200 examples were manufactured until today.
- Reference 5316 (Ø 40.2 mm.), launched in 2017, for the moment only produced in platinum.
- Just like the Ref. 5216 and 5316, the Ref. 5016 is one of the “must” of any wristwatch collection. They takes their places in a long tradition of extremely fine and highly complicated mechanical timepieces produced by the best ever manufacture. The readability of their dials are remarkable thanks to the presentation by apertures (“à guichets”) of the perpetual calendar with the leap-years indication and the retrograde date.