There Is a New Patek Philippe Grail Watch to Add to Your List
Even for the horological neophyte, Patek Philippe needs no introduction. From the Nautilus to the Aquanaut—and every reference number in between—the storied Swiss manufacture is behind some of the most sought after grails in the world. It also has the distinction of being the maker of 9 out of the 10 most expensive watches ever sold at auction (for those keeping score, the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 took the top spot in 2019 when it sold at Christie's for $31.19 million).
Now there is another Patek for watch nerds everywhere to salivate over. But first, a brief horological dynasty primer: for the past century of its 184-year history, Patek Philippe has been a family business, falling under the stewardship of the Sterns after brothers Charles and Jean Stern bought the company during the Great Depression in 1932. Charles' son Henri took the helm in the '50s, followed by his son Philippe, who served as president for 16 years before passing the torch to his son Thierry in 2009. And it's in honor of his father's 85th birthday that Thierry has created the new limited edition Ref. 1938P-001.
The timepiece is as striking for its design—a black enamel Grand Feu dial featuring a miniature portrait of the man of the hour, elegant white gold Breguet numerals and hands, a platinum Officer's-style case with a birthday message from son to father engraved inside—as for its technical prowess.
Built based on the R 27 self-winding caliber that Philippe himself pioneered in 1989, this complex minute repeater complication is also equipped with an exclusive alarm function that chimes at a programmed time. To solve the challenge of getting the minute repeater and alarm to sound seamlessly on the same two classic gongs, the company filed four new patents and added 227 parts. Translation for the neophyte: absolutely no expense was spared.
The resulting movement, known as the R AL 27 PS caliber, is exclusive to this piece and will never be used again. And since nothing really fans the flames of desire like scarcity, only 30 of these timepieces will be made. Bonne chance and godspeed!
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