uper Exclusive & Extremely Rare

Patek Philippe chronograph Ref. 5170J – The genesis of a new classic

This new classic column-wheel chronograph movement comes in a yellow gold case with rectangular pushers reminiscent of Patek Philippe’s famous 1940s and 1950s wrist chronographs. The Ref. 5170 is a mechanical chronograph in the best tradition. It embodies the new CH 29-535 movement, a caliber developed and crafted according to the criteria of the Patek Philippe Seal .

It takes audacity to call a unworn watch a classic, but in the case of the Patek Philippe chronograph Ref. 5170J, the attribute is justified. Although it debuts at Basel world 2010, it has already been at the top of the wish list of many collectors and aficionados for many years – and a popular topic among specialized publications. Now, the time for speculation is over and the object of desire has become reality: the classic men’s wrist chronograph developed entirely by Patek Philippe and crafted exclusively in the manufacture’s workshops.

All good things take time. And if it has to be perfect, it might take some more time. After all, the ambition with the new CH 29-535 PS chronograph caliber for the Ref. 5170J was not just to present a classic manually wound chronograph movement with a column wheel and a horizontal clutch built entirely in-house. The objective was also to outperform its predecessor, the CH 27-70 PS, which was based on a Lémania movement blank extensively re-engineered and modified by Patek Philippe to create one of the most beautiful chronograph calibers ever made. When the new chronograph movement premiered last November with the launch of the Patek Philippe Ladies First Chronograph, the CH 29-535 PS caliber was discussed in-depth by many journalists and found to fulfill the loftiest expectations.

Elegance paired with functionality

The Ref. 5170J chronograph is a consummate statement of timeless elegance. The silvery white dial has slender applied hour markers as well as yellow-gold applied Roman numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock and black transfer-printed scales. The logarithmic pulsimeter scale on the outermost perimeter is calibrated to 15 heartbeats, revisiting the traditional doctors watch. The railway track minute scale features slightly compressed Breguet numerals. The seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock are recessed in the main dial and arranged somewhat below the horizontal center axis to balance the makers signature and the pulsimeter scale inscription in the upper half of the face. The hour, minute, and seconds hands that indicate legal time are crafted from yellow gold to match the hour markers and Roman numerals, while the chronograph seconds and minute hands are black. The counterbalanced trotteuse is black oxidized, and the instantaneously jumping 30-minute counter is made of black nickel-plated yellow gold. Unquestionably, the face of the Ref. 5170J can hardly be
excelled as regards elegance, beauty, and legibility. By adding the new Ref. 5170J wrist chronograph to Patek Philipp’s men’s collection, the Geneva based manufacture has made a wish come true for many watch collectors and connoisseurs.