Patek Philippe Advanced Research opens up a further chapter with the launch of two important innovations in the field of horological design. One of them is the new Spiromax balance spring made of Silinvar; apart from the patented terminal curve (Patek Philippe boss at the outer end), its geometry now also features an inner boss near the integrated collet.

The second one is a compliant (flexible) mechanism crafted from conventional horological steel that is used to set the second time zone in time-zone watches. To welcome these innovations, the manufacture is launching the sporty and elegant Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650 Patek Philippe Advanced Research in a limited edition of 500 watches, the first ones to be endowed with both of the avant-garde developments.

The watch contains Patek’s automatic caliber 324 S C FUS, which in this model has been enhanced with two innovations developed by the Patek Philippe Advanced Research laboratory. The first is the Spiromax balance spring made of Silinvar, which is equipped with two terminal curves and optimized with an inner boss. It improves the isochronism of the balance in the vertical orientations of the watch. As a result, its rate accuracy ranges between -1 and +2 seconds per day — similar to the precision of Patek Philippe’s tourbillon watches.

The second innovation involves the time-zone setting device, which replaces the usual pivoting articulations with so-called “compliant” or flexible mechanisms. This device, which is composed of only 12 filigreed steel parts with several intersecting leaf springs — as compared to the 37 parts used in the more traditional mechanism — transmits the actuations of the two time-zone pushers to the local time display.