In-line Perpetual Calendar 5263P-001

The perpetual calendar has always been prominent at Patek Philippe. Almost a century ago, in 1925, the Geneva-based brand blazed a trail when it unveiled the first ever wristwatch to incorporate this sophisticated complication, and has continued to explore new technical and aesthetic possibilities ever since. Adding to its repertoire, Reference 5263P-001 aligns the day, date and month in a large single aperture at 12 o’clock on the dial. This type of “at a glance” display isn’t entirely new for the firm, which used a similar arrangement for certain pocket watches for the American market. It is, however, its first iteration on a wristwatch, made possible only by the veritable feat of miniaturisation that is the new Calibre 31-260 PS QL (visible through the sapphire back which can be easily interchanged with a solid platinum back). It comes housed inside the classic form of a 41.3mm case in platinum, which Patek has paired with a lacquered dial that shades blue to black. This timeless aesthetic continues with the minute track, echoed by the scale for small seconds that surrounds a moon-phase display. The result is a grand complication that is both supremely legible and beautifully original.