Patek Philippe Grand Complication Mens Watch 5104P

The Ref. 5104 is unlike any other Patek Philippe wristwatch. It is the first Grande Complication with a totally transparent dial to showcase a number of elaborately crafted sub-mechanisms which ordinarily perform their tasks unseen: the perpetual calendar, the retrograde date, the minute repeater, the moon-age indication, and, of course, the wheel trains for the hours, minutes and seconds. A glance at these juxtaposed and superposed wheels, levers, springs, discs and hands readily reveals not only the intricacy but also the aesthetic beauty of these mechanisms. A number of very challenging problems had to be solved to afford this unprecedented view.One of the greatest challenges was to legibly present on the transparent sapphire-crystal dial the four displays—the perpetual calendar, the subsidiary moon-age indication, and the hours and minutes—without obstructing the visibility of the fascinating mechanisms underneath. The solution was to make the subdials transparent. A retrograde hand moves along an arc on the periphery of the dial to indicate the date. The hour and minute hands are skeletonized. The days, months and current year in the leap-year cycle are imprinted on three circular zones of the transparent sapphire-crystal dial. Immediately beneath these zones, sapphire-crystal wafers rotate at their specific pace and position. Each of these wafers features a black rectangle providing the necessary contrast so that the day, month and year indications are clearly legible. This clever solution created a totally new problem. How could these thin and delicate sapphire-crystal rounds be mounted on tiny steel arbors to assure perfect and durable positioning accuracy? Steel and sapphire crystal are very dissimilar materials. Sapphire crystal is brittle and cannot be press-fit on an arbor like a brass wheel. Any attempt to do this would cause the crystal to fracture into countless shards. Consequently, Patek Philippe had to develop a new manufacturing process especially for these transparent displays. Sapphire crystal with steel – patent applied for by Patek PhilippePreparation: In a first step, a central hole is drilled through the sapphire-crystal discs that are only 0.2 millimeters thick. The hole is slightly larger than the diameter of the pinion on which it is to be mounted. Because the smooth surface of the crystal hardly builds up enough friction for a mechanical connection, a small circular zone around the borehole must be roughened and metallized with a vacuum deposition process. Now, the sapphire-crystal disc has a bondable zone that can be coated with tin. The tin coating is drilled through the middle and shaped into a bushing that must be somewhat smaller than the pinion arbor. With that, the sapphire-crystal disc is ready to be press-fit on the pinion and aligned with the pinion leaves. Alignment: When fitting the pinion into the sapphire-crystal disc, the watchmaker must align the disc with the leaves of the pinion as accurately as possible so that the black contrast rectangle is correctly positioned beneath the white day, month and year indications. Because of the danger of fracturing, the latitude for corrections is very limited.Brazing: As the final step, the pinion with the aligned sapphire-crystal disc is heated in a furnace to 240°C. At this temperature, the tin bushing is brazed to the pinion arbor. After slow and careful cooling, the parts are now concentric and firmly connected at just the right angle. A case as complex as its inner lifeAt Patek Philippe, the art of complications is not restricted to the intricate inner workings of its timepieces. The degrees of difficulty involved in crafting the case of the Ref. 5104 are impressive as well. It picks up on the floral theme of the skeletonized hands and the rotor decoration. The flanks of the platinum case are embellished with red gold 5N intarsia work and even the lugs exhibit delicate red gold inlays. It takes infinite patience and countless hours of work to create the recesses in the hard platinum case in which solid red-gold form pieces are inserted. Even the smallest slip of the burin would ruin the case and render the work done useless. Thus, each case takes shape with the same passion and commitment lavished on the movement. To emphasize the transparence of this exclusive timepiece, the case features a display back with a sapphire-crystal inset to present, as in a show window, the magnificent caliber with its warm red-gold accents, carefully applied striping and perlage, the large Patek Philippe Gyromax balance, and the small beveled hammers and the gongs of the minute repeater. The exceptional watch is worn on a blue, large-scaled alligator strap secured with a 950 platinum prong buckle. Patek Philippeâ€s Ref. 5104 Grande Complication pulls out all the stops and challenges to the limit the capabilities of the manufactureâ€s talented designers, watchmakers and casemakers. It takes two years just to craft the parts, assemble the movement, and adjust its rate to perfection. For this reason, the workshops can only complete eight to 10 of these intrinsically rare timepieces per year.

The Timeless Elegance of Luxury Watches

Watches have always been a symbol of success.In days of old it was the select few who held positions of esteem in society, who would proudly wear a pocket watch on its beautiful chain.

The wrist watch has however overtaken the pocket watch in popularity, though a pocket watch makes a statement all of its own.

As the world progresses, the watch has become more commonplace and is mass produced.But then there are watches, and there are watches!

Whenever you think of Luxury Diamond Watches you automatically think of Swiss made watches that are noted for their fine craftsmanship, high quality of material used, and most importantly, they keep impeccable time whether it be mechanical, or working on quartz vibrations or electronic pulses. However, Italian and French manufacturers of Luxury Watches are not very far behind.

As far as Swiss watches are concerned, the story goes that in the 16^th century the Huguenots, who were followers of the religious leader Jean Calvin fled from persecution in France for the safety of the Alps near Geneva.There, Jean Calvin played a pivotal role in banning the wearing of Jewelry.Watches however, were allowed as being of practical use. And so the Huguenot watchmakers teamed up with the Geneva Jewelers and goldsmiths to circumvent this by creating spectacular time pieces to adorn the wearer who felt deprived by this decree.

There’s nothing like a luxury watch on your wrist to make a clear statement of your success.Be it Watches for Men or Women, there’s a veritable Smorgasbord of watches available in this genre to cater to the varied tastes and demands of the discerning collector. A luxury watch completes every designer outfit, whether for men or for women.Many fashion designers have now brought out their own brands of Luxury Watches.

A Luxury Watch is much more than just a means of telling time.It makes a definite statement about the person wearing it. Owning and wearing one is a status symbol. It signifies Success, Class and Discernment.A Luxury Watch is a collectible, handed down from generation to generation, as its value increases with the passing of time,

There are Diamond Watches to meet every taste and the value increases with the increasing number of functions it performs besides telling the time, most common of which would be perpetual calendars.Of course, watches made of precious metals embellished with Diamonds or other precious Stones are also very valuable.

Then there are the Sports Luxury Watches for Yachtsmen that measure the force of the tides and currents based on the moons Phases.There are also Watches to cater to the needs Speed Aficionados and those sought after by pilots for their aeronautic designs.

So if you have a specific interest that needs to be catered to, or are just looking for a fashion statement, there’s something available for every one of you, whether it be a sleek understated elegant time piece or that flashy jewel encrusted beauty to compliment you.

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