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Lot Essay
This endangered species strap is shown for display purposes only and is not for sale. The watch will be supplied with a calf leather strap.
Patek Philippe rarely addresses special requests such as the present design change to red dial detailing, in the rare instances the firm agrees to do so, it is for extremely important collectors or personalities.
For such an important commission, it is necessary to draw attention to the aesthetic impact of the unique dial made to the present owner’s specifications. Beginning with the classic combination of platinum case and black dial with white gold Breguet numerals, the client requested that the colour of all the printed details of the dial should be in “Ferrari” red which creates a stunning contrast. It was also specified that the days of the week, months and leap-year indications should be in black on a white background. The result lends the watch a very sophisticated aspect.
As all other Patek Philippe platinum watches, its case is set with a flawless rare white Top Wesselton diamond (approx. 0.02 ct.) in band between the lugs at 6 o'clock.
Consigned by its original owner, entirely fresh to the market and sold with the full set of accessories the present platinum ref. 5016 is furthermore preserved in excellent overall condition.
This unique special order watch with its specially commissioned dial is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and desirable of all references 5016, a true Patek Philippe world-class trophy.
Reference 5016
Reference 5016 is one of the most intricate creations ever made by Patek Philippe. It incorporates all the complications sought after by discerning watch aficionados: a minute repeater with sublime resonance, a retrograde perpetual calendar with moon phases, and a tourbillon.
Patek Philippe's technical refinement is legendary and the present watch exemplifies their commitment to engineering detail. Patek Philippe watches never exhibit the tourbillon carriage through a dial aperture, fearing the lubrication oils will degrade with exposure to light. To the casual observer, the only distinction is the word Tourbillon on the dial, suggesting the presence of one of the most complex mechanisms in the world of horology.
Launched in 1994, reference 5016 remained Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch ever made until the arrival of "Sky Moon Tourbillon", reference 5002, in 2001. Together with references 5016, 5050, 5059 (and later 5159), it is also the manufacturer's only wristwatch with this particular dial layout, featuring a retrograde date with triple calendar windows and moon phases combined with the subsidiary seconds.
A technical tour de force, the Caliber R TO 27 PS QI, composed of 506 parts, comprises a tourbillon regulator which rotates on the same axis as the balance and fourth wheel. The repeating mechanism of superb craftsmanship emits the chiming of the hours, quarters, and minutes with sublime resonance. One of the visual delights of the movement is the 14K gold centre wheel, the design inspired by the wheel of a watchmaker’s topping tool. The making of this wheel takes an incredible ten hours of work alone.
Although two centuries have passed since its invention, the tourbillon is still relevant to the contemporary watch industry. It compensates for fluctuations and errors in time measurement caused by the position a watch is placed in. For example, watches with traditional movements may keep excellent time when resting on a desk horizontally, but when that same watch is placed vertically in a pocket or on the wrist, gravity affects the frequency or rate of the escapement and thus its accuracy. Invented by Breguet, the tourbillon compensates for these gravitational effects by placing the escapement in a revolving carriage. As the tourbillon carriage revolves (usually one entire revolution per minute), its position constantly changes and consequently the fluctuations in rate caused by gravity are averaged out. Once a tourbillon watch is properly adjusted, the effects of gravity are essentially nullified, regardless of how it is positioned.
Reference 5016 is regarded as one of the "old school" or, for purists, "real" Patek Philippe production, and it is one of the very last examples of this iconic group which includes masterpieces such as references 2497 and 2499. Indeed, the case design of reference 5016 is a direct descendant of the latter, characterized by the unmistakable sculpted lugs.
In production until 2010 when it was replaced by reference 5126, reference 5016 was available in the three gold colours and in platinum, with silvered or black dials, the numerals matching the case colour. A combined total of only around 200 examples was made with merely a handful of special orders among them.
Reference 5016 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 331.
Patek Philippe rarely addresses special requests such as the present design change to red dial detailing, in the rare instances the firm agrees to do so, it is for extremely important collectors or personalities.
For such an important commission, it is necessary to draw attention to the aesthetic impact of the unique dial made to the present owner’s specifications. Beginning with the classic combination of platinum case and black dial with white gold Breguet numerals, the client requested that the colour of all the printed details of the dial should be in “Ferrari” red which creates a stunning contrast. It was also specified that the days of the week, months and leap-year indications should be in black on a white background. The result lends the watch a very sophisticated aspect.
As all other Patek Philippe platinum watches, its case is set with a flawless rare white Top Wesselton diamond (approx. 0.02 ct.) in band between the lugs at 6 o'clock.
Consigned by its original owner, entirely fresh to the market and sold with the full set of accessories the present platinum ref. 5016 is furthermore preserved in excellent overall condition.
This unique special order watch with its specially commissioned dial is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and desirable of all references 5016, a true Patek Philippe world-class trophy.
Reference 5016
Reference 5016 is one of the most intricate creations ever made by Patek Philippe. It incorporates all the complications sought after by discerning watch aficionados: a minute repeater with sublime resonance, a retrograde perpetual calendar with moon phases, and a tourbillon.
Patek Philippe's technical refinement is legendary and the present watch exemplifies their commitment to engineering detail. Patek Philippe watches never exhibit the tourbillon carriage through a dial aperture, fearing the lubrication oils will degrade with exposure to light. To the casual observer, the only distinction is the word Tourbillon on the dial, suggesting the presence of one of the most complex mechanisms in the world of horology.
Launched in 1994, reference 5016 remained Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch ever made until the arrival of "Sky Moon Tourbillon", reference 5002, in 2001. Together with references 5016, 5050, 5059 (and later 5159), it is also the manufacturer's only wristwatch with this particular dial layout, featuring a retrograde date with triple calendar windows and moon phases combined with the subsidiary seconds.
A technical tour de force, the Caliber R TO 27 PS QI, composed of 506 parts, comprises a tourbillon regulator which rotates on the same axis as the balance and fourth wheel. The repeating mechanism of superb craftsmanship emits the chiming of the hours, quarters, and minutes with sublime resonance. One of the visual delights of the movement is the 14K gold centre wheel, the design inspired by the wheel of a watchmaker’s topping tool. The making of this wheel takes an incredible ten hours of work alone.
Although two centuries have passed since its invention, the tourbillon is still relevant to the contemporary watch industry. It compensates for fluctuations and errors in time measurement caused by the position a watch is placed in. For example, watches with traditional movements may keep excellent time when resting on a desk horizontally, but when that same watch is placed vertically in a pocket or on the wrist, gravity affects the frequency or rate of the escapement and thus its accuracy. Invented by Breguet, the tourbillon compensates for these gravitational effects by placing the escapement in a revolving carriage. As the tourbillon carriage revolves (usually one entire revolution per minute), its position constantly changes and consequently the fluctuations in rate caused by gravity are averaged out. Once a tourbillon watch is properly adjusted, the effects of gravity are essentially nullified, regardless of how it is positioned.
Reference 5016 is regarded as one of the "old school" or, for purists, "real" Patek Philippe production, and it is one of the very last examples of this iconic group which includes masterpieces such as references 2497 and 2499. Indeed, the case design of reference 5016 is a direct descendant of the latter, characterized by the unmistakable sculpted lugs.
In production until 2010 when it was replaced by reference 5126, reference 5016 was available in the three gold colours and in platinum, with silvered or black dials, the numerals matching the case colour. A combined total of only around 200 examples was made with merely a handful of special orders among them.
Reference 5016 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 331.