The complication of the Minute Repeater is fascinating, because even though it was invented hundreds of years ago, it still provides a suitable choice for watchmakers. Even with the help of modern technology in this process, the level of expertise required to make a truly outstanding minute repeater is still so high that few brands even try to create such complex functions, and even fewer brands can be used. Considered to be its master. In other words, there is a brand that has mastered complex functions on a larger scale than any other brand. We are studying one today-the Patek Philippe 5074P Minute Repeater Calendar.

Although the minute repeater is now considered to be an elegant complication, it was not like this in the beginning. In fact, the use of sound to indicate the time of day is earlier than the use of hands and numbers, and was once the standard way of clock operation. Some of these clocks are passing time, which means they will automatically sound at set time intervals, while other clocks (such as this watch) are repeaters, which means that people can trigger the clock/watch to indicate time based on commands . The first repeater clock was patented in the UK as early as 1687, and Patek Philippe first applied this technology to watches in 1916. However, this complication never really took off, and it was not until 1992 that Patek Philippe went into regular production. Reference 3939. Over the years, more and more attention has been paid to complex functions. This Patek Philippe 5074P continues the long tradition of the brand’s minute repeater technology. During the 13 years from 2002 to 2015, this 5074P was produced in limited quantities. During this period, it has become an ideal collectible.

From a visual point of view, this watch adopts a more aggressive posture than Patek Philippe’s previous Minute Repeaters. Although this example is from 2015, it has a strong Art Deco influence. The watch has a diameter of 42 mm and has a wide flat bezel. The case and lugs adopt a very sharp stepped structure with obvious characteristic lines. From the appearance, you will notice the button recesses used to adjust the complication of the perpetual calendar and the iconic top Wessleton diamond six-point position between the lugs. You will also notice that the lugs have a wide slope, which should help the watch fit the wrist more comfortably-a popular feature of watches of this size.

Although the Patek Philippe 5074P is not an obvious outlier in terms of size in the larger watch world, it is very large for Patek Philippe. In fact, it is one of the largest watches in the Grande Complication series. However, the size is not superficial, because it contributes to the acoustic effect of the minute repeater and allows the rich information displayed by the perpetual calendar to be easy to read. Three small dials display the day of the week, date, moon phase, month, leap year, and 24-hour indicator. You need all the space. In general, although the space on the dial is a bit cramped, I think the design is well done. Everything is clear and easy to read. I like the subtle dark blue of the moon phase, it breaks the original monotonous theme and the clean font used for platinum numbers. However, I didn’t make a decision on the surrounding railway tracks because I’m not sure how helpful it is to display the minutes at five-minute intervals, which could have been put on hold and give the rest of the dial more breathing room. Nevertheless, it still It’s a gorgeous watch. That’s just why I’m picky.

This timepiece worthy of museum collection is equipped with Patek Philippe’s internal self-winding movement R27Q. The movement combines an already complicated self-winding perpetual calendar with a more complicated cathedral minute repeater. The uniqueness of cathedral gongs is that they usually emit a deeper and richer sound than the standard minute repeater, and this sound is a quality that Patek Philippe is obsessed with. This particular watch-and all the other minute repeaters that left the Patek Philippe factory-undergoes four different verification steps to ensure that its sound is snuff-compliant.

First, the watchmaker who created the timepiece validated it. Then it enters an anechoic room, where its sound is recorded and analyzed by a computer. Then, the senior watchmaker responsible for the complex functions of the timekeeping will listen to the opinions of the timekeeping device of the watch, and finally, the timepiece will be handed over to their Rui Stern himself for final approval. Is it too much to have the CEO of Patek Philippe listen to every minute repeater and approve it before it is worn on your wrist? Maybe, but this is part of what you pay when you buy a beautiful watch like this from Patek Philippe. This watch is the embodiment of the relentless pursuit of excellence. Fortunately, this meticulously crafted movement can be seen through the bottom cover of the display case, where the beveled hammer and other exquisite decorative craftsmanship are fully displayed. also,

As I said at the beginning of this article, the Minute Repeater is not very common, and most watch brands have not even tried to add it to their lineup. Now consider that this watch is also a perpetual calendar, you are really thin in terms of competition. In other words, if someone wants to compete with Patek Philippe, it is not as good as Vacheron Constantin. This 2006 Patrimony minute repeater perpetual calendar is a good choice, especially considering its 37 mm diameter and 9.5 mm thickness. You can get almost all the same functions in a smaller package. In terms of design, Patrimony is more inspired by retro and is a more neutral choice than Patek Philippe fake, so if this is attractive, this may be a better choice. View the full article here for more information about this reference.

Now, if you don’t give up on the Minute Repeater, which is also a perpetual calendar, I suggest you take a look at the FP Journe Repetition Souverain Minute Repeater. This is a beautiful watch with a classic look, but a bit outdated under the radar. This is a minute repeater. The main gift is a small cut on the dial, allowing you to watch the hammer’s movements when it strikes. I personally like the white guilloche dial with navy blue numbers, but I can have no power reserve indicator. For more details, check out the full article on this model here.

This watch reminds me of “old money”-it is such a luxurious and elegant timepiece, it far exceeds 99% of the mechanical watches on the market, even the other luxury watches of Patek Philippe. This is not a watch suitable for casual collectors or even advanced collectors. This watch is suitable for people who collect both classic pre-war French cars and original paintings by Gustav Klimt. This is the definition of a heavyweight player.

There are watches, then luxury watches, and then this 5074P minute repeater perpetual calendar. This watch shows us the different levels of the watch game, and despite the hype around watches such as Daytona or Nautilus, they don’t even look like this. This is the highest level of academic display in the watch industry.