Patek Philippe – A Master in Time

A Master in Time

Recently, we were lucky enough to have one of my all time favorite watches hit the showroom floor; the 5170J Chronograph by Patek Philippe.  This watch was originally debuted at Baselworld 2010, and quickly stole many aficionados’ eyes.

The 5170J is showcased in an elegant 39mm 18k yellow gold case, with a timeless ivory dial.  The dial has two sub-dials, a continuous seconds dial on the left, and a 30-minute totalizer on the right-hand side. The chronograph pushers are located at 2’ and 4’ and feature the signature Patek Philippe rectangular buttons.

Paying homage to the traditional doctors’ watches, there is a logarithmic pulsimeter scale on the outermost perimeter that is calibrated to 15 heartbeats.  When you flip the watch over, the gorgeous in-house caliber is shown off by a sapphire exhibition case back.  You can see ALL of the unique and gorgeous hand finishes that have made Patek Philippe a household name.

On the inside of this work of art is a state-of-the-art in-house manual wind caliber: CH 29-535 PS which creates an impressive 28,800 vibrations per hour, and maintains a power reserve of 65+ hours.

Although this watch appears to be a simplistic chronograph, Patek Philippe has stepped up their movement in this piece with 6 unique, patented innovations.

• Optimized tooth profile suppression: provides a vibration free chrono hand movement for improved efficiency of mechanical wear.
• Precision adjustment of wheel mesh at the column wheel the large column wheel cap allows for the precise adjustment of mesh depth of the chronograph wheels at the outer end of the clutch lever.
• Optimized synchronization of the clutch and brake levers; The clutch lever and the brake lever are directly synchronized with a finger at the clutch lever.
• Slotted minute-counter cam: With a slot in the minute-counter cam, the chronograph counter can gently come to a stand-still when reset.
• Self-setting hammers: Self-setting return to zero hammers improve functional reliability and dependability.
• Hammers pivoted between jewel bearings: This system optimizes the precise alignment of the hammers and the kinetics of the mechanism.

As always, please feel free to comment with any questions, or email me directly (jnigut@hpjewels.com)