Patek Philippe Opens Milan Grand Exhibition With Seven New References

The Geneva watchmaker is presenting the new pieces at its Grand Exhibition in Milan, with the Italian market receiving seven dedicated references.

The headline launch is the Calatrava Chronograph Instantaneous Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5978P. It marks the first time Patek Philippe has paired its manually wound chronograph movement with an instantaneous perpetual calendar, housed in a new 500-component caliber designated CH 29-535 PS QI.

The instantaneous perpetual calendar has appeared before in the Grand Complication Ref. 5207 of 2008, the triple complication Ref. 5208 in 2011 and the quadruple complication Ref. 5308 in 2023. In the new caliber it advances every calendar display at once at midnight, completing the change in 30 milliseconds.

Its chronograph side derives from the CH 29-535 caliber introduced in 2009. Regulated by a Gyromax balance with a Breguet overcoil balance spring, the movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback and runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of 55 to 65 hours when the chronograph is disconnected.

The watch is limited to 120 pieces and comes in a hand-polished 42 mm platinum Calatrava case. The dial is sunburst navy blue with a black-gradient rim, white-gold faceted applied baton-style hour markers and luminous dauphine-style hands. The central chronograph hand is varnished red, while the instantaneous 30-minute counter uses a white-gold hand.

Patek Philippe did not detail the remaining six references beyond confirming they were made for the Italian market.