SINGAPORE – Patek Philippe has released a limited-edition timepiece, the Minute Repeater Alarm Reference 1938P-001, to celebrate the 85th birthday of Mr Philippe Stern, the honorary president of the company.
Limited to just 30 pieces, the exclusive watch – which combines a minute repeater with a unique alarm function – is fitted with a brand new movement for which four new patents have been filed. The self-winding R AL 27 PS calibre, however, will remain unique to this model and never be used again.
The special timepiece reinforces Patek Philippe’s already formidable reputation as a master in crafting exquisite chiming watches.
Since its founding in 1839, the Swiss watchmaker has consistently pushed the horological envelope, with marvels ranging from automatic striking watches such as the grande sonnerie and petite sonnerie, to striking on-demand repeaters.
One of the most significant years for Patek Philippe was 1989, when the company celebrated its 150th anniversary.
Among other things, Mr Philippe Stern, then managing director, initiated the revival of the wrist-worn minute repeater by unveiling the self-winding calibre R 27, the first movement entirely designed and produced in Patek Philippe’s workshops.
Since then, minute repeaters have held a unique place in the Patek Philippe collection and are often combined with other complications like the tourbillon, grande sonnerie and perpetual calendar.
Since the minute repeater is Mr Stern’s favourite complication, his son Thierry – who took over as the company’s president in 2009 – decided to honour him with a tribute watch featuring the complication but combined with an alarm that chimes the programmed time.
The pairing is not an easy feat to pull off because the watchmakers assigned to the project had to make sure the minute repeater and alarm shared the same two classic gongs while retaining the signature slide piece on the left side of the case.
Activating the slide in a conventional minute repeater instantly triggers the striking mechanism, but to integrate the alarm, the engineers need to give it the ability to delay the strike until the displayed time matches the programmed alarm time.
Overcoming the technical challenges required an additional 227 parts, including a lever and column wheel for selection of the chiming mode and a fusee device with a strike-work detent mechanism.
Despite the technical complexities, there is the usual Patek Philippe emphasis on user-friendliness and ease of operation. The crown-integrated pusher is used to select the chiming mode, displayed in the small bell-shaped opening at three o’clock. A rose-gold alarm hand pointing to the rose-gilt scale around the dial is used to set the 12-hour programmable alarm.
The mechanical artistry of the R AL 27 PS self-winding movement, complete with gilded chamfered edges and a 22K yellow-gold mini-rotor adorned with a black-lacquered hand engraving reproducing Mr Philippe Stern’s signature, can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Not only does the timepiece boast mechanical heft, it is quite a looker too. Fashioned from platinum to ensure the finest acoustic quality, the polished 41mm Officer’s-style case and straight lugs pay homage to the Reference 3960 – also a limited edition – from 1989. An officer’s watch is a style similar to the trench watches of World War I but with more sophisticated features.
As the chiming ticker is also Mr Thierry Stern’s tribute to his father and his standing in the horological industry, its sapphire crystal caseback with a protective hinged dust cover is engraved with the message: “A mon pere, 85 ans de passion horlogere” (To my father, 85 years of watchmaking passion).
The dial, meanwhile, is stunning, featuring a black enamel background and a miniature painting of Mr Philippe Stern in Grand Feu white and grey. Adding a touch of class are the applied Breguet-style numerals and hour and minute hands in white gold. Like all platinum Patek Philippe timepieces, a brilliant-cut diamond is set between the lugs at six o’clock.
The Reference 1938P-001 is fitted with a shiny black alligator leather strap with a platinum fold-over clasp.
Price: Upon request
