Patek Philippe Annual Calendar

In 1991, the soon-to-be graduates at the Geneva School of Engineering were presented with their final project prior to receiving their diploma: to simplify the perpetual calendar. Although the task was easier said than done, their work led to the inception of the annual calendar complication, patented by Patek in collaboration with the bright engineering minds at the GSE. Five years later, Patek debuted the Reference 5035, the world’s first-ever annual calendar movement that finally bridged the gap between a triple date function and the formidable quantième perpétuel. (An annual calendar requires adjusting once per year at the end of February, while the perpetual calendar requires no adjustment for many years.) A milestone model, the 5035 won "Swiss Watch of the Year" from the publication Montre Passion in 1996.  This particular Reference 5035 is all the more special for being a “P” execution, indicating a platinum case. Measuring 37mm with a beautifully stepped bezel, a signed crown, and a sapphire crystal, it features a striking silver dial with a printed black chemin de fer minute track, applied ‘Roman’ indices, radial day and month indicators, a 24-hour indicator, and a date window above 6 o’clock. Finished with a luminous ‘feuille’ handset, it’s powered by the brilliant Patek Philippe Calibre 315, an automatic movement with a gold winding rotor that requires adjustment once per year in February. Paired to a signed, black leather strap with a signed, platinum pin buckle and accompanied by its factory goodies, this scarce platinum annual calendar represents the marriage of technical innovation with forward-looking design that nevertheless draws on nearly 200 years of aesthetic evolution. Significant and beautiful, it’s the perfect addition to a collection that respects Patek Philippe’s important place at the pinnacle of haute horlogerie.