PATEK PHILIPPE. A RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT PLATINUM MINUTE REPEATING PERPETUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH WITH TOURBILLON, RETROGRADE DATE, MOON PHASES, LEAP YEAR INDICATION AND BREGUET NUMERALS

Consigned by its original owner, an important private collector, the present timepiece is offered in very good overall condition. It is necessary to draw attention to the aesthetic impact of the platinum case and silvered dial with Breguet numerals.This highly attractive combination is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and desirable of all references 5016, a true Patek Philippe world-class trophy. It is believed to be one of 25 examples of the model in platinum to have appeared in public to date.

Reference 5016
Reference 5016 is one of the most intricate creations ever made by Patek Philippe. It incorporates all the complications sought after by discerning watch aficionados: a minute repeater with sublime resonance, a retrograde perpetual calendar with moon phases, and a tourbillon. Patek Philippe's technical refinement is legendary and the present watch exemplifies their commitment to engineering detail. Patek Philippe watches never exhibit the tourbillon carriage through a dial aperture, fearing the lubrication oils will degrade with exposure to light. To the casual observer the only distinction is the word Tourbillon on the dial, suggesting the presence of one of the most complex mechanisms in the world of horology.

Launched in 1994, reference 5016 remained Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch ever made until the arrival of "Sky Moon Tourbillon", reference 5002, in 2001. Together with references 5016, 5050, 5059 (and later 5159), it is also the manufacturer's only wristwatch with this particular dial layout, featuring a retrograde date with triple calendar windows and moon phases combined with the subsidiary seconds.

Reference 5016 is regarded as one of the "old school" or, for purists, "real" Patek Philippe production, and it is one of the very last examples of this iconic group which includes masterpieces such as references 2497 and 2499. Indeed, the case design of reference 5016 is a direct descendant of the latter, characterized by the unmistakable sculpted lugs.

In production until 2010 when it was replaced by reference 5216, reference 5016 was available in the three gold colours and in platinum, with silvered or black dials, the numerals matching the case colour. A combined total of only around 200 examples was made.