Patek Philippe 5205R Annual Calendar

Introduction

Patek Philippe has been practicing the art of watchmaking in Geneva since 1839. The Swiss luxury watch brand is known in particular for its great creative design but, first and foremost, for its great technical development. Connoisseurs call this watch brand the best in the world – just as the company’s founders Antoine Norbert de Patek and Jean Adrien Philippe had wished.

Patek Philippe 5205R

One of the most underrated dress watches – at least in my opinion – is the Patek Philippe 5205R Annual Calendar. In fact, this reference is an annual calendar piece, recognizable by its three window displays for the day of the week, date and month arranged on an arc. Exactly 25 years ago, in 1996, Patek Philippe invented and patented the Annual Calendar complication with ref. 5035. Not only it is more functional than a standard calendar, but also more accessible than a perpetual calendar, making the watch a great “small complication” piece for collectors starting their watch journey. We were lucky to have our hands on the rose gold version (ref. 5205R-010).

The 18k rose gold case and black lacquered dial with applied gold indexes are immediately eye catching and perfectly match the rose gold hands as well as case color. In addition, the subdial at 6 o’clock houses a 24-hour indicator and the moon-phase display. The latter is wonderfully decorated with golden stars and a moon against a blue background.

As usual, the time is shown centrally via three hands. On balance, the hand stitched alligator leather strap perfectly accentuates the 18K rose gold case.

The dimensions of the watch are designed well to fit small and big wrists since the diameter is 40 mm and the height 11.36 mm. Personally, I have no doubt that Ref. 5205R is one of the most beautiful Patek Philippe dress watches currently available.

In-house quality

Inside the watch you will find a patented in-house automatic movement, called 324 S QA LU 24H, which provides a power reserve of around 35h. The latter is also important for the annual calendar watch since the wearer is able to take off the watch for a day without having to put it back into the watch winder (because once the watch stops working, you will have to reset the entire calendar).

Another highlight of the timepiece is the honoring of the watch with the Patek Philippe Seal. A watch which receives the Patek Philippe Seal is a watch manufactured completely in-house and that is of notably exceptional quality. As a matter of fact, this particular honor applies to the entire watch, including the movement, case, dial, hands, pushers, strap, and clasp as well as to all other facets that contribute to the precision and aesthetic perfection of the timepiece.

As mentioned before, the annual calendar displays the month, the day of the week, and the correct date taking into consideration months with 30 and 31 days, so it must be adjusted only once a year on March 1.

This luxury watch is part of Patek Philippe’s complicated collection, which upholds a tradition in complications that are useful in everyday situations such as the annual calendar. It is a great timepiece for its value and I recommend you go and have a look at this piece quickly – because you know popularity can change very quickly and collectors already started appreciating the Patek Philippe 5205R Annual Calendar as one of the most beautiful dress watches of the Geneva luxury brand. (You can read more about stunning Patek Philippe dress watches here or here.)