Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905/1A

Reference 5905 By Patek

Patek Philippe first introduced its reference 5905, a flyback chronograph with an annual calendar, in platinum in 2015. Ever since the watch belongs to the brand´s signature references and has gained popularity – luckily not only limited to Patek connoisseurs. The displays of the day of the week, date and month in three windows are arranged on an arc. At the six o’clock position, there is also a small second hand, into which a day-night indicator is inconspicuously integrated. Let’s have a look on the newest member of the family: Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905/1A.

Olive Green Dial – What Else?

It’s no secret that in the last two years, green has been the dominating colour for dials in the watch industry. So, I was not surprised when Patek released 2021 one of its novelties, the Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905/1A, with an olive green dial, similar to the one we know from the 5711 farewell edition. The “sunburst” olive green dial is accompanied by white gold applied hour markers and gave the timepiece a refined, casual look.

For the first time, reference 5905 comes with stainless steel case and an integrated metal bracelet. The new bracelet features polished links on the outside and satin-finished links inside. All prior versions (gold and platinum) came with a leather strap rather than a metal bracelet.

Caliber CH 28-520 QA 24H

Inside the Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905/1A sits the automatic movement CH 28-520 QA 24H and is responsible for the functions (chronograph and annual calendar). It is wholly made in-house by Patek Philippe’s most talented watchmakers. The sapphire crystal case back of the watch reveals the manufacturer’s caliber and allows its wearer to see how precisely the caliber works. And of course, as with every Patek caliber, this one also comes with the Patek Philippe Seal certification.

The patented annual calendar automatically considers whether a month has 30 or 31 days. It only needs to be corrected once a year (on March 1). Fun fact: the annual calendar function was invented by Patek Philippe (back in 1996 for reference 5035 in yellow gold) and has been found since then in many of their iconic pieces.

Unusual Patek Style

Collectors appreciate Patek for its genius in Grand Complication watchmaking and its variety of elegant dress watches. However, their flagship model in recent years has been the Nautilus model. Mr Stern discontinued the most iconic sports model because he wanted  people to pay attention again to the roots of Patek Philippe: elegant dress watches. So, I was surprised to see a classy look like reference 5905 released in a very sporty way with a steel case and bracelet. Steel is a scarce metal in the Patek collections.

But is this the reason collectors love the 42mm masterpiece so much? Reference 5905/1A is a modern watch that combines two of Patek’s finest complications (chronograph + annual calendar function) … and is now paired with a  sporty rather than elegant bracelet.

Whatever Mr Stern´s was thinking when designing reference 5905/1A worked out. Collectors highly desire the watch. Chapeau Thierry!

Availability & Price

The official retail price of the Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905/1A is CHF 52,000. But as for most sporty models from Patek Philippe, demand exceeds supply, which is why the market price of this beauty is around CHF 80,000. The waiting time for this stunning masterpiece is currently around 2 years.

Steel makes the 5905A a great daily beater. It embodies the brand’s dedication to designing elevated everyday watches. Also, the watch is a great allrounder as it combines two worlds – a very classic one and the sporty one. It is a timepiece made for gentlemen who look to combine both categories.