Patek Philippe has finally done it again: the 5978P is the brand’s first perpetual calendar chronograph since 2011, and it’s the most significant new reference in the grand complications line in years. Patek has built this complication only seven times in its 187-year history. The 5978P borrows its mechanism from the brand’s grand complications line: an instantaneous perpetual calendar, the kind that jumps every indication at midnight in under 30 milliseconds, normally reserved for watches like the 5208 and 5308. This is the first time Patek has paired that mechanism with its hand-wound CH 29-535 chronograph caliber. The 42mm platinum case borrows its concave bezel and incurved lugs from the Calatrava-style cases of the 5208 and 5205, a departure from the ornate cases Patek typically uses for this complication. The navy sunburst dial carries calendar windows in Italian, a nod to the watch’s Milan launch, and the moonphase sits right-side up, correcting a complaint collectors had with the 5308. It ships on a composite strap with red stitching, in a limited run of 120 pieces made for the Milan Grand Exhibition. Price: $337,585.
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Patek Philippe 5978P Chronograph
Patek Philippe's first perpetual calendar chronograph since 2011: the 5978P pairs an instantaneous calendar with the CH 29-535 movement, 42mm platinum, $337,585.
