5960 End of an Era — Patek Philippe Ref. 5960-1A

  Patek PhilippeAlways known as the blue blood of watchmaking, its main products have traditionally been rare metals such as rose gold and platinum. Regarding the 5960 collection, from the rose gold version launched in 2012 to the platinum version launched in 2013, Patek Philippe has consistently maintained its noble and luxurious watchmaking style. However, the stainless steel Ref.5960-1A released in 2014, which is set to replace the rose gold and platinum versions, is testament to the pivotal status of this steel watch within the collection.

       Since its founding, Patek Philippe has produced only a handful of stainless steel watches in series. First was the Nautilus collection released in 1976, followed by the Aquanaut 20 years later, and now the new Ref. 5960-1A—all of which are highly sought after by collectors. “ The world's most expensive stainless steel watch, ”, has become synonymous with them, and Ref.5960-1A is likely to spark a new trend for stainless steel watches.

        Looking at the watch's appearance, the silvery-white dial and the cool, elegant stainless steel case convey a sense of fortitude, understated and completely unpretentious. The smooth, rounded lines of the case highlight Patek Philippe's long-standing devotion to elegance and superb craftsmanship. The Calatrava cross on the crown constantly hints at its royal status. Its matching five-row droplet-link bracelet, “ Groutte ”, is used on a stainless steel watch for the first time since 1997 Ref.5037/1. The design of the “ Grountte ” not only offers significantly improved comfort compared to ordinary steel bracelets, but also complements and enhances the cool case of the 5960-1A, while the black-oxidised gold applied hour markers provide a bright, three-dimensional feel.

       The watch is powered by its self-developed CH 25-520 IRM QA 24H automatic winding movement, paired with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism with flyback function, power reserve indicator, annual calendar, and day/night display. The movement beats at a frequency of 4 Hz ( 28000 semi-oscillations per hour), with winding power provided by a 21K gold unidirectional rotor behind the dial. Unlike ordinary column-wheel designs, the clamp does not control the operation of the clutch wheel mounted on the pivoting lever in the chronograph gear train, but acts on the clutch lever to start or stop the drive from the fourth wheel to the chronograph hand. Therefore, the chronograph seconds hand can also be used as a continuous running seconds hand without affecting the timekeeping accuracy of the watch, effectively eliminating the jumping that occurs when starting and stopping the chronograph function.

 

        Another major feature of this movement is its Spiromax ® balance spring made of Silinvar ®. The Spiromax ® offers balanced isochronism, low mass, and anti-magnetic properties. According to the requirements of the Patek Philippe Seal, the daily rate deviation of a movement of this quality should be kept between -3 and +2 seconds, and this balance spring design provides the perfect solution for Patek Philippe's pursuit of excellence.

       The annual calendar mechanism equipped in the movement is Patek Philippe's patented annual calendar system. This system automatically distinguishes the current month and its corresponding number of days, whether 30 or 31. It only requires manual correction once a year on 3 February 1 to complete the month and date adjustments for the entire year.

 

        Unlike chronographs in other Patek Philippe collections, the Ref. 5960 series features a single, independent chronograph sub-dial, with its scale occupying most of the space on the lower half of the main dial. Utilizing three concentric scale rings, elapsed time can be measured precisely up to 12 hours. A subtle day/night indicator is located below the chronograph sub-dial; through an aperture that transitions between white and deep blue, users can easily make judgements when adjusting the time.

        The upper half of the dial displays the annual calendar, with three apertures arranged in an arc between 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock, showing the day, date, and month respectively. Below the date display window is a miniature power reserve indicator, informing the user of the mainspring's winding state.

       Ref.5960-1A The seemingly understated dial is actually equipped with black-oxidised gold baton hands and applied hour markers. Both the hands and hour markers feature a luminescent coating. The central chronograph seconds hand and the elapsed seconds hand on the sub-dial are both finished in a striking red, fully reflecting the lively and youthful character of this watch. Similarly, on the first day of every month, a red “ 1 ” numeral appears in the date window, notifying the user of the start of a new month.

 

        When launching this watch, Patek Philippe President Mr Thierry Stern stated that this innovative step by Patek Philippe was intended to attract more attention from a younger clientele to the brand. This statement drew criticism from some older-generation Patek Philippe collectors, who felt the colours were too jarring, disrupted tradition, and were overly trendy.

        However, online reviews of the watch have also been mixed. Supporters say the watch is more sporty, has a balanced design, and offers users another choice. Opponents, on the other hand, emphasise that the watch looks no different from “ Tag ” sports watches, “ Citizen ”, or Longines designs, or that the bracelet design concept does not measure up to the IWC Pilot, among other criticisms.

       Regardless of reviews, opinions on this watch are varied. There is no doubt, however, that this timepiece fully demonstrates Patek Philippe's determination to break into the younger customer market. Now, the Ref 5960-1A is in short supply, making it hard to come by even at the Patek Philippe Salon in the centre of Geneva. Many watch collectors abroad have also published reviews of this timepiece. Will the new “ steel king ” be born from this? We will leave this question for time to answer!