PATEK PHILIPPE PERPETUAL CALENDAR 5040G

The perpetual calendar, although a great classic among complications, must be the most magical.

Imagine, never intervening on your watch and always having all the right calendar indications. For this, the movement has to have a “memory” of 1461 days, each month the changeover from the 31st to the 1st and from the 30th to the 1st. And also from February 28th to March 1st, February 29th for leap years, it also indicates the 28 and a half day cycle of the lunar phase.

No intervention ? no, you or certainly your descendants will have to adjust on March 1st 2100. The fault is not with the mechanics, but with the Gregorian calendar, which decided that this year would not be a leap one.

This splendid complication was conceived at the end of the 18th century, for that we need a very complex movement. The one which is inside the Patek 5040G is the 240Q, it is an extra flat self-winding movement, with a 22k solid gold off-centre micro rotor. It has a diameter of 27,5 mm and a thickness of 3,88 mm, 27 jewels, 8 bridges, with a gyromax balance wheel and a spiromax balance spring. It is composed of 275 parts, has a power reserve of 40 hours and its heart beats at 21600 Alt/hours.

All of this fits in a magnificent 35×42 mm tonneau-shaped case in 18k white solid gold, the sapphire case back reveals the very beautiful mechanical movement. The black dial with applied Arabic numerals and « railtrack » minute circle is very readable despite the amount of information.

It is from 2006 and has an extract from the Patek Philippe archives, so enter into the legend and treat yourself to a must of watchmaking ingenuity !!