Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5970G-001

Patek Philippe Reference 5970G-001 | A unique white gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, leap year and 24 hour indication, Circa 2008

Dial: black Caliber: cal. CH 27-70 mechanical, 24 jewels Movement number: 3'048'989 Case: 18k white gold, screw down sapphire crystal display back Case number: 4'438'610 Closure: 18k white gold Patek Philippe folding clasp Size: 40 mm diameter Signed: case and movement signed by maker, dial signed by maker and retailer Box: yes Papers: yes Accessories: Patek Philippe presentation box with outer packaging, Certificate of Origin dated 30 January 2008, facsimile of correspondence confirming modifications made by Patek Philippe in their workshop and recorded in their archives dated November 4th, 2014, leather bi-fold, and bookletsIntroduced in 2004, the Patek Philippe Reference 5970 represents one of the most celebrated modern interpretations of the perpetual calendar chronograph, a complication that lies at the very heart of the manufacture’s identity. Produced for less than a decade, the reference marked the final iteration of Patek Philippe’s lineage of manually wound perpetual calendar chronographs powered by the Lemania based calibre CH 27-70 Q, a movement revered for its traditional architecture and hand-finished beauty. Cased in yellow, white pink gold and platinum, and measuring 40mm in diameter, the 5970 perfectly bridges classical proportion and modern presence. Its design is both assertive and balanced — the flared lugs and sculpted caseband giving the watch an unmistakable character, while the dial, with its refined layout of subdials and tachymeter scale, exudes timeless restraint. The stepped case, sharp hands, and baton hour markers combine to create a composition of remarkable harmony, one that embodies both tradition and contemporary taste. The Ref. 5970 succeeded the smaller Ref. 3970, enlarging the case and refining the dial for greater legibility and modern appeal. Yet beneath its updated aesthetics lies the same mechanical lineage that stretches back through Patek Philippe’s golden age of chronograph production, from the Ref. 1518 of the 1940s to the Ref. 2499 and Ref. 3970 that followed. The calibre CH 27-70 Q, based on a Nouvelle Lémania ébauche extensively reworked by Patek Philippe, represents the last of the hand finished chronograph movements before the introduction of the fully in-house calibre CH 29-535 PS Q in the Ref. 5270. Admired by collectors for its ideal proportions and superb wrist presence, the 5970 has achieved near-mythic status within the brand’s modern canon. Its brief production run, believed to have lasted only around eight years before being discontinued in favour of its successor, ensures its rarity, while the purity of its execution has cemented it as a definitive modern classic. Today, the Patek Philippe Ref. 5970 stands not merely as a watch but as a bridge between two eras: the culmination of traditional hand-finished chronograph watchmaking, and the dawn of the modern, integrated manufacture. Its enduring appeal lies in its perfect balance — of size, of style, of heritage — making it one of the most collectible and beautifully executed watches of Patek Philippe’s contemporary history. The present example is unique in its presentation. Originally purchased by its owner at the Patek Philippe Boutique in Paris in 2008, the watch was later returned to Patek Philippe in Switzerland through his longtime U.S. retailer, Tiffany & Co., with a request to improve legibility. The original silver dial with blackened hands and markers had proved difficult to read, so the owner commissioned a striking reversal: a black dial, similar to that of the platinum reference 5970P, customized by Patek Philippe’s workshops to feature white-painted white gold hands and markers. This rare modification was officially recorded in both the Patek Philippe archives and those of the Henry Stern Agency in New York. Upon the watch’s return, it made a final stop at Tiffany & Co. in New York, where the retailer, with whom the client had enjoyed a relationship spanning over 30 years applied its signature logo to the dial. The result is one of the most exclusive, distinctive, and desirable examples of the reference 5970 ever created.