132 Patek Philippe An exceptionally sophisticated, remarkably rare and historically important, perpetual calendar minute repeating, retrograde date, tourbillon regulator and moonphases, wristwatch in platinum, with black dial, additional caseback, certificate of origin and presentation box, reference 5016P.

Estimate: € 500.000 –⁠ 1.000.000

There are watches that symbolize eras, and then there are those that define them. Introduced in 1993, the Patek Philippe reference 5016 stood at the pinnacle of watchmaking: a quiet, unassuming tour de force that, at the time of its launch, claimed the title of the most complicated wristwatch ever made by the Geneva manufacture. An ode to restrained excellence, the 5016 unites an astonishing array of complications: minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, moon phases, and leap year indication, all distilled within the elegant confines of a 37mm case. Crafted in all four noble metals, yellow, pink, and white gold, as well as platinum, and offered with either silvered or black dials, the 5016 bears one of its most charming traits just below the moon phase aperture: the printed movement number, a romantic nod to the Observatory Chronometer pocket watches of yesteryear. It is believed that fewer than 200 examples were produced over an 18-year span, making it one of the most elusive and quietly sought-after Patek Philippe grand complications of the modern era. Among its most poetic features is the retrograde date, whose flyback hand arcs elegantly across a fan-shaped scale. Visually, the stepped case and arched lugs, inspired by the legendary reference 2499, lend the 5016 a refined, stately air. Turning the watch over reveals the soul of the piece: the manual-winding calibre RTO 27 PS QR, composed of 506 components, each hand-finished to an obsessive degree. Visible through the sapphire caseback is the minute repeater’s centrifugal regulator, spinning into life with every chime. Just beneath it, the tourbillon cage, styled like a vintage watchmaker’s wheel, rotates in 60-second intervals—an homage to Patek’s old-world mastery that continues to resonate today. Production research suggests that 100 examples have been made in platinum with only 39 having surfaced the market. In the pantheon of modern horology, few creations have the emotional and technical gravitas of the 5016. And fewer still have aged with such quiet, enduring dignity like this platinum version with black dial and full set.