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Patek press release for Ref. 5125
Introduced earlier this year and now just beginning to be shipped, here is the full press release from Patek for the Wempe Anniversay model.
Wempe celebrates its 125th anniversary
A limited-edition Patek Philippe Annual Calendar commemorates close ties
Family-owned businesses that uphold a proud tradition are very rare today. This applies in particular to companies that are leaders in their field and have also become successful abroad. Nonetheless, there are impressive examples of such enterprises, among them Patek Philippe, the Geneva-based watchmaker, and Wempe, the eminent retailer of fine watches and jewelry headquartered in Hamburg. These two companies forged ties of friendship more than 75 years ago and have been working together closely ever since. Wempe?s 125th anniversary is an excellent opportunity to celebrate this enduring relationship with a specially designed wristwatch.
The two houses teamed up to design and manufacture the anniversary watch. The objective was to create an unusual synthesis of innovation and tradition. The unique result is the Ref. 5125 Annual Calendar in a Calatrava case. The design of the dial with dauphine hands, sweep seconds, and the discreet Wempe signature emphasizes the classic circular shape of the case. The wristwatch also has digital displays for the date, day of week, and month, as well as a moon phase complication and a concentric 24-hour display. The watch comes with two interchangeable casebacks: The sapphire crystal back reveals the lavishly decorated movement while the gold or platinum back is engraved with a commemorative inscription. The series is a limited edition of 475 watches, of which 125 in yellow gold, 125 in white gold, 125 in pink gold, and 100 in platinum.
The Annual Calendar is a timepiece that automatically accounts for the different durations of the months. The date only needs to be adjusted once a year ? at the end of February ? with a button in the case. The separate 24-hour scale makes it easy to set the watch, assuring that the three date indications move forward at midnight rather than at noon.
The moon, which advances in 24-hour increments, follows the true lunar orbit with extreme accuracy. It takes more than 122 years for the compound error to add up to one day.
The self-winding 315 S QA movement with its bidirectionally winding central rotor consists of 363 individual parts, among them 35 jewels. It has a diameter of 26 millimeters and a height of 5.22 millimeters. The patented Gyromax balance balance beats at 21,600 vibrations an hour. While the watch is being worn, the central winding rotor of the 315 S QA caliber constantly keeps the power reserve at 48 hours. The movement is hallmarked with the Geneva Seal as a symbol of superb quality and Genevan craftsmanship.
Before the Wempe anniversary watch is placed in its presentation case, it undergoes more than 1300 different manufacturing steps and is exhaustively tested for 600 hours. Patek Philippe and Wempe have clearly succeeded in creating a watch that has the potential of becoming a coveted collector?s item.
Technical data Patek Philippe Ref. 5125,
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Movement: Caliber 315 S QA LU 24 H, self-winding
Overall diameter: 26 mm
Height: 5.22 mm
Number of parts: 363
Number of jewels: 35
Power reserve: 48 hours
Rotor: Bidirectionally winding central rotor
Balance: Gyromax
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour
Balance spring: Flat
Hallmark: Geneva Seal
Displays: Digital date, day of week, month; moon phases, concentric 24-hour indication, power reserve; hours, minutes, and sweep seconds
Case: 18K yellow, rose, or white gold, and platinum
Two interchangeable casebacks: one sapphire crystal, one gold/platinum with engraving
Dimensions: Diameter 31.4 mm Height 5.70 mm
Water resistance: To 25 meters
Strap: Crocodile Foldover clasp in 18K yellow, rose, or white gold, with Calatrava cross
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Company profile
Patek Philippe ? Genevan watchmaking ingenuity since 1839
In 1839, Polish emigrant Antoine Norbert de Patek and his compatriot Fran?ois Czapek established Patek, Czapek & Co. in Geneva. When Jean Adrien Philippe ? a talented watchmaker and inventor of the keyless works ? joined the company six years later, it was renamed Patek Philippe & Co. Brothers Charles and Jean Stern acquired the business in 1933. Today, Philippe Stern manages the company, representing the family?s third generation.
As an independent enterprise, Patek Philippe enjoys unrestricted creative freedom, a circumstance which has always inspired the company to design, develop, and manufacture timepieces recognized by a vast community of connoisseurs as the benchmark in watchmaking. Its precious and classically elegant timekeeping instruments are crafted with state-of-the-art technologies in small editions of one to a few hundred exemplars.
Patek Philippe?s Geneva workshops have created many of the world?s most complicated pocket watches and wristwatches. With more than 60 patents to its credit, the company has a strong reputation as a crucible of significant horological inventions and superb craftsmanship.
For many years, Patek Philippe watches have been have been heading up the auctions market with a compelling lead: Among the 20 timepieces that fetched the highest bids ever submitted, 14 bear the signature of the Geneva workshops ? including those that hold the top three ranks.
