The Patek Tourbillon
Friday, April 25th, 2008What is left for a manufacture to do after it has broken almost all records in the domain of horological complications? Patek Philippe built the most complicated portable mechanical watch ever made (The Calibre 89), devised the world’s most ingenious ensemble of complications (the Star Caliber 2000), and crafted the most fascinating Grande Complication wristwatch with astronomical indications (the Sky Moon Tourbillon). The answer is simple: It reasserts its leadership by combining challenging complications in a way that has never been attempted before. The result is the Ref. 5101P wrist chronometer with a power reserve of 10 days and a tourbillon.
A closer look reveals a few cues that point to the remarkable personality of this watch: The dial has a 10-day power-reserve scale, displays the discreet inscription “Tourbillon”, and bears the individual serial number of the movement. Once again, Patek Philippe transcended boundaries with the Ref. 5101P “10 DAY TOURBILLON” by fitting two mainspring barrels plus a tourbillon in the compact space of a rectangular form movement.
