QUALITY TIME
Patek Philippe’s quiet fire
Beneath the Golden Ellipse Haut Artisanat's elegant dial lies a hidden world of exceptional craft, skill and unrivalled mastery
Grand accomplishments in watchmaking are often hidden beneath a simple, if beautiful, dial design. But flip the timepiece over or open it up, and the high art of the mechanical heart is revealed.
Take for example the new Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5236P-001 with its day, date, and month displayed on a single line. On the surface, an unassuming, elegant design with a satin-finished blue dial. Yet within its 41.3mm platinum case is a wonder at work: the new self-winding mechanical Caliber 31-260 PS QL with a new patented calendar display consisting of four rotating disks, all embedded in the same plane.
This module required an extra 118 parts compared with a conventional perpetual calendar display to accommodate the leap year and day/night indication apertures, small seconds, and moon phases.
Among these, the grand feu champlevé enamelling technique requires a steady hand and utmost skill, and involves hours of delicate carving and repeated firing to achieve the dial decoration.
The 34.5mm x 39.5mm Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Haut Artisanat features this rare handicraft on the dial of a new 18k white gold piece. The dial plate is first hollowed out to form the cavities for the grand feu black enamel. The gold areas left in relief are then hand-engraved with arabesque and volutes décor. Beneath the dial beats the ultra-thin, self-winding Caliber 240, which has a 48-hour power reserve.
The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Haut Artisanat is presented on a hand-stitched, shiny black alligator leather strap with square scales.
POR, Patek Philippe boutique 011 784 2595.