A watch for the 'grown ups!' Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5270/1R
Patek Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5270/1R-001
It has to be said that the Grand Complication 5270 range from Patek has become one of their signature “want” pieces in the collecting world.
It’s so searingly good that even though I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing both the salmon and green dial variants, this black with bracelet combination is most definitely the watch I want when I grow up, to the point that it was my chosen piece of wrist candy when I first launched the trailer for the Jardin Du Mayfair channel.
That was over two years ago now and my love hasn’t wavered.
A far cry from the Nautilus and Aquanaut, the 5720 made its sparkling debut in 2011 and remained on alligator straps until the line received this Midas-level upgrade in 2018 with the addition of a full rose gold bracelet.
The bracelet is a “droplet” style which is a Patek signature and uses 5 row links that drape around the wrist like liquid.
The clue is probably in the name.
It has been executed to perfection, pairs perfectly with the case, and given my opinion that the 5270 was already at the top of the tree for me, the bracelet just dials this watch up to eleven.
The case is 18 carat rose gold, 41mm diameter, 49.5mm long and just shy of 13mm tall, so a pleasing chunk without being overbearing and lands right inside most avergage wristed sweet spots.
21mm between the lugs which isnt great for strap swapping but honestly, don’t bother on this one as the bracelet cant be beaten.
This one feels like an old-world watch, which we know I’m a sucker for.
It has a black monochromatic dial with rose indices and crisp white text which conveys all of the information required from a perpetual calendar chrono without feeling cramped or like any element is a design afterthought.
There is no lume as this isn’t a sports piece, but the rose gold hands catch the light well so readability at a glance isn’t an issue.
As Patek have packed in a perpetual calendar and chronograph then its certainly got a lot to look at while noting the absolute symmetry.
- Day and month windows at the top
- Star speckled moon phase surrounded by the date and date hand at 6
- Day/night indicator to the left of the moon phase and leap year indicator to the right.
- Running seconds at 9 as this is a chronograph, and 30 minute counter at 3.
As this is a perpetual calendar with all the trimmings, day/month/calendar etc are set by pushers on the sides of the case as there’s too much going on here for a pull out crown to handle so that just deals with winding, hand setting and pulling out to stop the seconds.
Flip to the back and you can take a look at the 33 jewel calibre CH29-535 movement which when fully wound gives a power reserve of between 55 and 65 hours if you aren’t running the chronograph.
It’s a manual wind movement which is absolutely fine by me and IMO the only movement for a watch of this complexity.
Nobody needs a rotor obscuring the view, and, as I never tire of saying, there is no finer way to start the day than bonding with a watch as you wind it over morning coffee.
Unsurprisingly the 5270P has been a staple of the Grand Complications line-up for over a decade which speaks to the enduring nature of a well designed and executed watch.
It’s certainly “The One” for me.