WORLD FIRST! Patek Philippe 5236P in-line Perpetual Calendar 'Salmon Dial'
Patek Philippe In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P-010
This is a cracking and low-key release which launched at Watches and Wonders in 2024.
It follows the “original” 5236P which premiered in 2021 and featured a blue vertically grained dial.
First things first though, what is it and why is it a bit on the special side.
As per usual with Patek, the razzmatazz is not so much the exterior, but the movement.
Although perpetual calendars have been a forte of the brand for donkeys years, the “In-Line” calibre (31-260 REG QA) has been created so that it displays the day, date, and month a single row above the handset.
Although the complication has appeared before in Pateks pocket watches, it had never made it to a wristwatch before now.
This feat of fettling, while deceptively simple, required 118 extra parts along with 3 new patents. The in line mechanism consists of 4 disks (day, date in two parts, and month) which are completely flush, and rotate to create the display through the cut-out windows above the hands. The only real way to get an idea of what’s lurking underneath the exterior is to look for the “hourglass” shape between the two digits of the date, which will give you a clue that disks are running the show beneath the dial.
Speaking of dials, the blue variant offers a beautifully crisp and clean aesthetic which looks modern and minimalist thanks to its blue and muted silver colour scheme.
This 2024 release is equally clarified, but has real vintage feel due to its gorgeous salmon dial, a colour which has lifted many a watch since its introduction in the art deco period of the 1930s.
Patek originally offered it as a “by customer request” option and referred to the hue as “Golden Opaline”.
Time moves on, and the “salmon” nickname has stuck with collectors.
It is, in my opinion, a virtually perfect dial option as it works well with any skin tone whether you’re tanned or the same colour as the seagulls in the far north of Scotland.
Although it originated to compliment rose gold watches, if you pair it with a cooler platinum tone, as Patek have, and you create a beautiful contrast.
The Salmon In-Line looks a little “old world” by virtue of its dial alone, but has decidedly modern proportions of 41.3mm across, 48.5mm long and 11.3mm thick.
Size-wise, it’s spot on imo.
Beyond the colour, the dial is a fantastic exercise in purity.
It’s symmetrical and completely uncluttered with NO mismatched typography which is a real chefs kiss moment for me as its a pet peeve on other models.
Dial layout is as follows -
- Day, date and month windows at the top (In-Line, of course)
- Star speckled moon phase at 6 surrounded by the small running seconds.
- Day/night indicator to the left of the moon phase and leap year indicator to the right.
There’s no lume on display anywhere but instead you get beautiful black hands and applied numerals to match the dial print.
As you may have gathered, I absolutely love this dial due to its minimalist nature, and its quite pleasing to note that the platinum case follows suit.
It’s fully polished, with a stepped bezel, straight lugs and nothing “extra” or fussy beyond the sapphire caseback which allows a birds eye view into the movement which also displays a platinum micro-rotor - be still my beating heart.
As this is a perpetual calendar with all the trimmings, day/month/calendar etc are set by pushers that are set into the side 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 seconds.
The only sneaky little finishing touch to the case is, as ever, Patek’s signature “Top Wessleton” diamond sitting between the lugs at 6, indicating a platinum case.
Patek set this exceptionally clear diamond into their platinum pieces as a little treat and reminder of what you’re wearing. It doesn’t show to the outside world in normal wear but you catch a glint whenever you roll your wrist towards you to view the watch.
I’m taking the diamond as an apology for making the lug width 21mm which is a pretty awkward size when it comes to strap buying.
That said, the factory chosen alligator strap with Calatrava cross platinum fold clasp is a decent pairing, although it’s a little stiff so I suspect you’ll have a couple of weeks worth of “break-in” time. As with most Patek hides, it’s likely to soften up and mould to the wrist very comfortably, so no worries there.
Personally, I find alligator (particularly shiny, which this is) a little bit on the stuffy formal side so if this is a one watch option, a dark suede or nubuck strap would loosten its collar perfectly and transform the In-Line into a perfect all-rounder.
The dial is crying out for a matte strap in my opinion, and the pairing of shiny alligator is my sole criticism of the 5236P.
It is one hell of a watch, to the point that it recently stirred the interest of Facebook fella Mark Zuckerberg who previewed his on Instagram recently without much fanfare but it was noticed nonetheless.
I can fully understand why the In Line above all others that he could have chosen for his first foray into haute horology is currently sitting on his wrist. It’s an end game piece for many, but Zuck had to start somewhere!