Produced between 1993 and 2011, Patek Philippe’s ref. 5016 was at the time of its launch the most complicated wristwatch envisioned by the manufacturer. An astounding feat of elegant engineering, it combines a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar with a tourbillon regulator. On top of this, it adds a moon phase and a retrograde date. It wasn’t until 2001 and the launch of the Sky Moon Tourbillon, ref. 5002, that Patek Philippe presented a more complicated wrist piece.

Offered in yellow, white and pink gold, along with platinum, this reference is fitted with silvered or black dials, each bearing movement number printed below the moon phase – paying homage to the observatory chronometer pocket watches of the past. It is believed that approximately 200 examples were manufactured until production ended in 2011. 

The retrograde perpetual calendar function not only has remarkable aesthetic impact thanks to its fan-shaped scale, but it is furthermore very rarely seen in Patek models. Other few examples of this complication can be found on references such as the 5050, the 5059, the 5159 and the 5160. The retrograde date has a fly-back hand, and depending on the month and leap year cycle, the hand habitually bounces back to the first of the month after the 28th, 29th, 30th, or 31st. The fast flyback of the date hand is accomplished with a spiral spring and an ingenious rebound limiter mechanism developed and perfected by Patek Philippe.

Merging echoes of the company’s vintage production with the new vision they developed in the early 1990 focused on the renaissance of complications, the ref. 5016 is in equal parts stately and refined thanks to its superbly balanced architecture, an extraordinary example of Patek Philippe’s savoir faire. Housed in a relatively compact 37mm diameter case, the expansive layout and arched lugs - inspired by vintage reference 2499 - allow for significant presence on the wrist without any hint of ostentatiousness, but also without margin of error in terms of what is admired when the beholder is a connoisseur.

Through its sapphire caseback, the wearer is invited to admire the magnificent manual winding cal. RTO 27 PS QR. Each of the 506 components superbly finished and harmoniously disposed. Defining features of this movements are the exposed regulator for the repeater, which spins to action with every activation, and the tourbillon gear peculiarly shaped as a watchmaker tool’s wheel - an extremely refined nod to the old-school watchmaking tradition of the brand.