The Patek Philippe reference 5070 was the first modern-era chronograph-only wristwatch released by the manufacture since the discontinuation of reference 1463 in the 1960s. Introduced in 1998 at Baselworld, it was something of a shock to collectors that Patek would choose to reintroduce a chronograph model in such bold fashion – particularly the 42mm case dimension and the dramatically thick, stepped bezel. A worthy and highly anticipated successor to the classic reference 1463 chronograph, the 5070 also features a water-resistant case with a screw-down case back.

Though the case architecture assures a commanding presence, the warmth of the gold case renders this pink gold model somewhat of a hybrid between a full-fledged dress watch - as suggested by the case material and elegantly balanced dial - and a sports chronograph - thanks to the large diameter, boldly stepped bezel and the presence of a tachymeter scale.

The oversized Arabic numerals - reminiscent of aviators’ watches and one of the design elements carried over from the historical reference 2512, on which the 5070 is based - are rendered in rose gold, recalling the case material and bringing the warmth of pink gold to the dial as well.

A highly sought-after model in general, the desirability of the present example is boosted by its outstanding state of preservation and completeness, its owner being a very savvy collector who wore it a handful of times at most.