With Ref. 5236P-001, Patek Philippe's perpetual calendar tradition evolves with new technical solutions of the highest level. Destined to set the standard, in keeping with the brand's tradition, it has the added value of classic aesthetics in the brand's perfect style, and wins a new record. How? By radically changing the aesthetic layout of the perpetual, with a solution that is as simple as it is extraordinarily complicated. Ref. 5236P-001 groups the digital displays of the day of the week, date and month in a window at 12 o'clock. Something similar had already been proposed in the past by Patek on some pocket watches destined for the American market, but bringing the in-line display of the perpetual on a wristwatch, and consequently on a smaller movement, involved a great deal of design work. The starting basis for the new movement, the calibre 31-260 PS QL, is that of the 31-260 REG QA presented in 2011 in the Regulator with Annual Calendar Ref. 5235, an automatic with small seconds at 6 o'clock. To ensure optimal readability while keeping the displays as large as possible, a system with two date discs was developed, one for the tens and one for the units. As a result, the calendar displays are provided by a total of four discs, one for the day of the week, one for the date and one for the month, perfectly aligned on the same axis. The additional perpetual module is the subject of three patents. The case is made of platinum, the blue-bottomed dial has a delicate vertical satin finish that fades to a darker shade on the outer part with the light. A new object of desire by virtue of its absolute intrinsic value and the financial commitment required to purchase it (115,060 euros), making it by far one of the most expensive perpetuums on the market, although its value will undoubtedly not be affected by time.
