My favourite Patek

Patek Philippe, 5960R, is a wonderful piece of modern, innovative horology, introducing the first self winding chronograph. Five years of research have perfected, amongst other things, an axial, disc clutch system, working on the continuously rotating fourth wheel, enabling you to use the sweep second hand as a running indication, or flyback seconds counter for chronographic functions, incidentally, using the running second hand has no effect on power reserve or wear rates, unlike traditional watches of this type. I always leave mine running!

The lower dial section houses the chronograph mono counter, a very neat presentation, along with the discreet day/night indicator, useful for setting the calendar.The bespoke annual calendar sits at the top of the dial, along with it's power reserve indicator. The diameter of this timepiece at 40.5 mm has plenty of presence, but also displays great elegance.

The dial,depending on ambient light conditions,can vary from light silver to slate grey, a testament to the dial makers art. Turn the watch over, through the sapphire crystal back, you see Patek's incredible attention to detail, from the Geneva striping (not only aesthetic, also functional), to the polished screws, ensuring Patek standards are upheld. Also, observe the balance in operation, running at 4Hz, giving this watch supreme accuracy. Seeing the large, gold rotor spinning above the bridges, gives a sense of the engineering precision required for the exacting tolerances within this self winding mechanism.