Patek Philippe 5520. Unveiled at Baselworld 2019, the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time adds a 24-hour alarm to its exclusive Travel Time model with two time zones. To achieve this, the manufacture created a totally new integrated movement which was the result of five years of development. The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time has a price of Euro 204,000.
Unveiled at Baselworld 2019, the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time adds a 24-hour alarm to its Travel Time model with two time zones Ref. 5524 that was launched in 2015 with some controversies for its design, not very typical of the brand.
To achieve this, the manufacture created a totally new integrated movement which was the result of five years of development. Four patent applications were filed for the alarm mechanism.
An integrated movement requires less height than a calibre with an additional module making it possible to limit the total height of the 42.2 mm platinum case (crystal to display back) to 11.6 mm.
Composed of 574 parts, the self-winding calibre AL 30-660 S C FUS is equipped with a Spiromax balance spring made of Silinvar, a derivative of silicon. The properties of this material and the patented geometry of the hairspring assure the highest reliability and great rate accuracy in line with the directives of the Patek Philippe Seal that prescribes a maximum tolerance of -3/+2 seconds per day.
The movement also features a stop-seconds mechanism that allows the time to be set with one-second accuracy. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement has a power reserve of minimum 42 hours and maximum 52 hours.
The beautiful finishes are revealed through the sapphire crystal display back and include chamfered and polished bridge edges, a 21K gold rotor with new rounded recesses, and the decorative Genevan circular graining pattern.
The Travel Time function is very easy to use. The watch has two hour hands from the centre. One is filled and indicates the local time at the owner’s current location. The other, skeletonized, displays home time and remains hidden beneath the local-time hour hand when local and home time are identical.
A separate day/night indicator is assigned to both time zones (at 8:30 for local time and at 3:30 for home time). The dial is completed by an unusual analog date display at 6 o'clock where the date is represented in a 3-day increments scale. It is synchronized with local time.
To adjust the local time clockwise in one-hour increments (pusher at 8 o'clock) or counterclockwise (pusher at 10 o'clock), it is sufficient to press the pushers, embossed with the symbols + and –, in the left-hand case flank. Before a pusher can be actuated, it must be unlocked with a quarter turn, easily accomplished thanks to the fluting; a quarter turn in the opposite direction locks the pusher again. The watch remains water-resistant even when the pushers are unlocked.
For the new Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time, Patek Philippe chose an alarm concept that features a classic gong. When the alarm is triggered, a hammer (visible through the display back) strikes a gong that circles the movement for up to 40 seconds with a frequency of 2.5 Hz (2.5 strikes per second). This is equivalent to about 90 strikes in total. As in the minute repeaters, a centrifugal governor beneath a bridge with the Calatrava cross assures a regular and sustained striking cadence.
The alarm mechanism has its own, separate spring barrel that is tensioned with a crown at 4 o'clock. A built-in clutch prevents inadvertent overtightening. It is worth to mention that the new Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time is Patek Philippe’s first chiming timepiece with a water-resistant case. To assure maximum sound quality, the gong is attached directly to the caseband and not to the movement as more usual. This reduces the attenuation of the sound waves by the water-resistant case.
The alarm function indications are arranged in the upper half of the dial. To assure optimal legibility, the manufacture chose a digital display for the alarm time, a patent-pending solution. The programmed alarm time is displayed in a double aperture beneath the 12 o'clock position. Directly underneath it is the round aperture with the day/night indicator in white for the time from 6 am to 6 pm and blue for 6 pm to 6 am. The crown at 4 o'clock must be pulled out to its intermediate position to adjust the alarm time in 15-minute steps by turning it in either direction.
The pusher at 2 o'clock turns the alarm ON or OFF. The small bell-shaped aperture directly beneath 12 o'clock indicates the status: white for alarm ON and black for alarm OFF. The respective pusher is embossed with a small bell symbol that has the same shape as the alarm ON/OFF indicator aperture. This pusher is endowed with the same interlock device as the two time-zone pushers.
As soon as the alarm has stopped sounding, the ON/OFF indicator automatically switches to OFF. Now, the alarm cannot be set again before the strikework spring barrel has been fully rewound. For this reason, the alarm mechanism must always be able to sample the state of wind of the spring. This calls for a complex device with a finger on the strikework barrel axis. Its angular position defines the power reserve and only releases the ON status after it has been fully wound. Switching to the OFF status is possible at any time, however.
The user can transit to another time zone without any risk, even while the alarm is sounding. In this case, the mechanism interrupts the strike sequence and sets the alarm to OFF. The alarm strike is also deactivated when a new alarm time is programmed.
Like all Patek Philippe platinum watches, the Alarm Travel Time is set with a diamond in the case flan at 6 o'clock.
The dial assures optimized readability thanks to large applied Arabic numerals and the broad baton hands – all in white gold with a white Super-LumiNova coating – which create a nice contrast against the sunburst ebony black background.
The watch is completed by a matte black calfskin strap with contrast stitching secured to the wrist by a platinum clevis prong buckle whose design is reserved for aviators’ timepieces.
The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time has a price of Euro 204,000. patek.com
To achieve this, the manufacture created a totally new integrated movement which was the result of five years of development. Four patent applications were filed for the alarm mechanism.
An integrated movement requires less height than a calibre with an additional module making it possible to limit the total height of the 42.2 mm platinum case (crystal to display back) to 11.6 mm.
Composed of 574 parts, the self-winding calibre AL 30-660 S C FUS is equipped with a Spiromax balance spring made of Silinvar, a derivative of silicon. The properties of this material and the patented geometry of the hairspring assure the highest reliability and great rate accuracy in line with the directives of the Patek Philippe Seal that prescribes a maximum tolerance of -3/+2 seconds per day.
The movement also features a stop-seconds mechanism that allows the time to be set with one-second accuracy. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, the movement has a power reserve of minimum 42 hours and maximum 52 hours.
The beautiful finishes are revealed through the sapphire crystal display back and include chamfered and polished bridge edges, a 21K gold rotor with new rounded recesses, and the decorative Genevan circular graining pattern.
To adjust the local time clockwise in one-hour increments (pusher at 8 o'clock) or counterclockwise (pusher at 10 o'clock), it is sufficient to press the pushers, embossed with the symbols + and –, in the left-hand case flank. Before a pusher can be actuated, it must be unlocked with a quarter turn, easily accomplished thanks to the fluting; a quarter turn in the opposite direction locks the pusher again. The watch remains water-resistant even when the pushers are unlocked.
For the new Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time, Patek Philippe chose an alarm concept that features a classic gong. When the alarm is triggered, a hammer (visible through the display back) strikes a gong that circles the movement for up to 40 seconds with a frequency of 2.5 Hz (2.5 strikes per second). This is equivalent to about 90 strikes in total. As in the minute repeaters, a centrifugal governor beneath a bridge with the Calatrava cross assures a regular and sustained striking cadence.
The alarm function indications are arranged in the upper half of the dial. To assure optimal legibility, the manufacture chose a digital display for the alarm time, a patent-pending solution. The programmed alarm time is displayed in a double aperture beneath the 12 o'clock position. Directly underneath it is the round aperture with the day/night indicator in white for the time from 6 am to 6 pm and blue for 6 pm to 6 am. The crown at 4 o'clock must be pulled out to its intermediate position to adjust the alarm time in 15-minute steps by turning it in either direction.
The pusher at 2 o'clock turns the alarm ON or OFF. The small bell-shaped aperture directly beneath 12 o'clock indicates the status: white for alarm ON and black for alarm OFF. The respective pusher is embossed with a small bell symbol that has the same shape as the alarm ON/OFF indicator aperture. This pusher is endowed with the same interlock device as the two time-zone pushers.
The user can transit to another time zone without any risk, even while the alarm is sounding. In this case, the mechanism interrupts the strike sequence and sets the alarm to OFF. The alarm strike is also deactivated when a new alarm time is programmed.
Like all Patek Philippe platinum watches, the Alarm Travel Time is set with a diamond in the case flan at 6 o'clock.
The dial assures optimized readability thanks to large applied Arabic numerals and the broad baton hands – all in white gold with a white Super-LumiNova coating – which create a nice contrast against the sunburst ebony black background.
The watch is completed by a matte black calfskin strap with contrast stitching secured to the wrist by a platinum clevis prong buckle whose design is reserved for aviators’ timepieces.
The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5520P-001 Alarm Travel Time has a price of Euro 204,000. patek.com
I find this watch remarkable from a technical point of view but the four crowns really put me off!
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