Patek Philippe

The combination of perpetual calendar and chronograph complications in Patek Philippe's lineage is widely regarded as one of the most important in the world of horology. It has broken numerous auction records and prices for these watches have reached new heights year after year. However, their commitment to innovation and complexity is evident in the release of the reference 5004 in 1994. This watch features an even more sophisticated split seconds chronograph, combined with the perpetual calendar, in a remarkably petite 36.5 mm case size. It is a testament to the brand's technical prowess that they are able to house such sophisticated complications in such a small cavity. The 5004 was eventually discountinued in 2009, though delivered until 2011, and was the last complicated Patek Philippe of the celebrated Lemania era, together with the 5070.

This present watch stands out from other examples on the market as it is fitted with a rare black dial, which is unusual for the white gold variant that typically accompanies a silvered dial. Furthermore it has the more classic and elegant lapidated baton indexes, confirmed by the Certificate of Origin, instead of the Arabic numerals that are more frequently seen on this reference. Additionally, the movement in this watch is the from the first series of 500 movements with their serial number ranging from 879'501 to 879'999.

Even more importantly, this present 5004 is a 5004G. The white gold case is the rarest version of the precious metal cases. Only 140 of these were made, which represents less than half of the yellow gold or platinum production, and less than 30 examples have re-appeared on the market, making this lot an incredible opportunity to secure a very rare version of a highly important model in Patek Philippe's history.