Patek Philippe Annual Calendar 5035P in Platinum Black Dial, 1997

Dealer description — Bulang & Sons

Ah! A Patek Philippe Annual Calendar — introduced in 1996, when the Macarena was everywhere, 2Pac and Dr. Dre were giving us California Love, and Take That was still ruling the charts. So, no, the Annual Calendar isn’t a 1960s invention. It actually arrived in the mid-90s, when the Nintendo 64 was under the Christmas tree and wearing a Patek Philippe with a calendar complication was a pretty serious flex. Patek Philippe introduced the Annual Calendar to sit neatly between the simple Calatrava and the considerably more expensive perpetual calendar. The idea was simple: offer much of the convenience and sophistication of a perpetual calendar, without all the complexity. An Annual Calendar automatically knows which months have 30 or 31 days, meaning it only needs a little help once a year, when February comes around. Make that one adjustment and you’re good for another twelve months. A clever complication, and one that makes a lot of sense for everyday wear. Now, this particular example is where things get even more interesting. Crafted in platinum, it has that unmistakable extra weight and feel that only platinum brings. Patek Philippe discreetly added a small diamond at 6 o’clock to distinguish the platinum version from its white-gold sibling — a tiny detail, but one we really like. We’re also big fans of the concave bezel, which gives the 37 mm case a particularly elegant profile. Turn it over and the display case back reveals the automatic Calibre 315 S QA, complete with its beautiful 22k yellow-gold rotor. Three correctors, neatly integrated into the case, allow the calendar to be adjusted. The dial is wonderfully balanced and easy to read, with applied Roman numerals filled with tritium lume, a train-track minute track, and crisp white printing in English. The date window sits discreetly at 6 o’clock, while the signature leaf hands, also filled with tritium, complete the look. The watch comes fitted with the pictured Bulang & Sons leather strap, together with the original Patek Philippe platinum pin buckle. And perhaps that’s what makes these early Annual Calendars so interesting today. They’re slowly but surely becoming neo-vintage classics. As the world’s first annual calendar wristwatch, this reference marks an important moment in Patek Philippe’s modern history — yet it still has that wonderfully understated 1990s character. We can easily see watches like this becoming future grails for a new generation of Patek collectors discovering the appeal of the brand’s neo-vintage era. A very clever Patek, but above all, a very cool one. Platinum, Annual Calendar, tritium, and that gorgeous 315 S QA underneath — plenty for the collector to discover. A proper 90s Patek with plenty going on. One for the collector who likes their complications with a little personality! Patek Philippe Reference 5035 P Anual Calendar 37mm platinum case with display case back Case serial 415xxxx,Movement serial 313xxxx dating to 1997 Annual calendar with 24-hour reading Tritium luminous Center seconds Black dial with applied Roman numerals Automatic movement, Cal. 315 QA Bulang and Sons leather strap with original Patek platinum buckle Fully serviced by our watchmaker