Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5970

The pinnacle of modern watch collecting 

Words - Taj Hayer 

Photography - Nicholas Andrews

Shot on location at Watchfinder, Royal Exchange London

Those that really know and we mean really know about luxury timepieces will understand the finesse that elevates an eye-watering, technically superb watch from a mid-priced watch from a well-known brand. The range of perpetual calendar chronographs from Patek Philippe are the very best of the best and a definitive landmark in the history of watch design with the perpetual calendar mechanism coupled with a chronograph. 

The Grand Complications 5970 (now discounted which only makes it even more lust-worthy) is an evolution of a design harking back to 1941 and the brands reference 1518, the first with a perpetual calendar. Flash forward a few decades and the Patek Philippe Grand Complications 5970 is largely regarded as the best watch that the brand has ever made. 

First introduced in 2004 it is respected due to its perfect proportions. Its 7 year run before being discontinued means that there are very few on the market today, and the fact that it has a 40mm case size, perfectly balanced dial and a truly standalone look all adding to its worth. It’s value cannot be underestimated - those that first purchased the watch for around £89,000 are truly lucky as the value today (depending on which of the 4 metals you can get) is almost double. For those that are fortunate to have pockets so deep, you may find that owning such a beautiful watch will be more valuable than flash of the pan art or bars of gold. 

From £125,000 and available from Patek Philippe at Watchfinder.