The Big Daddy of Swiss luxury watchmaking celebrated its 175th anniversary by launching what would become its most complicated watch till date, the Grandmaster Chime. This limited edition commemorative watch was and still is the most glorified creation from the family-owned watch business. It is important to note that this is not just because of the complications involved, although they too play a huge role but also because of the degrees of the complexity involved in making those complications.
And for those who do not know, this is NOT the most complicated watch in the world. It has never been the most complicated watch in the world. That is simply something that was concocted via a ‘he said-she said’ series of blogs.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Watch
The Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175 is a watch that brings together some of the most gratifying as well as novel complications in Haute Horlogerie. With a total of twenty complications and 1366 components, the timepiece took eight years to complete. Even the 47 mm case and its 214 components took a total of four years. Besides being a technical masterclass from Patek Phillipe, the watch is also a hand-engraved celebration of true horological joy.
An Architectural Kohinoor
Superlatives would not do justice to the overwhelming presence of the Grandmaster Chime. Adding further, the Grandmaster Chime also happens to be the first two-faced timepiece from Patek Phillipe. The timepiece can be worn with either the time side facing upwards, which essentially shows the time, or the other side that deals with the perpetual calendar. The faces can be interchanged without any hassle thanks to the ingenious switching mechanism provided by Patek Phillipe. Special care has been taken of the nature of the switching mechanism. Manipulations such as this can be potentially damaging to the mechanism. But the Swiss watchmaker has made sure that this intelligent system of changing dials is reliable and user-friendly. The date as well as the current time, two of the most important ordeals of a watch are displayed on both the dials.
This cosmos of intricate and detailed components set up new benchmarks for the luxury watchmaking industry. Be it technical prowess or aesthetic elegance, the Grandmaster Chime excels in every aspect. When it comes to the complications involved, this is the pinnacle of horological ingenuity. The case, made of 18 carats rose gold, is carved gently under a microscope with every subtle nuance being taken care of. The bezel has its own story to tell. Made of the same 18 carats rose gold, it is moulded into a laurel wreath that is circular in nature and has coin edge ribbing. The Greco-Roman style motif goes all the way to the lugs. The lugs have a functional value as they act as axes that allow for a longitudinal rotation of the case. A marvel of mechanics, that’s what this watch basically is.
The First Dial
The first dial with its crown on the right side is the dial that displays the time. The dial is encased in an 18-carat rose gold case and dons an opaline finish texture. The guilloche pattern at the centre is radially undulated with three major hands at the centre. The hands are made of gold and are coated with nickel. They make good use of the coveted poires-paris shape. The third hand is a second time zone indicator and is made of rose gold as well.
The Pushers
The watch has four pushers. The two at 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock allow the user to change time zones in one-hour progressions. There is a 24-hour display at 12 o’clock that offers the desired the alarm setting with a rose gold hand points towards quarter-hour progressions. An aperture in the shape of a ‘bell’ lets the user know whether the alarm is on or off. A second indicator between 1 o’clock and 2 o’clock lets the user know whether the ‘Sonnerie’ is active or not. The Sonnerie is an important part of the Grandmaster Chime, the term Chime referring to the said function. Winding the crown forward winds the movement, while winding the crown backwards works up the Sonnerie. Finally, a third aperture indicates day/night for the second time zone. At 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock lie two retrogrades that indicate the power reserves for movement and the Sonnerie, respectively.
The sub-dial at 6 o’clock displays the perpetual date along with a mini moon phase indicator. If you think the list of complications is over, you are in for a ride my friend. On the right side of the date sub-dial, lies the hand that indicates to letters R, A, or H. These letters here represent the crown’s position for different modes. ‘R’ stands for the winding mode, ‘A’ stands for the alarm mode, and ‘H’ stands for setting time. On the left side of the date display, lies a hand that points to S, G, or P. These letters stand for silent mode, Grand Sonnerie strike mode, and Petite Sonnerie strike mode, respectively. The Grand Sonnerie strikes at hours and quarter hours. Whereas the Petite Sonnerie strikes at an hour, at top of the hour and for each quarter-hour. The slider at 9 ‘clock can be used to control these selections.
If you look at the watch carefully, you will find two more pushers located at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. The pusher at 2 o’clock is responsible for switching the alarm on and off and is also the first novel complication in the Grandmaster Chime that debuted with the watch itself. The sound of the alarm is not merely a buzz of any kind but a unique tune that sounds exactly like the designated hour. The other pusher at 4 o’clock is the second novel complication that made its debut with the Grandmaster Chime. The complication is a date repeater that gets its data from the perpetual calendar. The timepiece makes a double high-low sound at ten-day intervals, high strikes for regular days, and a ding-dong ding-dong ding-ding for the 22nd of every month. And FYI, both these above-mentioned complications are extensions of the minute repeater.
The Second Dial
The second dial, if not more, is as impressive as the first one. There are, however, those who believe that the perpetual calendar is the truest gem out of them both. It reveals itself by rotating with the lugs acting as the case’s axis. The dial consists of four sub-dials namely month, date and leap year, day, and hours and minutes. The advance in all the sub-dials is simultaneous, a crucial necessity.
The Movement
What kind of a movement would such a terrific timepiece use? An intriguing question, isn’t it? Patek Phillipe chose Caliber 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM for the demanding job. The movement beats at 25,200 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of at least three whole days. This might not seem like too much but when you have twenty complications operating side by side, a three-day power reserve is nothing short of a boon.
For many, the Grandmaster Chime is the epitome of Haute Horlogerie. For many, it is the culmination of decades’ worth of innovation, research, and persistence. The watch itself is a manifestation of more than 1,00,000 hours of man-hours that went into creating this modern-day horological marvel.
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives