Patek Philippe ref. 5940J

Two of the least common nineties era Patek Philippe perpetual calendar watches are the tonneau shaped 5040 and 5041. This year at Baselworld 2012 Patek reintroduces the tonneau case perpetual in the form of the 5940J. The yellow gold case is 44.6 mm by 37 mm. The dial is ivory with a grained texture, and all the indices and hands are yellow gold, except 24 hour and leap year subdial hands in blued steel. Inside sits the tried and tested cal. 240 Q micro-rotor automatic first used in the classic 3940 perpetual. What I find especially notable about the 5940 QP is the elegant serif fonts used for the numerals on the subdials. The fonts are a minor detail but give the watch a far more sophisticated and classical bearing than the boring fonts used on most of the contemporary Pateks, like the 5550P Advanced Research silicium perpetual calendar or the newer 5235 regulator. Overall the 5940 looks much more tasteful than the 5131 cloisonne world time for instance. Bravo to Patek! – SJX

 

I have the book by Leonardo Arte and it’s a beautifully illustrated publication with lots of large photos of vintage Pateks.