The Patek Philippe 175th anniversary collection is made up of four basic models, each presented in several variants, with the highlight being a grande and petite sonnerie. That is followed by the Chiming Jump Jour Ref. 5275 – which just might be the most interesting of the line-up – and the Multi-Scale Chronograph Refs. 5975 and 4675, with the last being the World Time Moon Refs. 5575 and 7175. Overall it is a fairly compact collection, but industry insiders indicate that the anniversary year lasts into 2015, which might mean more new timepieces.

At the very top of the 175th anniversary collection is the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175R, a grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch with perpetual calendar, alarm and second time zone, coupled with novel features like a date repeater and time striking alarm. You can read about it in detail here.

Chiming Jump Hour Ref. 5275P

The second model in the anniversary range is the Chiming Jump Hour Ref. 5275P, a nod to the tonneau ref. 3969 jumping hours made for Patek Philippe’s 150th anniversary in 1989.

Presented in a tonneau-shaped platinum case, the ref. 5275 is possibly the most intriguing of the anniversary collection. The hours, minutes and seconds all jump instantaneously – the seconds hand is a dead-beat seconds, ticking in one second steps, while the minutes and hours jump one minute and one hour at a time.

Additionally, at the top of each hour, the calibre 32-650 HGS PS strikes a single chime alongside the jumping hour. Notably, this movement uses Silinvar (silicon with an oxide outer layer) for a lever and gear for the jumping mechanism, the first time Patek Philippe is using the material outside of the escapement or balance assembly.

A close-up revealing the silicon lever and gear

The platinum case measures 39.8 mm by 47.4 mm, with a hand-engraved floral motif on its sides that is also echoed on the solid gold dial. The Chiming Jump Hour is limited to 175 pieces with a price of 310,000 Swiss francs (~US$341,000).

Multi-Scale Chronograph refs. 5975 and 4675

Third in the 175th anniversary collection is the Multi-Scale Chronograph, available as the ref. 5975 for men and the ref. 4675 for ladies. This is a chronograph with only an elapsed second hands in the centre of the dial, conceived to work with the various scales on the dial which allow for measuring different values.

The scales on the dial are a pulsometer, intended for doctors or nurses to measure heartbeats; a tachymeter that allows for speed measurement of an object travelling one kilometre; and finally a telemeter, originally designed for military personnel to determine the distance of an artillery placement by using the time difference between the muzzle flash and sound.

Inside is the calibre CH 28-520, a variant of the movement found in the Nautilus ref. 5990 and chronograph-annual calendar ref. 5960. Because this movement uses a vertical clutch, the centre seconds can run continuously as a constant seconds hand since there is no detrimental effect on timekeeping, unlike the more traditional horizontal coupling.

The stepped lugs of the Multi-Scale Chronograph are screwed to the case, allowing the case to be entirely disassembled for easier polishing during overhauls. The men’s version ref. 5975 has a 40 mm case, while the ladies ref. 4675 is 37 mm.

The ref. 5975 is limited to 400 pieces each in yellow, rose and white gold, and another 100 pieces in platinum with a black dial. These will cost 55,000 Swiss francs in gold and 78,000 Swiss francs in platinum.

The ladies ref. 4675 is limited to 150 watches each in rose or white gold, with baguette diamond hour markers, with a price of 55,000 Swiss francs each.

World Time Moon ref. 5575 and 7175

Last in the 175th anniversary quartet is the World Time Moon, with the ref. 5575 for men and the ref. 7175 for ladies. This combines Patek Philippe’s well known world time complication with an oversized moon phase display.

Two glass discs form the centre of the dial, one showing the night sky and a realistic depiction of the moon, complete with craters and all; the other disc sits just above and is stationary, with an aperture that reveals the phase of the moon.

Both World Time Moon watches use the same calibre 240 HU LU. The ref. 5575 for men is limited to 1300 pieces, with a 39.8 mm white gold case and a price tag of 46,000 Swiss francs.

450 pieces of the ladies ref. 7175 will be made, with a 38 mm rose gold case and diamond-set bezel. This is priced at 50,000 Swiss francs.

In the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175 Patek Philippe has combined several traditional complications in a movement that has a whopping 1366 components. Not only is it Patek Philippe’s first grande and petite sonnerie wristwatch, the Grandmaster Chime (who came up with that name?) also features an alarm, date repeater, perpetual calendar and a swivelling, double-faced case that can be worn on both sides.

This grand complication is presented in a 47.4 mm case decorated with an ornate laurel wreath motif. Technically and aesthetically, the Grandmaster Chime is a lot more than what many would ask for.

The calibre GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM inside the Grandmaster Chime has 20 complications, when each function is broken down into its constituent parts. They are:

1. Grande sonnerie
2. Petite sonnerie
3. Minute repeater
4. Strikework mode display
5. Alarm with time strike
6. Date repeater
7. Going train power reserve display
8. Strikework power reserve display
9. Strikework isolator display
10. Second time zone
11. Second time zone day and night indicator
12. Instantaneous perpetual calendar
13. Day of week
14. Month
15. Date
16. Leap year
17. Four-digit year
18. Moon phase
19. 24-hour and minute sub-dial
20. Crown position indicator (winding, alarm setting and time setting)

The front dial (when the crown is pointing to the right) displays the various chiming related and second time zone functions from 1 to 11, while the back is concerned with the perpetual calendar.

The grande and petite sonnerie chimes the time en passant, or as it passes. Considered the most difficult complication in all of watchmaking, the grande sonnerie is only found in a handful of other wristwatches. The Grandmaster Chime has an unusual 30 hour power reserve for the grande and petite sonnerie, thanks to two barrels just for the striking mechanism; typical grande sonnerie watches have one barrel for the time and another for the chimes.

Two other striking complications have been integrated into the movement: a minute repeater and an alarm. Unlike most alarm watches, the Grandmaster Chime alarm strikes the entire time sequence, with the minute repeater essentially functioning as an alarm – a world first.

Another world first is the date repeater. This sounds the date with a double chimes for ten day intervals and a high chime for single days. The 31st of a month will thus be composed of three double chimes and one high chime.

The reverse of the watch shows all the sub-dials of the instantaneous perpetual calendar, along with the four digit year display. All calendar displays, save for the year jump crisply at midnight. Unlike most other year display perpetual calendars like that from IWC that go only forward, the year display of the Grandmaster Chime can be set forward or backwards via pushers in the case.

The watch can be worn on either of its two faces thanks to a swivelling case, a first for Patek Philippe but used before by other brands like Franck Muller. Both sides indicate the time, with the front dial showing all the striking functions (like power reserve and sonnerie mode) as well as second time zone. The reverse dial is for the perpetual calendar.

Measuring 47.4 mm in diameter and 16.1 mm high, the case of the Grandmaster Chime is in rose gold and entirely hand-engraved with a laurel wreath motif, as is the folding buckle. This case reflects an inclination towards ornate case styles obvious in recent years,notably with the Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 6002G.

The obvious comparison is to the Lange Grand Complication unveiled last year that costs almost the same. At 50 mm in diameter, the Lange is even larger than the Grandmaster Chime  and boasts a grande and petite sonnerie, split seconds and lightning chronograph and a perpetual calendar. While the Lange is in essence a modern replica of a vintage pocket watch, both in terms of movement and design, the Patek Philippe does possess some notable innovations, including the date repeater and time striking alarm.

Limited to seven pieces, one of which will reside in the Patek Philippe Museum, the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175 is priced at 2.5 million Swiss francs, equivalent to about US$2.63 million.