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The Inside Story
The Patek Philippe 5496R Grand Complication Perpetual Calendar with Retrograde Date may seem straightforward at first glance. However, beneath its clean and easily readable dial lies a remarkable level of complexity! I
Introduced a decade ago (2015), this model was somewhat of an oddball at the time in Patek's calendar lineup, with the other models being the more “traditional” references like the 5139/5140, the cushion-shaped 5940, and the 5159/5160 with the “officer-style” case. The case is well-proportioned at 39.5 mm, with four correction pushers positioned along the vertical side, enabling the wearer to easily adjust the day, date, month, year, and moon-phase indications with a simple corrector stylus. The Caliber 324 QR can be admired through the fitted display caseback.
The “retrograde” calendar display makes it foolproof, so to speak. Two apertures, positioned at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, display the month and day, respectively. Each indication is presented with black text against a white background, while gold frames the rectangular openings. A leap year indication sits in the upper region of the dial, imparting information with Roman numerals.
A standout feature of the dial is the elegant representation of the date. An arc-shaped track gracefully encircles the dial from 8 o’clock to 4 o’clock. Arabic numerals mark the odd-numbered dates, while simple dots placed in between signify the even-numbered dates. A petite golden hand with a red arrow tip indicates the current date, and as the month concludes, this hand gracefully returns to its starting point.The fact that each solid gold numeral is hand-finished and set by hand adds another layer of craftsmanship to this watch !
The Genevan Maison refers to the dial of the Patek Philippe 5496R as ‘silvery opaline,’ though we believe ‘cream’ is a more fitting description, with masculine, elegant faceted dauphine hands. Once again, the indexes are faceted, catching and playing with the light. Delicate ‘dots’ adorn the outer edge of the dial, improving the clarity of the minute and second markers. A romantic moon-phase aperture at six o’clock completes the dial.
This minty Patek comes on its original Patek leather strap with an 18k pink gold folding buckle attached. Furthermore, this is essentially a “full set”—the second (“closed”) 18k pink gold case back is included, along with the 18k pink gold corrector stylus, the outer and inner boxes (doubling as a watch winder), and all the accessories for the mentioned watch winder plus a leather folder with booklets. Additionally, the certificate of origin mentions a sale at Christmas 2015.
We think this is a very cool perpetual calendar with a somewhat romantic, non-conservative look. It has grown on us since we received it, and we believe you should consider it a strong contender if you're looking for a fine Patek perpetual calendar!
Specifications:
- Patek Philippe Retro grade Perpetual calendar reference 5496R
- 39.5 mm 18 k pink gold case with open & closed case backs
- Movement no 607xxxx case no 589xxxx
- Dates to 2015
- Perpetual calendar “retro grade layout with moon phase
- Automatic movement Cal324 QR
- Inner / outer box doubling as watch winder & full box of accessories for the watch winder , leather folder with booklets
- PP Leather strap with original Patek Philippe pink gold folding buckle
- 18 k pink gold corrector pin
- The certificate of origin mentions a sale at Christmas 2015.
- Fully checked by our watchmaker
- One-year mechanical warranty
- Free worldwide Fedex Priority shipping
Service & Warranty
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Service & Warranty
Our Service
Each vintage timepiece is individually selected and carefully inspected by our team of experts. After we buy a watch it is mechanically inspected and fully checked by our watchmaker. If necessary, the movement will be fully serviced and tested to ensure it is running to our exacting standards.
We will always describe the watch as fully as we can in our sales texts. Our zoomable images are of the highest possible quality and form an important part of each watch’s description. We will never hide or cover up any element of any watch we sell.
Key to our unparalleled service is Fedex Priority shipping, fully insured. Once you have received your watch, we encourage you to inspect it thoroughly. If you are not 100% satisfied, please let us know. We offer a 14 days return policy. Simply return the watch to get a full refund of the original purchase price.
Our Warranty
We offer a one-year warranty on the mechanical function of the watch, starting from the day of purchase. We do not guarantee the waterproof nature of any (vintage) watch, unless expressly made in writing. Therefore, our warranty will not cover any damage done to the case and/or movement by water or moisture entering the watch. Our warranty does not apply to accidental damage or mishandling of your watch and does not extend to the bracelet, case parts (including pushers, winding stem, crown and bezel), watch glass, dial and hands.
Why Buy From us?
We Love Watches
We are passionate about vintage watches and we love talking about them! That is why we don't sell our watches with a simple "Add to cart" button, but instead try to emulate a truly boutique experience online. Helping you find your perfect vintage watch is our Watch Department’s raison d’etre. Whatever you would like to ask, please do. Building our community of watch lovers is central to our mission at Bulang and Sons.
We Know Watches
At Bulang and Sons we have sold thousands of watches over the years. We are a small team of experienced collectors and connoisseurs who are all part of an extensive global network of buyers and sellers. We have a great reputation for offering only the highest quality watches. We have one simply rule: we only buy and sell watches we want to own ourselves. And yes, we are still collectors too.
We Guarantee Watches
As collectors, we know how intense the search for a specific vintage watch can be. Once you find it at Bulang and Sons, we want to make things easy, safe and fast for you. Therefore, we offer the most comprehensive return policy and warranty; you will not find a safer place on the internet to buy a vintage watch. You can relax and enjoy your deal with Bulang and Sons.