Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905 R Watch

Patek Philippe Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905 R Watch
To understand where the Chronograph Annual Calendar 5905R comes from, a bit of history is required. This watch is the last evolution of a model that sums up what Patek does best: calendar chronographs! Certainly, most of us will have in mind the ultimate combo, the QP-Chrono, a lineage started in 1941 with the reference 1518, followed by the references 2499, 3970, 5970 and 5270. Still, there’s another kind of calendar chronograph at Patek, with a much more modern appeal – the Chronograph Annual Calendar.
This concept also combines two of Patek’s signature complications. The chronograph is, of course, an important part of the brand’s heritage. The “annual calendar” is even more than that, as it was one of Patek’s multiple innovations. Back in 1996, the brand introduced a mid-range calendar with its reference 5035, positioned between the mechanically simple “full calendar” and the fragile and complex “perpetual calendar”. The combination of both the chronograph and the annual calendar gave birth to an emblematic watch.
The reference 5960 is an important watch for Patek Philippe, because when it was launched in 2006, it positioned the brand as a modern watchmaker, and was the first watch to combine an annual calendar with a chronograph. It was also the first watch from the manufacture equipped with the in-house, integrated, self-winding chronograph movement (the base caliber CH 28-520). The 5960 is now almost gone, and only one version is still available, the 5960-01 G-001 with a 40.5 mm case in white gold and a casual look. The two stainless steel versions 5960/1 A are now out of production.