Hands-On With The Green-Dialed Patek Philippe 5270P-014 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

Going hands-on with the green-dialed Patek Philippe 5270P-014 perpetual calendar chronograph is like going to see the Berliner Philharmoniker expecting them to play a Beethoven symphony, but hearing the orchestra perform deep house instead. The 5270P of 2022 has come a long way since the classic grand-complication model debuted in 2011. The radiant green lacquered dial with its black-gradient rim is the most eye-catching new element. But there are more subtle changes at hand. Let’s have a closer look.

Since 2011 when the 5270 debuted, a couple of versions have followed. It all started with a white gold model with a brushed silver dial, and in the current collection, there’s both a yellow gold and a pink gold iteration. The dial has seen subtle changes over time. It all started relatively simple with an outer scale that displayed minutes and a precision seconds track. But the current models show a tachymeter scale — the “J” and the “R” versions of the 5270, that is. The green-dialed Patek Philippe 5270P-014 forgoes the tachymeter scale and only shows an outer minute scale. And because of this, the date indicator at 6 o‘clock no longer dips in the tachymeter scale. This latest iteration of the 5270 goes back to the original’s cleaner looks, but it also brings something never seen before. And it’s not the dial color.

The Patek Philippe 5270P-014 changes hands

A bold green dial asks for bold hands, and that’s exactly what the 5270P-014 got. Until now, every 5270 had leaf-shaped hour-and-minute hands. The new 5270P-014, however, shows sharp, faceted hands to indicate the time. It’s a change that seems to be inspired by the indexes that were already on the dial. These angular, beveled indexes clashed a bit with the more curvy feuille hands, but now, it’s all settled. And the white central seconds hand for the chronograph and white hands for the subsidiary indications are also new.

Patek Philippe is so pleased with this new design course that the brand also used the hands and dial layout for the unique 5270T-010 that will be auctioned for a good cause later this year. That lightweight titanium grand complication is, just like the heavyweight platinum version, a green-dialed watch that takes a traditional theme and remixes it to entice a new audience.

Dance to the music

The green dial and new hands might have tricked you into believing the 5270P-014 is a completely new watch. But it isn’t. It’s the Berliner Philharmoniker playing the latest tunes. It’s Patek Philippe mixing up its repertoire to reach another audience. An audience that likes to dance to music instead of sitting still quietly in a concert hall. Patek is aiming at people who don’t necessarily wear bespoke three-piece suits but prefer equally costly designer tracksuits instead. The 5270P-014 is a grand complication 2.0; it’s a “casual complication”. One thing hasn’t changed, of course, and that’s the fact that only the very well-to-do have a chance of ever owning the 5270P-014. The €189,500 price tag guarantees that.

Patek Philippe 5270P-014 revisited

Back to the watch itself, which is an absolute stunner on the wrist, if you ask me. I already wrote about my uplifting experience with the different Patek Philippe novelties during Watches And Wonders 2022. But I can’t help but write about my favorite one of the lot a second time. And that’s because the 5270P-014 is the stuff (my) watch dreams are made off. It’s a dream that measures 41 × 12.4mm and has a great impact because it’s made of hefty platinum. And you won’t forget it is a platinum Patek thanks to the sparkling diamond between the lugs at 6 o’clock.

Also, the case shape is something that begs to be admired over and over again. The concave bezel could be described as “robust”, the two-tier lugs balance that with a touch of elegance, and the shape of the pushers offers a traditional note.

Edgy vibes

Once on the wrist, it’s difficult to take your eyes off the dial because the green lacquer is simply mesmerizing. The watch displays shades of green I don’t have a description for, and sometimes, it almost turns black; I think in those instances, it wants to display its urban, edgy vibes. I’ve come across some negativity regarding the glossy black alligator leather strap with green stitching, but I won’t have it. The shiny leather with contrasting green stitching and the prominent folding buckle underline the exclusivity of the casual complication that is the 5270P-014 perpetual calendar chronograph.

Never forget

Because of its dazzling — dare I say “fashionable”? — appearance, you could forget the 5270P-014 is a complicated creation outfitted with the classic blend of a perpetual calendar and a chronograph. First, there are the archetypical Patek double windows for the day and the month. And then there is the date indicated by a small white hand in the sub-dial at 6 o’clock with the moonphase in the middle. To the left of that sub-dial, there’s a day-night indicator, and to the right, you will find the leap-year indication.

(In-)house beat

The shiny green Patek Philippe 5270P-014 is perfectly suited to show one’s status instantly. But let’s not forget that there are also more introverted aspects that need attention. There’s the beautifully crafted and finished 456-part caliber CH 29‑535 PS Q that provides the (in-)house beat. The hand-wound 4Hz movement is a traditionalist, featuring proven architecture like a column wheel and a horizontal clutch. A module on top of the chronograph movement provides the calendar functions. There’s also a Gyromax balance that’s outfitted with a hairspring with a Breguet overcoil. There’s no Geneva Seal anywhere. Instead, you get the Patek Philippe Seal. Introduced in 2009, the Patek Philippe Seal guarantees the highest level of finishing, and on top of that, excellent rate accuracy, a field untouched by the Geneva Seal.

Patek Philippe 5270P-014 — Tiësto or Tchaikovsky?

If Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe, is trying to make me forget about the Nautilus with a green or Tiffany dial, he’s doing a good job. But I know he has bigger fish to fry, such as protecting the image and the name Patek Philippe. The basic Nautilus turned into an untamable beast; it became a danger to its less outspoken but more complicated brethren. With the steel Nautilus out of the way, the complicated, traditional side of Patek can stand in the limelight again. And with its green-dialed 5270P-014 perpetual calendar chronograph — and also a range of retro-inspired Calatrava models — the historic brand sure is ready to entice an audience that prefers Tiësto over Tchaikovsky. I’m not a big fan of either, but the 5270P-014 sure struck a chord — a power chord, at that. Too bad I can only rock it in my dreams.

For more information, please visit the official Patek Philippe website.

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