The Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G and Perpetual Calendar 5320G Are Now Available With Stylish Salmon Dials

Patek Philippe graces us with two new timepieces inspired by vintage watches from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The first release is the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5320G. The reference 5230 was introduced in 2017 with a cream-colored dial. While that watch is no longer part of the current collection, Patek Philippe decided to re-introduce it with a stunning new aesthetic. The second release is the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G, introduced in 2019 in a beautiful deep blue color. For both releases, Patek Philippe chose to equip the watches with beautiful gilded opaline rose gold dials, or as most people call them, salmon dials. Let’s take a look at these two stylish beauties.

There is something magical about salmon dials. They have legendary status amongst watch enthusiasts, and I am a fan as well. But despite this legendary status, you do not see a lot of salmon dials “in the wild”. Additionally, there is both a right and a wrong way of handling this color. Leave it up to Patek Philippe, however, to deliver two stunningly executed salmon-dial beauties. Both references have been part of the brand’s collection in the last few years, but these new aesthetics will probably become fan favorites in no time. In particular, the 5172G Chronograph is a watch that will capture the hearts of many Patek Philippe enthusiasts.

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5320G

But let’s start with the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5320G. This reference first debuted in 2017 in a white gold case with a cream-lacquered dial on a brown leather strap. It was a watch that introduced a casual-chic style with its dial design featuring Arabic numerals reminiscent of vintage military timepieces. While the color combination of that watch was absolutely stunning, Patek Philippe now re-introduces the 5320G with a new aesthetic that is even more eye-catching than that of the 2017 model.

But before we get into the dial, let’s start with the remarkable case. The round white gold case measures 40mm in diameter and 11.13mm in height. It’s a size that will fit a wide range of wrists, also partly because of the brilliant claw lugs. Just look at those lugs and their triple-stepped design! Isn’t that just a thing of sheer beauty? The lugs give the already-beautiful case even more character. The watch is water-resistant to 30 meters and features sapphire crystals on the front and the back.

The stunning gilded opaline rose gold dial

Now let’s discuss the new dial color. Patek Philippe chose to equip the new 5320G with a gilded opaline rose gold dial. We tend to use the term “salmon” for pretty much any pink-colored dial with a vaguely similar tone to this one. But not every pink or salmon dial is a nice color. Patek Philippe, however, has executed it brilliantly. The color of this dial and that of the 5171G chronograph that we will get to in a minute is “salmon-dial” perfection. From now on, I will refer to these models whenever I describe how I love to see a salmon dial. It has a little bit of texture that gives it some extra depth, and the result is stunning.

The gilded opaline rose gold dial is contrasted by charcoal-gray gold applied numerals with luminescent coating. The dots accompanying the numerals are a nice detail as well, scoring a few bonus points for style. The syringe-style hour and minute hands are executed in blackened gold and filled with white lume. The dial design makes it easy to read the different features of the perpetual calendar and moonphase functions. The pointer date indicator is placed at 6 o’clock with the moonphase indicator located inside it. The day/night indicator is on the left side of the date, and on the right side, you will find the leap year indicator. The day and month displays are placed at 12 o’clock. The detailed execution of the apertures is simply stunning. Overall, the dial design looks clean and effective at first glance. But look again, and you will find all the different intricacies.

The Patek Philippe caliber 324 S Q

If you turn the watch around, you will see the beautiful in-house caliber 324 SQ. This self-winding movement is based on Patek Philippe’s legendary caliber 324, and it consists of 367 parts in total. The movement operates at a frequency of 28,800vph, has 29 jewels, and provides a power reserve of 35-45 hours. Furthermore, the movement is equipped with the brand’s Gyromax balance and Spiromax balance spring. The first thing that meets your eyes is the large 21K gold rotor engraved with the brand’s famous Calatrava Cross. But if you take a closer look at the movement underneath, you will see it is finished to perfection with chamfered and polished edges, Geneva stripes, and perlage.

The watch has a hand-stitched chocolate-brown alligator strap with square scales and a white gold fold-over clasp featuring the Calatrava Cross. The watch will be available for a list price of €84,000. The overall combination of the gilded opaline rose gold dial and the contrasting charcoal-gray elements is a winner. Additionally, I love that Patek Philippe re-introduces the reference 5320G because it represents a less formal but still stunning aesthetic in the Grand Complications lineup.

Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G

The second timepiece that the brand introduced with the same aesthetic is a new version of the Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G. The 5172G is a model that is among many enthusiasts’ favorite Patek timepieces. As a result, for many, this will probably be the top pick of this year’s Patek Philippe releases. And I could not agree more because it is a stunning chronograph. The new salmon-dial version of the 5172G joins the version in dark blue that debuted in 2019. That watch is still part of the current collection, and with the introduction of the new version, it is hard to pick a favorite. Both have their own charm and look equally stunning.

The new version of the Chronograph 5172G features a white gold case that is 41mm in diameter and 11.45mm thick. The watch comes with sapphire crystals on both sides, with the front crystal featuring a beautiful box shape. When it comes to the case, you can see the resemblance with the case of the 5320G we just discussed. The case of the chronograph also features the same round shape and triple-stepped lugs. On the right side of the case, you will find the beautifully shaped pushers. They hearken back to the pushers of the famous Patek Philippe 1463 “Tasti Tondi” that was produced in the 1950s.

A charmingly effective dial design

The dial of the new 5172G is also a gilded opaline rose gold dial., which features the perfectly contrasting charcoal-gray elements. The applied Arabic numerals feature a white luminescent coating that lights up green in darker conditions. We also see the same syringe-style hour and minute hands as on the Perpetual Calendar model. The central chronograph hand and the smaller hands for the two registers received a beautiful anthracite treatment as well.

When it comes to the layout, you can see the two registers are placed slightly below the center pinion. It’s a layout that might feel unbalanced to some people, but I love it. The large registers and their placement give the watch a lot of character. On top of that, the placement ensures that the 60-seconds scale remains intact. Patek Philippe did remove the numerals at 4 and 8 o’clock and replaced them with two dots to indicate the hours. Despite some elements being placed slightly off-center, the dial design feels very balanced, and it looks stunning in this new color. As you would expect, the execution is top-notch. The small seconds at 9 o’clock and the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock also provide a nice contrast thanks to their circular graining.

The Patek Philippe caliber CH 29-535 PS

Inside the white gold case, Patek Philippe equipped the watch with its in-house caliber CH 29-535 PS. The manual winding chronograph movement consists of 270 parts. It operates at 28,800vph, has 33 jewels, features 11 bridges, and has a 65-hour power reserve with the chronograph disengaged. Furthermore, it is equipped with a Gyromax balance and a Breguet balance spring and features the Patek Philippe seal. The movement’s finishing is amazing with Geneva stripes, chamfered and polished edges, and circular graining.

Like the 5320G Perpetual Calendar, the watch also comes with a hand-stitched chocolate-brown alligator leather strap with square scales and a white gold fold-over clasp featuring the Calatrava Cross. This new version of the Patek Philippe 5172G will be available for CHF 68,000. With this new introduction, the choice between the blue version and this new version is tough. They both have their own particular charm that will appeal to the fans of Patek Philippe chronographs. I’m still on the fence about which version is my favorite!

Final thoughts on these two new Patek Philippe introductions

Both of these new releases are absolute stunners. They introduce a popular aesthetic that will have the hearts of many watch enthusiasts beating faster. Additionally, it is great to see that Patek Philippe has chosen to introduce new watches with a more casual-chic presence. I truly love seeing that side of the brand. These models, along with the Annual Calendar Travel Time ref. 5326G and Calatrava ref. 5226G that we covered yesterday, prove that Patek Philippe has plenty of brilliant watches to get excited about. Who needs a new Nautilus, anyway?

For more information, visit the official Patek Philippe website.