Patek Philippe Saatchi London Edition Chronograph, 5070P-013, Platinum

The original Patek Philippe Reference 5070 was introduced in 1998, and was the brand's first chronograph without a perpetual calendar in over 40 years. It was inspired by the Reference 2512, a unique split-second chronograph created in the early 1950s. The Reference 5070 was also the first production watch manufactured by Patek Philippe with a case size larger than 40mm. These were originally produced in yellow gold, then very limited numbers in platinum in 2008.

For its 2015 Grand Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London, Patek Philippe presented a series of discontinued references, utilising unused movements and cases from series production. They came with dial variations not seen in the original collection and were produced in very limited numbers – it is believed that this 5070P-013 is one of a handful examples, making it one of the rarest variants of an already highly desirable reference.

Owing to the success of these "Saatchi" examples, Patek Philippe would go on to make a examples for collectors that are part of the "Vintage Collection", but a distinction must be made between the original few showcased at the London Grand Exhibition and the examples that came after the event. This particular Reference 5070P-013 is part of the few original examples showcased at the exhibition, and while it is believed that only a handful of examples were created, it is not unlikely that more could have been created over the years in response to collector requests.

On the Saatchi examples, we see that the dial has a vibrant, metallic navy blue with a sunburst pattern, which is a nod to 'golden-era' Patek Philippe chronographs of the 40s, compared to the more muted colours of the original.

Several other details are also slightly different - for example, the "Patek Philippe Geneve" logo is in a sans serif font, while the two sunken sub-dials visually appear slightly larger compared to the original, and feature a smaller, thicker font. Additionally, the tachymetre font is also different, and appears more tightly enclosed by the inside railway track than the standard 5070P.

The watch displays five hands - hours, minutes, and seconds for the time, with seconds and minute hands for the chronograph. Overall, the dial layout is cleanly designed, with applied white gold Arabic numerals offering enhanced readability. With its 42 mm case diameter, the size of the 5070 is unconventional by Patek Philippe standards - yet at 11.6mm thick, its stepped case wears comfortably on wrist.

The reference 5070P makes use of Patek Philippe’s 24-jewel, manual-winding, CH 27-70 caliber, based on a re-worked Lemania 2310 ebauche, considered one of the finest chronograph movement designs ever produced. The movement is beautifully finished, with exquisite chamfering on all angles, polishing and decoration, in the form of Geneva striping. The movement uses a monometallic Gyromax balance wheel, with a high moment of inertia to guarantee timing stability, and beats at 18,000 A/h, with a power-reserve of approximately 60 hours. It's constructed with 24 jewels, a shock absorber device, and a straight-line lever escapement. Using a new-old-stock calibre this piece bears the Geneva Seal, pre-dating the Patek Philippe seal found on movements produced after 2009.

Closer look

Condition

This Patek Philippe Saatchi London Edition Chronograph 5070P-013 is in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs show virtually no signs of wear, only extremely light superficial marks under harsh magnification. The dial, hands, and movement are free from any signs of imperfections and have been well preserved. All hallmarks, engravings, and stepped elements of the bezel and lugs remain crisp and well defined.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year, limited warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.