Welcome to a brand new installment of “Behind the Lens,” the continuing collection of articles by which I share a few of my watch photographs and speak a bit about each the watches in query and my method to capturing them visually.
The most effective factor for me about this collection is that a lot of the watches I shoot belong to my good mates, who’re form sufficient to permit me to {photograph} their valuable items – and who usually encourage me to put on them round a bit as effectively.
This time, our topic is the Patek Philippe Superior Analysis Reference 5550P, a really pretty perpetual calendar with some attention-grabbing technical twists.
Patek Philippe Superior Analysis Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar
If you happen to’re like me, the very first thing you seen was that dial! Simply on the golden aspect of silver with fascinating vertical brushing that catches the sunshine in a different way in varied situations and positions.
It’s clear to me that quite a lot of thought has gone into the visible parts of the entrance of this watch, which mixes classical parts just like the domed and sharply pointed minor arms with extra technical facets just like the lume-filled hour and minute arms and dots on the hours.
The chevron-shaped markers seem to drift simply barely above the dial floor itself, including further curiosity.
To me, this watch is a superb instance of not essentially needing to be thick to present a sensation of depth.
Advanced simplicity: the textures and colours of the Patek Philippe Reference 5550P dial
Seen straight on and lit from the aspect, the principle dial takes on extra of a matte look, however we’re handled with clear views of the grooved and frosted subdials and the gorgeous frosted moon and stars as they catch the sunshine.
One thing that I significantly like about this dial structure is that the numbers 31 and 1 on the calendar show are seen of their entirety.
On some Patek Philippe watches (for instance, Reference 5205, a watch that I largely love) the decrease subdial is crowded up towards the middle of the watch, with the consequence that the highest numerals are obscured. Not so right here.
As well as, take a fast have a look at the date numerals 5 and 27 – they’re a bit smaller than the others as a way to slot in. However Patek Philippe has additionally accomplished one thing very intelligent with the encircling numerals: see how they taper in dimension as they method the 5 and the 27?
This use of perspective really methods the attention when the watch is seen in life dimension; it wasn’t till I reviewed the macro photographs that I seen that all the date numerals weren’t the identical top.
Particulars make the distinction: Patek Philippe’s 5550P on edge
Depth of area: focus stacking
Now for one thing utterly completely different! This sharp-angle view provides us an actual sense for the dimensionality of the minor arms and baton markers, and to be trustworthy was simply plain enjoyable to create.
In macro images, one problem is depth of area: at these distances and magnifications, the slice of house in entrance of the digital camera that’s really in focus could be very skinny. Along with inventive intent, that is one cause why so many macro photographs of watches have one tiny space in focus and the remaining recedes right into a blur.
To make a picture like this one, we use “focus stacking,” which is nothing greater than taking a number of images of the watch with completely different slices in focus after which utilizing the miracle of software program to sew collectively all the sharpest pixels.
It takes some time to be taught focus stacking, and the outcomes aren’t foolproof (translation: I’ve spent hours taking tedious collection of photographs of a given set-up solely to seek out that the stitched-together photographs look terrible). At its greatest, it permits us get these types of outer house encounters with the watches we love.
Whereas trying, remember to discover extra of the main points that make the dial aspect of this watch particular: the curves and angled platforms of the minor arms, the radially beveled edges of the utilized markers, and the brushing on the vertical fringe of the moon part aperture stand out to me.
Additionally, on this picture you may see how refined the brushing on the principle dial actually is, and the way from some views it nearly vanishes. My expertise in photographing this watch was that it was very straightforward to over-light the dial, overpowering the looks of the brushing – to me maybe essentially the most interesting little bit of this dial.
Images rule no 1 as utilized to Patek Philippe’s 5550P: begin with the sunshine
The picture above is perhaps my favourite of this watch attributable to its dramatic presentation of the piece. It’s really a single picture, not a spotlight stack, yielding a picture that has extra of a reside look to me than most stacks.
There’s additionally that gentle scatter thrown from the highest of the crystal. Imagine it or not, I spent a few years instructing myself how one can eradicate gentle scatter from watch photographs, solely to need to discover ways to put it again in!
I needed to grudgingly admit that a lot of my very sharp, scatter-free photographs had been only a teensy bit, let’s assume, sterile. The considered use of directional lighting (on this and plenty of different circumstances I really use a small hand-held flashlight) provides a way of depth and distinction that’s simply not potential in any other case.
Motion aspect of the Patek Philippe 5550P highlighting the Oscillomax silicon system
The Patek Philippe 5550P from a technical perspective
One factor that we haven’t thought-about but is the inscription on the dial: “Superior Analysis.” On this motion view, the explanation for that title turns into clear, and in case you wanted a touch, the great of us at Patek Philippe have kindly supplied a built-in sapphire magnifying glass to attract your eye to the best spot.
Included into the bottom Caliber 240 micro-rotor motion is the Oscillomax silicon escapement, in flip made up of three sub-systems: the GyromaxSi stability wheel, the Pulsomax escape wheel and lever, and the Spiromax stability spring.
In terms of Patek Philippe’s use of silicon elements on this piece and others, I’m of two minds.
Patek does make well-considered arguments for the usage of silicon within the stability and escapement: immunity to magnetic forces; the flexibility to position extra relative mass on the outer fringe of the stability, which will increase stability by means of greater angular momentum; the flexibility to form the escape wheel and pallet fork in very exact ways in which enhance the effectivity of the watch’s fee; and the elimination of the necessity for lubrication.
All good things, and measurable in a rise of virtually 50 p.c within the energy reserve, from 48 to 70 hours when in comparison with a typical Caliber 240.
The silicon-enhanced motion additionally retains extra constant time than the usual model because the mainspring goes from totally wound to unwound.
On the similar time, I’ve appreciable sympathy for the arguments of watchmakers who observe that (not less than in immediately’s world) silicon elements are the results of an industrial course of and can’t be replicated utilizing conventional watchmaking methods.
Whereas future house owners of those Patek watches could not have to fret an excessive amount of concerning the availability of those very particular spare elements, there’s something concerning the potential “non-replaceability” of key elements of a watch that offers me a little bit of pause.
Extra essential to me is the query of coherence: do these explicit silicon elements match into the in any other case very conventional perpetual calendar that’s the 5550P? Right here, I’m not so certain.
Patek Philippe’s newer use of silicon in sports activities watches such because the Reference 5990 Nautilus Journey Time Chronograph and the Reference 5200 Gondolo 8 Days, by which the longer energy reserve the silicon permits is integral to the idea of the watch, appears extra in character to me than the usage of silicon elements within the 5550P.
And I’ve to admit that I’m not a fan of that sapphire “Cyclops” magnifier over the 5550’s stability.
To supply a extra excessive instance, the introduction of silicon escapement wheels within the Ulysse Nardin Freak, with its distinctive motion structure, appeared essentially the most pure factor on the earth to me; dropping silicon elements into the very conventional Patek Philippe Caliber 240 structure, regardless of the obvious practical advantages, appears extra jarring.
From a collector’s perspective, it appears fairly doubtless that this first-ever look of a full silicon stability and escapement system in a Patek Phillipe watch will turn into a permanent landmark; from this collector’s perspective, nevertheless, I’m attracted before everything by the fantastic thing about the dial aspect of the watch.
Getting again to the images, I hope you’ll agree that the considered use of scattered gentle, on this occasion thrown from the left aspect, appears to work simply fantastic for motion pictures as effectively.
The Patek Philippe Reference 5550P in brilliant gentle
All good issues, as they are saying, should come to an finish. On this case, I returned the 5550P to its beneficiant proprietor, and till I see it once more I’ve these photographs to recollect it by – as, now, do you!
Patek Philippe Reference 5550P dial element
Fast Information Patek Philippe Reference 5550 Perpetual Calendar Superior Analysis
Case: 37 mm platinum with the brand-typical diamond between the higher lugs signifying the platinum case
Motion: computerized Caliber 240 Q Si with Oscillomax silicon stability and escapement
Capabilities: hours, minutes, seconds; 24-hour indicator; perpetual calendar with bissextile year indicator; moon part
Worth: latest public sale worth (Christie’s, November 2013) $108,000; unique retail worth $109,000 in 2011, the yr it launched at Baselworld
Limitation: 300 items
* This text was first printed on August 13, 2014 at Behind The Lens: Patek Philippe Superior Analysis Reference 5550P Perpetual Calendar.
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