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by Nancy Olson

Patek Philippe gathered the largest grouping of its rare minute repeaters in one place in mid-2016.

A selection of the largest collection of Patek Philippe minute repeaters gathered in one place in 2016

This unique event was broadcast live via the Internet as the focus of Robb Report’s first Master Class, in which the magazine’s editors partnered with the esteemed watch brand.

Filmed at Patek Philippe’s headquarters at Rockefeller Center in New York City, the 30-minute event featured eleven minute repeaters designed for both men’s and women’s wrists chosen for their physical and aural beauty.

Left to right: Larry Petinelli (Patek Philippe), James Malcomson (Robb Report), Anne-Gaëlle Ruch (Patek Philippe), David Bonilla (Patek Philippe)

This is unusual because Patek Philippe’s understated minute repeaters, usually manufactured on a one-off basis, are generally bought sight unseen by collectors as the brand practically “never has any available for viewing,” as Larry Pettinelli, president of the Henri Stern Watch Agency, the Geneva-based company’s U.S. division, explained.

Pettinelli hit home the significance of having such a collection of watches in one place, describing it as “very unusual.” And in my opinion, this is quite dazzling!

Each minute repeater takes two years to produce and is created specifically for a Patek Philippe customer – without hearing its sound, just trusting in Patek Philippe’s extraordinary reputation.

The 11 repeaters

The eleven repeaters gathered for this extraordinary event comprise two made for the female wrist; five combined grand complication-style with other high-grade complications such as perpetual calendar and tourbillon; two with automatic winding; and two featuring cathedral chimes with gongs wrapping twice around the movement’s perimeter.

Here is an overview of the eleven repeaters. Note the audible high quality of the chimes despite the use of sound dampening case materials such as platinum and gemstones.

Patek Philippe Reference 7000R minute repeater

Reference 7000R Ladies First Minute Repeater
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27 PS
Case: 33.7 mm, pink gold
Functions: hours, minutes; minute repeater
Price: 350,000 Swiss francs
Year of manufacture: 2011

Patek Philippe Reference 7002-450G Four Seasons Symphony (image courtesy Robb Report)

Reference 7002/450G Four Seasons Symphony
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27
Case: 34.7 mm, white gold with diamonds and multicolored sapphires: 1,194 total stones (approx. 6.9 ct)
Price: 490,000 Swiss francs
Remark: the very first high jewelry grand complication for women at Patek Philippe; exceptional sound

Patek Philippe Reference 5216R minute repeater

Reference 5216R
Movement: manually wound Caliber R TO 27 PS QR with one-minute tourbillon
Case: 39.5 mm, pink gold
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater, perpetual calendar with retrograde date
Price: 695,000 Swiss francs
Year of manufacture: 2011

Patek Philippe Reference 5216R minute repeater

Reference 5216P-001
Movement: manually wound Caliber R TO 27 PS QR with one-minute tourbillon
Case: 39.5 mm, platinum
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater, perpetual calendar with retrograde date
Price: 715,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5307P minute repeater

Reference 5307P-001
Movement: manually wound Caliber R TO 27 PS QI with one-minute tourbillon
Case: 41 mm, platinum with baguette-cut diamond hour markers, bezel, and buckle (4.21 ct)
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phases and day/night indication
Price: 795,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5539G minute repeater

Reference 5539G-001
Movement: manually wound Caliber R TO 27 PS with one-minute tourbillon
Case: 37 mm, white gold
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater
Price: 520,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5074P minute repeater

Reference 5074P-001
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27 Q with micro rotor
Case: 42 mm, platinum
Functions: hours, minutes; minute repeater (cathedral chime), perpetual calendar with moon phases and 24-hour indication
Price: 582,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5073R minute repeater

Reference 5073R-001
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27 Q with micro rotor
Case: 42 mm, pink gold with bezel and lugs set with 103 baguette-cut diamonds (4.33 ct)
Functions: hours, minutes; minute repeater (cathedral chime), perpetual calendar with moon phases and 24-hour indication
Price: 640,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5073R-001 (image courtesy Sotheby’s)

Reference 5078P-001
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27 PS
Case: 38 mm, platinum
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater
Price: 361,300 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5078R minute repeater

Reference 5078R-001
Movement: automatic Caliber R 27 PS
Case: 38 mm, pink gold
Functions: hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; minute repeater
Price: 340,000 Swiss francs

Patek Philippe Reference 5208P minute repeater

Reference 5208P-001
Movement: automatic Caliber R CH 27 PS QI
Case: 42 mm, platinum
Functions: hours, minutes, seconds; minute repeater, monopusher chronograph, perpetual calendar with moon phases and day/night indication
Price 825,000 Swiss francs
Year of manufacture: 2011

Anne-Gaëlle Ruch, international technical and sales trainer of Patek Philippe’s commercial department, has been with Patek Philippe for 16 years and is a Level 4 watchmaker with a focus on minute repeaters. She and watchmaker David Bonilla, technical manager of the Henri Stern Watch Agency, were also on hand to present the watches along with James Malcolmson, Robb Report’s watch editor.

The white-gloved Ruch and Bonilla handled each timepiece with a reverence that was enjoyable to watch, rightfully implying that the audience should do the same if they ever get their hands on one. As each watch was presented, Ruch provided interesting technical information and impacts on sound quality. Malcomson filled in well-researched general minute repeater information.

I did a short interview with Malcolmson following the broadcast for some of his impressions.

Q&P: In addition to reaching a broad and engaged audience, what did you expect to achieve via this event?

JM: The most important objective was interactivity and engagement. This is what separated this method from what could be accomplished via a video. We received a large number of questions and comments, some of which were answered on air and others by a bank of moderators from Robb Report and Patek Philippe.

Q&P: Which minute repeater models did you present?

JM: We had 11 models: 7000R, 5216R, 5216P, 5078P, 5078R, 5207P, 5208P, 5539G, 5074P, 5073G, and the 7002-450G. We presented these in “flights” to contrast materials, complications, and jewels and their effect on sound.

Q&P: Beside the opportunity for audio, why was the minute repeater chosen as the focus?

JM: Minute repeaters obviously present a unique opportunity in watches, not only because their experiential nature lends itself to audio/visual presentation, but because their rarity makes a gathering of this kind interesting to watch for collectors who might not otherwise get the opportunity.

Q&P: To what do you attribute the growing interest in minute repeaters?

JM: Minute repeaters represent the highest level of complication, which always attracts interest. These days, however, new efforts in engineered sound by a variety of brands makes the area a hotbed of technical competition between brands and also highlights the importance of high-level human watchmaking skill, which is becoming rarer.

See the entire broadcast here, including each of the repeaters chiming: www.live.robbreport.com/c/firstlook.