Patek Philippe Triple Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P Reviewed by Tim Mosso
by Tim Mosso
Patek Philippe’s 175th-anniversary collection contained a bumper crop of memorable models. The 5175 Grandmaster Chime was the most expensive and exclusive. Patek’s triple jumping 5275 hour-striker was the most exotic. And the Ref. 5575 World Time Moonphase was the most beautiful.
But today’s subject, the Ref. 5975 triple scale chronograph was the quirkiest. In its rarest form – platinum – the triple scale may be the most visually arresting of the class of 2014.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
No anniversary is complete without presents, and Patek Philippe brought the goods for its 2014 model year. To escape the shadow of its own legendary 1989 150th anniversary set – that year’s Calibre 89 remains Patek’s ultimate modern complication – the Genevan firm sought to break new ground in the fields of engineering and aesthetics. Reference 5975 was clearly of the latter school.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Triple scale chronographs were a niche class of technical stopwatch that saw their peak of commercial relevance in the 1940s and 1950s. Patek’s 5975 draws on that history – much of it from brands other than Patek Philippe itself. Similar to the Patek Philippe Museum, which highlights the entire history of watchmaking, the Ref. 5975 is a vessel for an entire industry’s period styling tropes.
It’s not a literal revival in the mold of the 5100 “Manta Ray” or 5500 “Tour Eiffel,” which were true resurrections of the Ref. 2554 and Ref. 2441, respectively.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
While at least one Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 chronograph was constructed with a black “scientific” dial clearly similar to the Ref. 5975 in platinum, the modern watch stands apart from most of Patek’s back catalog.
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Aesthetically, the angular 5975 case offers perhaps a sideways glance at the claw-lugged vintage model 1579, but new watch is an original construction. The lugs feature plenty of rugged creases between their knuckle-like junction with the caseband and stepped planes.
Multi-planed lug of the Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Standout among their qualities is the second plane of the lug that rides up and over the bezel. Tiered and square-jawed, these appendages are more yin than yang. The same could be said of the whole; there’s a mid-case sharply defined by overlapping flanges of the bezel and caseback; the bezel is conical, stepped, and faceted.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
There’s a hard-edged intensity to the 5975 form factors.
Dial side, Patek Philippe accomplished more with less. By less, I mean to say that there are no chronograph sub dials, no running seconds, and no date. Although this is a chronograph, there’s no minute or hour counter, and the sole chronograph function is a flyback seconds hand.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
All hands and applied indices are crafted from white gold for its anti-tarnishing qualities. The dial base itself is a rich black lacquer, and that can work to the detriment of legibility – at least where clock time is concerned.
The chronograph seconds hand gets a matte finish to set it apart from both the standard hands and the dial base. In some light, the chrono hand is the only one visible on the gloss black base.
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All three scales are printed in white assuring maximum contrast. This is a watch that places the chronograph function with maximum prominence and the scientific dial for easy reading.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
From the outside working in, the first scale is a telemeter. Its purpose, popularized by artillery spotting, starts with the assumed speed of sound near sea level being held static. When an event – such as a shell impact – is spotted, the chronograph starts. When the report of the explosion is heard, the chronograph is stopped. The number indicated by the chronograph hand is the user’s distance in kilometers from the impact.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Pulsometric scales, often are associated with the medical profession, allow a certain number of heartbeats to be counted while the chronograph runs. The 5975 employs a 15-beat scale. When the user of the chronograph starts counting heartbeats, she starts the chronograph; stopping the watch at 15 beats counted leaves the chronograph hand pointing to the extrapolated beats per minute heart rate of the patient.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Unlike the prior two, tachymeter scales are well-known to general watch enthusiasts due to their ubiquity on sports chronographs. Traditionally, this speed-oriented scale measures the rate of motion of an object between two points.
Because watch collectors are assumed to have thrilling lives, the standard example of tachymeter use involves a race car that starts and finishes a timed kilometer. Rolex’s tach-shod Daytona famously is marketed in a fashion that plays up the motorsports angle.
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By starting the chronograph when the car crosses the starting point of the segment and stopping when the car passes the kilometer mark, the user of a tachymeter can read the speed of the vehicle on his watch’s scale. Conversion factors can be used to account for timed miles or speed measured in miles per hour and taking a mental note of decimals enables the use of the tachymeter to measure slower objects.
While less romantic than auto racing, the most common 20th century use of chronographs to gauge speed likely was the pre-radar activity of traffic police.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Due to the fact that all of the above events and time scales can be served by seconds alone, the Patek Philippe 5975 has no chronograph function besides the seconds hand. However, Patek makes provisions for timing events in rapid succession by providing a flyback chronograph function.
This stopwatch can be reset and restarted without any need to stop, reset, and restart. Press the reset trigger, and a new timing event begins.
Moreover, due to the lack of any running seconds display on the 5975, it’s common for owners simply to leave the chronograph running full time to add a seconds hand and enliven an otherwise still dial.
While a hacking function is not provided by the movement, the flyback action itself can be employed as a zero-reset to synchronize the watch to a reference time.
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Patek Philippe caliber 28-520 automatic winding
Mechanically, the 5975 is as orthodox as an exotic limited edition Patek Philippe can be. The caliber 28-520 bowed in 2006 as motive power for the Nautilus Chronograph 5980 and the annual calendar chronograph 5960. 28-520’s claim to historical fame is its status as Patek’s first in-house automatic chronograph movement.
Engraved solid caseback of the Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Finish is admirable, but all versions of the 5975 include a solid caseback with a 175th anniversary dedication. While this yields a thinner watch, it means the 5975 is for dial fans foremost and only those movement fans who can appreciate quality in the abstract.
From a functional standpoint, the self-winding 28-520 boasts 55 hours of power reserve in this time-only application. Headlining features include a crisp column wheel function selector and seamless vertical clutch chronograph engagement.
Due to the vertical clutch, the popular practice of leaving the 5975 chronograph in motion does not create additional wear or tear on the watch. Refinements include a non-magnetic silicon hairspring, six-position adjustment, a free sprung balance, and factory-specified precision of -3/+2 seconds per 24 hours. While the bias towards time loss is odd, both figures surpass the tolerances of the C.O.S.C.
Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P – P for Platinum
Four versions of the 5975 were produced. Pink, yellow, and white gold models were produced in 400 pieces each. Patek Philippe reserved the most potent black dial option for its 100-piece platinum 5975P.
Consequently, this platinum-case’s formidable wrist presence belies its relatively compact dimensions.
A diamond between the lugs signifies that this Patek Philippe Multi-Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P has a platinum case
A diamond between the lugs at six o’clock confirms this as a platinum Patek. For chronograph minimalists who are also dial maximalists, the 5975P is the ultimate – and possibly only – game in town.
Quick Facts: Patek Philippe Triple Scale Chronograph Ref. 5975P
Reference Code: 5975P-001
Edition: 100 pieces for 2014
Case: Platinum; 40mm; 10.4mm thick; 46.5mm lug-to-lug; water resistence 30-meters; push down crown; solid caseback with 175th anniversary dedication
Clasp: Platinum single fold deployant clasp with 175th anniversary dedication
Dial: Black with flyback seconds hand, telemeter, tachymeter, and pulsometer scales
Movement: Caliber 28-520, automatic winding, 55-hour power reserve, 29 jewels, 4Hz, free sprung balance, six-position adjustment, silicon hairspring, column wheel, vertical clutch, flyback chronograph.
Functions: Hours, minutes, flyback chronograph seconds hand
2014 Price: CHF 78,000
2024 Preowned Price: $166,000
* Tim Mosso is the media director and watch specialist at The 1916 Company. You can check out their very comprehensive YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@the1916company.
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Is cool but is so expensive !!!