In 2009, Patek Philippe introduced the CH 29 535 PS, its first fully exclusive in-house hand-wound chronograph movement. It was installed in an indubitably feminine reference called the Ladies First Chronograph. This was surprising in two ways. For one, it was only then that some in the watchmaking community realized that Patek Philippe, virtually the only firm to have produced its own complications uninterruptedly for nearly a century, did not yet have its own hand-wound chronograph, although it did have automatic and monopusher split-second models. Additionally, the movement was first introduced in a special-shaped, gem-set ladies’ watch. Previously, the brand had only fitted quartz movements in such watches, like the Twenty-4. There had been no mechanical movements, no complications, and no new or noble calibres like this one.
Transition
However, in 2009, Thierry Stern became President of Patek Philippe, succeeding his father. The existence of the Ladies First Chronograph was thus a message: a signal marking a change of direction in the firm’s history, moving towards full integration of the movement, a transition completed by this calibre. It was a harbinger of the multiple complications for ladies that would emerge in the following years, of the jewelled watches that were soon to become must-haves, and of the firm’s newfound ability to surprise, which had not previously been one of its strengths.
The calibre’s presentation on the dial reveals its future potential. The two counters the small seconds on the left and the 30-minute totaliser on the right are positioned beneath the centreline marked by the crown, freeing up the space above for additional complications, immediately recalling the firm’s Perpetual Calendar chronograph, a Patek Philippe style landmark unveiled shortly thereafter.
Similarly, a view from the back highlights the mechanism’s groundbreaking role in the culture of the Geneva-based company, which traditionally viewed the automatic chronograph as a sports application. The CH 29 535 PS calibre is hand-wound, embodying traditional excellence through its presentation, adherence to classical canons, and, of course, its price point.
Succession
For the previous 23 years, a very noble mechanism had fulfilled this role. The calibre referred to by Patek as the CH 27 70 is perhaps the most classic, enduring manually wound chronograph and one of the most beautiful. The brand was, however, already drawing ahead of the pack and asserting its leadership; that particular calibre, a white-label movement by Lemania also used by Breguet and Vacheron Constantin, was no longer adequate. The same lack of exclusivity led the brand to move away from the Geneva Seal that same year, instead inaugurating a seal under its own name. Over several years, it had been developing its own silicon regulating organs, freeing itself from outside suppliers. The firm’s small new 5.35 mm-thick calibre, with performance that wasn’t particularly striking, was in fact an illustration of these underlying trends.
Patek isn’t in the habit of using fashionable solutions just for fashion’s sake. The brand prefers to improve on what it already has, making its own incremental contributions to the history of innovation in its field. In this case, the CH 29 535 PS doesn’t have a vertical clutch, which would have made the movement thicker, whereas it had to stay slim: the brand has never favored large sizes. Instead, it registered six patents, two of which address the weaknesses of the horizontal clutch. The calibre has a 65-hour power reserve, reduced to 58 if the chronograph is kept running, an obvious but rarely-mentioned detail. Among the vast array of beautiful finishes, one is a quintessentially Patek touch: a screw cover atop the column wheel with an impeccable mirror-polished finish.
A feminine following
The Ladies First Chronograph is quite small, demonstrating the versatility of this calibre. It has a beautifully curved cushion-shaped case with a round dial, made more feminine with oval counters and a subtle guilloché finish. Around the dial, a generous flange set with brilliant-cut diamonds fills the space between the circle and the rectangle.
The level of execution heralded a step change that was also a turning point for Patek Philippe.
The brand was beginning to attract a much broader following, which has since grown steadily and the primary purpose of this watch was to ensure that women could be part of that following.
