The Patek Philippe 5178G Watch Review

The Patek Philippe 5178G Watch Review

The Patek Philippe 5178G Watch Review

THE PATEK PHILIPPE 5178G MINUTE REPEATER

Initially sight, the Patek Philippe 5178G is really a relatively easy watch. Relatively reasonable when it comes to proportions, with different simple time-only display, showing a stylish and highly traditional case… There’s absolutely nothing to make you suppose something very complex ticks inside this watch. It's without a doubt a really refined watch, however, it will fly individually distinct. Should you pass before someone putting on this watch, you’ll most likely only visit a classic, dressy 3-hands watch. Before you uncover the trigger around the left side from the situation and also the various details that compose the 5178G.

The Patek Philippe 5178G Watch Review

The Patek Philippe 5178G was introduced at Baselworld 2017, alongside another watch, the 5078G. Both of them are minute repeaters, both have a similar dial, indexes and hands, have white-colored gold cases with traditional Patek shape. Both are also the real essence of the items one minute repeater by Patek is. No extra complication and inside, the well-known automatic Calibre R 27. However, the first is 38mm across (the 5078G) and yet another is 40mm across (the 5178G), also it does not have anything related to design matters. When compared to 38mm version, the movement Patek Philippe 5178G needs extra space for any simple reason: inside are cathedral gongs (we’ll return later within the article with that subject) as the 5078G has standard gongs.、

A detailed inspection from the 5178G reveals superb details. Let’s consider the situation first. As stated, it's very traditional and subtle, using the usual Patek shape - convex bezel, rounded situation, walked lugs - and perfectly performed. Produced in 18K white-colored gold, the finishing of surfaces is great. Even at 40mm, this watch remains well proportioned and discreet.

Then comes the dial. Again, it feels 100% Patek. The mixture of Breguet hands and Breguet numerals is really as discreet and enjoyable as all of those other watch. Yet, as always with Patek, a glance within magnifier - or a glance at our macro photos - let appear the truly amazing information on the numerals, that are individually crafted in gold, polished and put on the dial by hands. The dial itself, as indicated at using the “email” inscription, is created in grand-feu enamel (“email” means enamel in French). Presented within an off-white-colored colour, its surface is perfectly polished and contains this excellent milky effect that just enamel may bring.

Overall, the Patek Philippe 5178G Minute Repeater is really a true connoisseur’s watch: highly discreet, never screaming its origins, never demonstrative in the manner it uses complications. It just reveals its beauty after a close look, which obviously bring an excellent degree of detail.

HAUTE HORLOGERIE FINISHING AT PATEK PHILLIPE

Patek Philippe includes a lengthy tradition of Minute Repeaters. Because the earliest times of the manufacture, in 1839, chiming watches happen to be created. However, when it comes to wristwatches, situations are slightly different. The very first minute repeater watch Patek ever produced goes back to 1925 - having a movement provided by Victorin Piguet. However, production was private and mostly according to commission watches. It’s only in 1989 that Patek Philippe introduced back the thought of the moment repeater watch towards the table, using the 150th-anniversary reference 3974, a chiming watch with perpetual calendar designed for the Jubilee collection. This watch introduced the Calibre R 27, which is made of still utilized in current minute repeaters.

The calibre R 27 feels rather familiar initially, using its micro-rotor. It's something from the famous calibre 240. Yet, the only real common point is that this micro-rotor, because the rest is specific… such as the decoration from the movement. With regards to Patek Philippe, we didn't have to complain about finishing and execution from the movement. However, with minute repeaters, we go several steps further. The decoration is really exquisite and made by hands. The hammers, using their black polished surfaces, the guilloché around the micro-rotor, the anglage, the security on the top the centrifugal governor… There's not one other method of putting it this is correct Haute Horlogerie.

The Idea Of CATHEDRAL GONGS

The Patek Philippe 5178G Watch Review

The mechanism behind one minute repeater consists of 4 primary elements. The first, hidden beneath the dial, is a number of racks and snails that may “read” time shown by both your hands and transfer it to all of those other mechanism, therefore it knows the number of chimes should be performed. Then may be the centrifugal governor (visible here underneath the gilded Calatrava mix), a kind of brake that regulates the rate from the chiming mechanism - therefore the minute repeater chimes using the preferred tempo. The 3rd element may be the hammers - that could be when compared to sticks of the percussionist. The hammers would be the parts that strike, that induce a dark tone by “knocking” around the final aspect of the mechanism, the gongs.

The gongs would be the parts that induce the background music. Those are the instruments from the seem. They may be over a triangular inside a classical orchestra. Because the hammer strikes them, they resonate to produce a seem (a music). These gongs are thin steel coils curving inside a circular shape across the inside circumference from the situation. Usually, two seem to be used in a moment repeater: one for that low pitch, one for that high pitch. These coils are formed by hands and individually tuned towards the preferred note - something which merely a handful watchmakers is capable of.

How about cathedral gongs? They vary from classic gongs when it comes to their length. Cathedral gongs cover the movement having a length equal to nearly two circumferences and therefore are thus two times as lengthy as standard ones. It makes sense a wealthy tone having a particularly lengthy reverberation (you’ll hear within the video below). However, cathedral gongs will also be much more complex to shape. Since the gongs are just guaranteed at one finish, it's very hard to drape them round the movement two times without one touching the situation, the movement, or one another. The issue continues to be overcome having a helical arrangement of these two gongs with recesses within the situation.

So How Exactly Does THE PATEK PHILIPPE 5178G Seem?

Since I’ve began covering watches, I'd the opportunity to pay attention to most likely 20 or 30 different minute repeaters. I have to admit it is frequently an enjoyment to determine the hammers focusing on the rear and to hear the background music created through the gongs. However, couple of provided just as much pleasure because this Patek Philippe 5178G. On some, I discovered the seem to become quite poor (too little harmonics and reverberation). On some, it had been the rate where the hammers struck the gongs which was not well controlled (the tempo was too quickly or not fast enough, or perhaps differs when punching the hrs or even the quarters). On the majority of, the seem only agreed to be not loud enough. However, this really is all very personal and really should be seen as an subjective opinion.

However, as possible judge on your own using the short video above (sorry for that poor excellence of the image), the seem from the Patek Philippe 5178G is wealthy, filled with harmonics, deep and highly musical - once more, to my very own opinion. I discovered here the tempo to become just great and also the result wasn't only wealthy but additionally very loud - this short video continues to be recorded in the Geneva Salons, with ambient noise. I'd place this watch within my own best three, especially due to the richness of their seem. Yet, bear in mind that does not about a minute repeater will seem just like another, and much more, not really two 5178G will seem the identical.