Patek Philippe Ref. 5100 “10 Jours” Limited Edition
Introduced in 2000, the Patek Philippe-5100/10 Jours timepiece houses a rectangular hand-wound 28-20/220 chronometer movement which boasts an exceptional 10-day power reserve. This COSC certified chronometer collection was limited to 3,000 pieces, 2,700 in solid white gold and 300 in platinum.
To celebrate the year 2000, Patek Philippe created a limited edition series of 3,000 watches, featuring an entirely new rectangular chronometer movement with a 10-day power reserve. The launch of this rectangular-shaped manually-wound caliber, 28-20/220 with small seconds and power reserve indications, constitutes a major event for watch enthusiasts and is a first in the history of fine watch making.
Inspired by a Patek Philippe movement from the 1930s, this new caliber with its coupled double barrel system has a power reserve with an exceptional 10-day capacity, a first in the world of watch making. To house this new movement, Patek Philippe has crafted an exclusive rectangular case, issued in a limited series of only 3,000 pieces: 1,500 in yellow gold, 750 in rose gold, 450 in white gold and 300 in platinum.
The case design of Ref. 5100 is based on the unique and extremely complex shape of a Patek Philippe timepiece dating back to 1958. As with all Patek Philippe timepieces, the movement and the case of each Ref. 5100 were engraved with an individual identification number based on the company´s 160-year-old register.
Its refined construction of the Patek Philippe 28-20/220 Caliber is reflected in the exceptional quality of the technical and decorative finish. Patek Philippe has added its own functional and aesthetic requirements to the 12 technical criteria of the Geneva Seal hallmark. All Patek Philippe mechanical movements have been awarded the Geneva Seal hallmark which is the highest official standard in the craft of watch making.
Some of the decorative elements are hidden at the very heart of the mechanism and will only ever be seen by a master watchmaker. The base plate and bridges are refined by highly detailed and fine workmanship. First, they are carefully trimmed by hand, in order to remove any residual material, which could potentially disturb the functioning of the mechanism. Then all the bridges are angled, chamfered, and polished. Their edges are decorated by hand with fine longitudinal strokes. Both sides of the base plate and the undersides of the bridges are finished with a circular-grained Perlage pattern, while the top sides of the bridges are decorated with the Côtes de Genève stripes.
As required by the Geneva Seal hallmark, all steel parts (such as springs, levers and setting levers) are chamfered and polished, while their edges and upper surfaces are hand-finished. The bridges and base plate are rhodium plated for durability and to prevent oxidation.
For aesthetic and practical purposes, the escape wheel and the seconds wheel are each fixed to an independent bridge. The gear train is also finished using the extreme care that Patek Philippe gives to all movement parts. Even the tiny spaces between the teeth of the steel wheels and pinions are polished by hand to reduce friction. This is done on a traditional hardwood grinding wheel.
The entire winding mechanism also undergoes special finishing operations. The teeth of the steel wheels, pinions, screw heads and slots are chamfered and polished, and the sinks of the screw recesses in the steel components and bridges are also polished.
To ensure the exceptional 10-day power reserve capacity, both the barrels must develop high power, which creates tension and therefore friction in the movement. To reduce this friction, no fewer than 29 rubies are placed at critical pivoting points in the movement. Thus the power stays more constant, allowing the movement to have a more stable and accurate running rate.
This movement is visually distinctive, because 9 of the 29 rubies are held in 18K gold chaton settings in their bridge pivoting points. The barrel bridge is engraved with the Patek Philippe name, the number of jewels (29) and the tested timing positions (5). All the engravings, including the Geneva Seal hallmark, are finely gilded – a reminder that supreme quality is best expressed through refined details.
The remarkable precision of the movement is certified by its individual official rating certificate exclusively reserved for movements bearing the Geneva Seal hallmark. This certificate is issued after three weeks of testing to guarantee the performance of the watch in five positions and at different temperatures. Created for the first time in 1996 for Patek Philippe by the Official Swiss Chronometer Bureau jointly with the Geneva Seal Institute, the certificate attests to the exceptional quality of this new movement.
The Patek Ref. 5100 watch can function 10 full days without needing to be rewound. This timepiece was inspired by an earlier “8-day” Patek Philippe movement.
Manually wound Caliber 28-20/220 features a double barrel with a size/ratio calculated for optimal performance. Both barrels are tightened simultaneously. A clutch system – a slipping spring fitted to the arbor of the first winding barrel – prevents over-winding the springs and blocking the winding mechanism when the maximum power reserve has been reached. The power reserve indicator is located at 12 o´clock on the dial.
Thanks to the ingenious system developed by Patek Philippe´s engineers, it takes relatively few winds of the crown (approximately 100) to power the 10-day reserve mechanism. Half a turn (180°) of the crown is sufficient to provide one hour´s capacity when in other watches a full turn is usually required for the same result.
Sculpted in 18K solid gold or platinum, the spectacular shape makes one think of a majestic manta ray. More than 188 different operations were required to achieve its highly complex original shape.
The extended edges of the bezel and the refined shape of its convex profile are inspired by Patek Philippe Ref. 2554, which belongs to the Patek Philippe Museum collection. Like the elegant historical piece from 1958, the crown is embossed with the Calatrava Cross and is entirely integrated into the profile of the case. A sapphire crystal back reveals the beauty of the 10-day movement.
Each case is combined with an individual dial color: silvery white for yellow gold, slate gray for rose gold, midnight blue for white gold and black for platinum.
The harmonious design of the dial complements the unusual case. The sub-dial indicating seconds is located at 6 o´clock and the 10-day power reserve indicator is positioned at 12 o´clock. Other distinctive features include 18K gold “Dauphine” hour and minute hands, Arabic numerals and hour markers that match the case color.
The crocodile strap has a traditional Patek Philippe buckle of solid 18K gold or platinum. The platinum case is distinguished from the white gold model by a flawless Top Wesselton diamond set discreetly between the lugs on the 6 o´clock side.
Technical details
Model: Patek Philippe Ref. 5100 “10 Jours” Limited Edition
Editions
Ref. 5100J: 18K yellow gold case, silvery white dial, and black crocodile strap: 1,500 pieces
Ref. 5100R: 18K rose gold case, slate gray dial, and brown crocodile strap: 750 pieces
Ref. 5100G: 18K white gold case, midnight blue dial, and black crocodile strap: 450 pieces
Ref. 5100: Platinum case, black dial, and black crocodile strap: 300 pieces
Total limited production: 3,000 pieces only
Movement
Rectangular Caliber 28-20/220, manual winding chronometer with 10-day power reserve, power reserve indicator, and seconds.
Dimensions: 28 x 20 mm
Height: 5.05 mm
Number of parts: 175
Number of jewels: 29 rubies
Power reserve: 10 days (240 hours) guaranteed
Balance: Gyromax
Frequency: 21,600 vibrations per hour
Balance spring: Flat
Certification
Exclusive certificate issued jointly by the Official Swiss Chronometer Bureau and the Geneva Seal Institute
Setting functions
Two-position winding crown: Pushed in for manual winding and pulled out for setting the time
Case
Case in 18K yellow, white or rose gold or in platinum
Dimensions: 33.90 x 46.00 mm
Height: 12.80 mm
Sapphire crystal case back
Water resistant to 25 meters
Indications
Hours and minutes
Seconds at 6 o´clock
10-day power reserve at 12 o´clock
Strap
Crocodile
