The Patek Philippe 5970 stands not only as one of the brand’s most iconic pieces, but also one of the most iconic pieces in modern watchmaking history. The 5970’s humble beginning goes back to the 1930s. Despite Patek Philippe’s already well-established name, the company, like most else, was certainly not immune to the grave effects of the Great Depression. Saving the brand from its demise was none other than the Stern family, and in particular, Philippe Stern. Philippe Stern served as a long-time anchor for Patek Philippe but with time, as goes the inner workings of any family business, Stern saw it time to hand over the reins. So in 2009, Thierry Stern, Philippe’s son, was inducted into the company’s leadership with one of his first major tasks on board being the launch of the 5970. Understanding that the handover meant the end of one era and the beginning of another, young Stern sought to bridge t⛦he gap between his father’s generation and his own, to create a timepiece that would catch the eye and heart of collectors both old and new.

The 5970 was the largest perpetual calendar chronograph ever produced by Patek Philippe at that point in time, much larger than the previous much loved Ref 3970 which measured 36mm in diameter. Thierry Stern said at the time that this increase in size was for the purposes of legibility, and this is clearly true, although this does coincide with a general trend towards larger watches at the time amongst all brands. Despite the increase in size, both watches were powered by the base chronograph caliber made by Lemania, the 2310, though heavily modified in the Patek Philippe factory. To ensure that the subsidiary dials did not look ‘marooned’ in the middle of this larger dial, a tachymeter was added beyond the railroad seconds track, 🐟not only to fill up the dial but also as a callback to the first and second series 2499 dials. Equally the square pushers were also brought back in a clear nod to the reference lauded predecessors, the 1518 and first series 2499, and It is o🅘ften said that the watch is a perfect combination of vintage and modern design elements.

Produced in a single series between the years 2004 and 2011, it is thought that only 2,800 examples across all metals were ever produced, with less than 400 of those were in the🦄 present platinum (and only made between 2009 and 2010). These numbers are already low for any watch, especially for one of the most desirable Patek Philippe timepieces in modern times, but the present watch has one small detail that elevates it 💛into the stratosphere of rarity and collectability.

Retailer signed watches are extremely rare, and to the best of our knowledge this isꦕ the first time that a platinum 5970 has appeared at auction with the Tiffany & Co retailer signature. The reference 5970 stands as a stalwart of collectible, rare and complicated Patek Philippe watches, and despite its relatively young age has already become one of the biggest hits of our millennia. The present watch is further distinguished with retailer signature beneath thওe moon phase, making this an unmissable opportunity for any astute collector to own an example of a truly important and beautiful Patek Philippe reference, with added rarity.

The watch is accompanied by its full set of accessories including the Tiffany & Co. outer box, display box, leather folio, Certificate of Origi🧔n and📖 second case back.