Patek Philippe 5304, Manual, Page: 3 / 22

Introduction
With a transparent dial that reveals its elaborate
micromechanical cosmos, the Ref. 5304 grand
complication in rose gold with a minute repea-
ter, a perpetual calendar, and a retrograde date is
a fantastic showcase of exceptional watchmaking
artistry.
The day of the week, the month, and the leap-
year cycle are displayed in white through aper-
tures, thanks to an ingenious system of moving
sapphire-crystal disks that hover over black rec-
tangles in the background. A retrograde hand
from the center indicates the current date on a
peripheral scale. A small hand with two round sil-
houettes indicates the moon phase with stunning
precision. The slide in the left-hand case flank
activates the minute repeater: it tells the time
acoustically with unprecedented sonority.
The minute repeater
On demand, the minute repeater strikes the
hours, the quarter-hours, and then the minutes
that have elapsed since the last quarter-hour. The
first hammer strikes the hours on the low-pitched
gong with one strike for each hour. Subsequently,
each quarter-hour is sounded as an alternating
double strike by two hammers on both the high-
and low-pitched gongs. Finally, the second hammer
strikes the high-pitched gong to count the number
of minutes that have passed since the last quar-
ter-hour.
At 12:59, for instance, the melody consists of 12
low sounds, 3 double high/low sounds, and 14
high sounds (totaling the maximum of 32 strikes).
Reference 5304
Caliber R 27 PS QR LU
Wristwatch with minute repeater.
Perpetual calendar with retrograde date.
Self-winding. Rose gold.