Patek Philippe celebrates honorary chairman's birthday with a special movement

This latest model, commemorating the 85th birthday of Philippe Stern, the current honorary chairman of Patek Philippe, is equipped with the newly developed caliber R AL 27 PS, which combines a minute repeater and a special alarm function. The rarity of this movement, which will never be used again, is immeasurable.

Dedicated movement "Cal.R AL 27 PS"

　Patek Philippe's public image has always been that of timeless luxury watches that can be passed down from generation to generation. This time, however, it is a birthday gift from a son to his father, current Honorary Chairman Philippe Stern, given by Thierry Stern, the fourth generation president of the Stern family since 2009, to celebrate his father's 85th birthday.

　The Minute Repeater Alarm 1938P, which pays tribute to his father by incorporating the year of his birth into its name, features an officer-style platinum case and a Grand Feu enamel dial featuring a portrait of Philippe Stern in white-gray enamel miniature on a black background, and is a limited edition of 30 pieces equipped with a new movement that will never be used again. A truly one-off treasure, it is an exceptionally rare piece.

　The exclusive movement developed under Thierry Stern's direction is the Caliber R AL27PS. The R (for repeater) and AL (for alarm) are based on the Caliber R27, a landmark in the history of complicated watches. Its origins date back to 1989, when the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. For then-Managing Director Philippe, the Caliber R27, a minute repeater movement developed and manufactured entirely in-house, was a technical achievement on a par with the world's most complicated watch, the Caliber 89. This marked the return of minute repeaters to wristwatches at Patek Philippe, and various repeater watches have become the Maison's signature specialty to this day. The use of the Caliber R27 as the basis for development was clearly a tribute to the company's achievements in the field of repeater watches.

　It was only natural that Patek Philippe chose the minute repeater, a favorite of his father Philippe Stern, for the commemorative model, but integrating an alarm mechanism was no easy task, even for a company with such technical expertise. The goal was to use the minute repeater mechanism, which uses two gongs and a hammer, to chime the set alarm time (hours, quarters, and minutes). This is the same alarm function that was also featured in the Grandmaster Chime 5175, released in 2014 to commemorate the company's 175th anniversary.

　To prevent conflicts between the optional minute repeater and the preset alarm, a pusher for selecting chime mode is located inside the crown, and a bell-shaped mode indicator is added to the dial. In alarm mode, the chime function is suspended and the drive mechanism is temporarily disengaged until the time displayed on the dial matches the preset alarm time. Patek Philippe applied for four technical patents in the development of the caliber R AL27PS.

　These include a selection mechanism that allows safe transition between two chiming modes, a mechanism that postpones the alarm sound until the appropriate moment, a synchronizer that ensures the chimes ring in the correct sequence in all cases, and a slide piece that ensures the chiming spring is always fully wound.It is intriguing that the undisputed leader in complicated watchmaking has yet again achieved innovation with a new movement, yet has chosen to keep it secret.

　For many years, Philippe Stern has personally checked the sound of every repeater watch, releasing only those that pass muster. This reminds us of the famous Chopin quote, who said, "Only the sound that your ears can accept is music." How did the music played as a birthday present resonate with him?