Patek Philippe has always been the go-to brand by the cognoscenti for not only elegant and refined timepieces but also for complicated timepieces of sotto voce sophistication.

Reference 5016 was launched in 1993 and was at the time the most complicated watch produced by the company, featuring a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar with retrograde date and a tourbillon. It wasn’t until 2001 and the launch of reference 5002 – the Sky Moon Tourbillon – that Patek Philippe presented a more complicated piece.

Produced in yellow, white and rose gold, as well as platinum, the watches featured silvered or black dials with the movement number printed below the moon phase – a nod to the observatory chronometer pocket watches of yesteryear. It is believed that approximately 200 examples were manufactured until production ended in 2011.

The movement of the reference 5016 is composed of over 500 individual components, all hand-finished to perfection. The dial features a rare retrograde date sector, which Patek Philippe featured on a few select, future references including the 5050, 5059, 5159 and 5160. The minute repeating function has an exceptional tone, fullness, and cadence.

Housed in a relatively compact 37mm case, the expansive layout and arched lugs allows for significant presence on the wrist without any hint of ostentatiousness.

The present reference 5016 in yellow gold is fresh to the market and one of only 12 yellow gold examples known.

Reference 5016 is a timepiece of incredible appeal and rarity, a watch that many covet but only few can possess. One example, most notably in stainless steel was sold at the Phillips Only Watch sale in Geneva in 2015 for 7,300,000 CHF.