The Patek Philippe reference 5070 was the first modern-era chronograph-only wristwatch released by the firm since the end of production for the reference 1463 in the 1960s. Introduced in 1998 at Baselworld, it was something of a shock to collectors that Patek would choose to reintroduce a chronograph model in such bold fashion – particularly with a 42mm case and a dramatically thick, stepped bezel. The reference 5070 enjoys a unique spot in Patek Philippe’s history as one of the largest watches it had produced and the last chronograph to use a modified, Lemania 2310-based ébauche before Patek Philippe switched to an in-house caliber.

A worthy and highly anticipated successor to the classic reference 1463 chronograph, the 5070 would also feature a water-resistant case with a screw-down case back. Despite being the mechanical successor to the 1463, the reference 5070 inherited the design of the unique reference 2512 from 1950, an oversized split-seconds chronograph that now resides in the Patek Philippe Museum. The large Arabic numerals and stepped bezel specifically come directly from the 2512, as well as the square pushers. Despite the large size of the case, the relatively slim profile and downturned lugs lends the watch a sophisticated and comfortable presence on the wrist.

Introduced in a total of four different case materials including yellow gold, pink gold, white gold and platinum, the white gold variant was first introduced in 2001 and was discontinued in 2006 with approximately 1,000 examples produced in the respective metal.

A stunning example still single sealed in its original packaging, the present fresh-to-the-market Patek Philippe ref. 5070G-001 sold in 2008 is preserved in its untouched state, and was part of the last ones to be manufactured near the end of its production. For collectors who seek to be the first one to wear a brand new Lemania based 5070G-001, here is your chance.