The ref. 5059 was introduced in 1998 to replace the previous ref. 5050, the first serially produced perpetual calendar with a retrograde date by Patek Philippe. Discontinued in 2006, the ref. 5059 was produced in all four precious metals and is particularly noteworthy for its officer-style hinged case back and elongated lugs with screwed pins. Cased in white gold, this example is particularly elegant and sublime, even more so given the stark white dial contrasted with the painted black Roman numerals.

A robust and state-of-the-art in-house movement, it features an intriguing retrograde date complication as part of its perpetual calendar function. At the end of each month, the date hand automatically flies back to its original starting point – a very difficult function to reliably implement in watchmaking.

Presented in excellent overall condition with its Certificate of Origin stamped the Patek Philippe Salon in Paris, it is further accompanied by a special presentation box engraved with the Paris Salon address “10 Pl. Vendôme”, making this ref. 5059 in white gold even more collectible.