Ton-sur-ton and contrasts go hand in hand in a complicated, contemporary classic

In 1996, Patek Philippe launched a watch to bridge the gap between its dress watches and perpetual calendars. The brand needed more sales; the Nautilus was not a hype watch yet, so what did Patek do? It launched a classic calendar watch that looked like a perpetual calendar, but it actually was a watch with a patented calendar that only needed to be adjusted once a year. Ref. 5035 was the world’s first annual calendar wristwatch, and since it looked every millimeter a veritable complicated Patek, it did what it had to do — sell, and at nearly half the price of a ref. 3940 “QP.” Thirty years later, the annual calendar has become a staple. The latest iteration, the ton-sur-ton Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 5396R-016, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the complication, and I went hands-on with it.

When the ref. 5035J annual calendar debuted three decades ago, the reception was enthusiastic.…