Patek Philippe 5204 User manual

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The Reference 5204 Grand Complication wristwatch
is the first Patek Philippe split-seconds chronograph
with a perpetual calendar featuring a movement
developed and crafted in its entirety in the manu-
facture’s ateliers. The classic architecture of the
manually wound caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q movement
incorporates a horizontal clutch and two column
wheels. It is endowed with numerous technical
advances and the basic caliber alone features six
patented innovations. The split-seconds mechanism
was largely redesigned and optimized with two
decisive refinements: a new isolator system for
the split-seconds lever and a patented mechanism
that assure the nearly perfect congruence of the
chronograph and split-seconds hands. Many further
innovations boost its rate accuracy, performance,
and long-term reliability. Despite its 182 parts, the
perpetual calendar module has a height of merely
1.65 mm, demonstrating the peerless competence
of Patek Philippe in the domain of grand compli-
cations and exceptional timepieces.
Reference 5204
Caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q
Split-seconds chronograph
with perpetual calendar.

Instructions
WINDING CROWN
The winding crown is used to wind the watch
(position 1) and to set the time (position 2).
WINDING
Your watch has a manually wound movement
which when fully wound has a power reserve
of at least 55 hours. The power reserve may be
affected if the chronograph functions are used
frequently. We recommend that you wind your
watch each day at about the same time, preferably
in the morning (about 25 clockwise turns of the
crown).
Caution: We advise you to wind the watch before you put
it on. This way, you can avoid lateral pressure on the winding
stem, which in the course of the years could damage the
stem tube. Turn the crown gently and uniformly, and stop
as soon as you feel resistance: excessively vigorous winding
could damage the movement.
Indications, functions, and settings
DISPLAYS AND FUNCTIONS
1- DAY OF WEEK
2- MONTH
3- YEAR (4 = LEAP YEAR)
4- MOON PHASE DISPLAY
5- DAY/NIGHT INDICATOR
6- 30-MINUTE COUNTER
7- WINDING POSITION
8- HANDSETTING POSITION
9- SUBSIDIARY SECOND
10- CHRONOGRAPH START/STOP PUSHER
11- CHRONOGRAPH RESET PUSHER
12- DATE
13- SPLIT-SECONDS PUSHER
SETTINGS
A- PUSH PIECE FOR DAY CORRECTIONS (1)
B- PUSH PIECE FOR DATE CORRECTIONS (12)
C- PUSH PIECE FOR MONTH CORRECTIONS (2)
D- PUSH PIECE FOR MOON PHASE CORRECTIONS (3)
21
7
10
8
3 612459 D
B C
A
11
13

SETTING THE TIME
To set the time, gently pull out the crown and
move the hands in either direction. Once you
have set the correct time, push the crown home
again. The day/night indicator at 7:30 allows you
to verify whether the time displayed by your
watch is between 6 am and 6 pm (white) or
between 6 pm and 6 am (blue). If you advance
the hands beyond midnight, all calendar displays
will switch to the next day as well. We advise
against moving the hands beyond midnight in the
counterclockwise direction because this would
desynchronize the calendar mechanism. However,
this will not damage the movement.
Caution: Remove the watch from your wrist to adjust
the time. This way, you can avoid lateral pressure on the
winding stem. Please use your fingernails to pull the crown
out and turn it gently between two fingertips.
PERPETUAL CALENDAR
The perpetual calendar indicates the day of the
week, the date, and the month, automatically
taking into account months with 28, 29, 30, and
31 days. It switches directly from September 30 to
October 1 or from February 28 to March 1. In leap
years, it indicates February 29 before switching to
March 1. In addition to the date, day, and month,
the watch also features a leap-year display. The
moon-phase display is highly accurate: it deviates
from the true lunar cycle by merely one day every
122 years. If the watch is wound daily, the perpe-
tual calendar will not require any manual cor-
rections before February 28, 2100; this is a secular
year that by exception omits the 29th of February.
Caution: Please do not perform any calendar or moon-
phase adjustments between 5:30 pm and 2 am. To make
sure your corrections do not interfere with any switching
actions, set the watch to 6 am and observe the color of the
day/night indicator (must be white).

Should your watch have stopped running, please
make sure you wind it before any settings or cor-
rections.
To actuate the correction push pieces, use only the stylus
that was delivered with your watch. The use of any other
tool could damage your timepiece. Make sure you press the
push pieces all the way in with the stylus, and then gently
release them.
The adjustments and corrections must be performed in the
order described below.
1. CORRECTION OF LEAP-YEAR CYCLE AND MONTH
To simultaneously correct these two displays,
actuate the push piece between 12 and 1 o’clock
as often as necessary to display the current year
(4 = leap year; 1 = 1st year after leap year; 2 = 2nd
year after leap year; 3 = 3rd year after leap year) and
the current month. The brochure entitled «Leap
year and full moon calendar» will show you the
current leap-year cycle.
2. CORRECTION OF DATE
To set the date, actuate the correction push piece
between 11 and 12 o’clock as many times as needed
to display the current date.
3. CORRECTION OF DAY OF WEEK
To set the day of the week, actuate the correction
push piece between 10 and 11 o’clock as many
times as needed to display the current day.
4. SETTING / CORRECTING THE MOON PHASE
Each time you press the push piece between 6
and 7 o’clock, the moon-phase display will ad-
vance by one day. Advance the lunar disk until
the full moon appears in the aperture. Consult a
moon-phase calendar (brochure «Leap year and
full moon calendar») or www.patek.com (click
on Collection ›Movements–Complications ›The
moonphase indicator) to see the date of the last
full moon. To set the correct moon phase, press
the push piece as many times as days have elapsed
since the last full moon (including the day of the
correction).

SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH
The two seconds hands are started and stopped by
consecutively pressing the button at 2 o’clock.
To read a lap time without stopping the chrono-
graph, press the button in the crown (split-seconds
button); this will stop the split-seconds hand only.
When you press the split-seconds button anew,
the split-seconds hand will swiftly catch up with
the chronograph hand again. Repeat the process to
obtain further lap time readings.
We advise against running the chronograph per-
manently; this could cause premature wear of the
mechanism.
NORMAL USE
Actuate the button at 2 o’clock: This simulta-
neously starts the chronograph and split-seconds
hands.
Actuate the button in the crown: This stops the
split-seconds hand.
Actuate the button in the crown again: the
split-seconds hand catches up with the chrono-
graph hand.
Actuate the button at 2 o’clock: This stops the
chronograph.
Actuate the button at 4 o’clock to set the super-
imposed chronograph and fly-back hands to zero
(reset).
Caution: Do not reset before the chronograph and split-
seconds hands are superposed. Otherwise, the split-seconds
hand will remain at its last lap time position.
A
B
C
A
A
B
B
C

Maintenance
CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN
Your watch is delivered with a certificate of origin
that indicates the movement and case numbers.
The certificate is valid only if it is dated, signed by
an Authorized Patek Philippe Retailer, and comple-
ted with your name. It guarantees the authenticity
of your watch and validates your warranty privileges
for a period of two years after the date of sale.
The unique movement and case numbers of each
watch are transcribed into the workshop journals.
With this information, you may have yourself en-
tered in the «Patek Philippe Register of Owners»
and will obtain the International Patek Philippe
Magazine free of charge.
PATEK PHILIPPE SEAL
As an all-encompassing hallmark of quality, the Patek
Philippe Seal applies to the entire watch, including
the movement, case, dial, hands, pushers, strap, and
clasp as well as to all other facets that contribute
to the precision and aesthetic perfection of the
timepiece. It covers the technical, functional, and
aesthetic factors, but also rate accuracy, dependa-
bility, and customer service quality. Additionally, it
reflects the maker’s know-how and all other assets
needed for the development, production, and long-
term maintenance of an extraordinary timekeeping
instrument.
QUALITY CONTROL
The movements and completely assembled
watches are subject to a series of technical tests
and visual inspections to verify their rate accu-
racy, power reserve, reliability, water resistance,
and overall appearance. After it was assembled,
your manually wound watch will already have run
for 14 days before leaving the workshops; it fully
complies with the stringent criteria of the Patek
Philippe Seal.
RATE ACCURACY
The rate accuracy of Patek Philippe watches is
verified in several phases of manufacturing, both
with uncased and fully cased movements. The
final test is performed with a wrist motion simula-
tor and the results must conform to the following
Patek Philippe precision benchmarks:
The rate accuracy of calibers with a diameter of 20
mm or larger must range within -3 and +2 seconds
per 24 hours.

The precision of a watch is determined by how
accurately it keeps the time. A watch that is fast
or slow is considered precise if the amount by
which it is fast or slow remains constant. Such
a deviation can be easily corrected. The last test
of accuracy takes place on your wrist. Your tem-
perament or the nature of your physical activi-
ties can cause slight irregularities. Fluctuations
in position, temperature, or air pressure, as well
as vibrations and other factors may also affect its
accuracy.
If you notice that your watch exhibits such ir-
regularities, please do not hesitate to take it to
an Authorized Patek Philippe Retailer or an Au-
thorized Service Center where no effort will be
spared to assure that it is adjusted to meet your
expectations.
WATER RESISTANCE
Your watch is fitted with different types of seals
to protect the movement against the ingress of
dust and moisture and to prevent damage if it
is immersed in water. However, if your watch
receives a blow to the crown or the crystal, its
water resistance may be impaired. Additionally,
we recommend that you prevent direct contact
with water if your watch has a leather strap.
CHANGING THE CASE BACK
Your watch comes with a sapphire-crystal case
back as well as with an interchangeable solid-metal
back. Only qualified master watchmakers at the
Patek Philippe workshops in Geneva are authorized
to exchange the backs.
SERVICE
We recommend that you have your watch ser-
viced every three to five years. For this purpose,
we suggest that you bring or send your watch
to an Authorized Patek Philippe Retailer or an
Authorized Service Center. This gives you the
assurance that your watch will be entrusted to
hands of a qualified Patek Philippe watchmaker
in Geneva.
The watchmaker will completely disassemble the
movement and then clean and inspect all parts
and lubricate them in the reassembly process.
All functions of the watch will also be tested in
detail and the escapement regulated if necessary.
Finally, its rate accuracy will be monitored and
precision-adjusted for a further period of two
weeks.
The entire process may take several weeks because
each watch must undergo a complete series of
tests to fulfill the strict quality criteria of Patek
Philippe.
If you have any questions regarding the mainte-
nance of your watch or need the address of the
Authorized Patek Philippe Service Center nearest
you, contact our International Customer Service
department in Geneva, or visit www.patek.com.

CALIBER: CHR 29-535 PS Q
DIAMETER: 32 MM
HEIGHT: 8.7 MM
NUMBER OF PARTS: 496
NUMBER OF JEWELS: 34
POWER RESERVE: WITH THE CHRONOGRAPH DISENGAGED:
MIN. 55 HOURS - MAX. 65 HOURS
BALANCE: GYROMAX®
FREQUENCY: 28,800 SEMI-OSCILLATIONS PER HOUR (4 Hz)
BALANCE SPRING: BREGUET
HALLMARK: PATEK PHILIPPE SEAL
Specifications of the movement