Patek Philippe 5959 User manual

English
Français
Deutsch

English

Reference 5959
Caliber CHR 27-525 PS
Ultra-thin manually wound wristwatch with
split-seconds chronograph.
The Ref. 5959 reaffirms Patek Philippe’s unmatched
virtuosity in the domain of complications: it is the
thinnest split-seconds column wheel chronograph
movement ever built. To achieve this record,
the experts at the Geneva workshops developed
a highly sophisticated chronograph caliber,
designed from the very start as an ultra-thin split-
seconds chronograph. It was a challenging venture
because the split-seconds mechanism is at least
as difficult a complication to master as a minute
repeater or a tourbillon. The result is the caliber
CHR 27-525 PS movement which unites Geneva’s
grand watchmaking heritage with 21st-century
technology.

Haute horlogerie at its very finest
Patek Philippe’s caliber CHR 27-525 PS is the world’s
thinnest split-seconds monopusher chronograph
movement with column wheel control: it is a scant
5.25 mm thick. Not least, this record was achieved
thanks to an unusual design approach for the conti-
nuously running 60-minute counter. This innova-
tion not only results in a slimmer silhouette, it also
offsets the torque differences between the running
and stopped states of the chronograph.
The three chronograph wheels (driving, clutch, and
seconds wheels) are another exclusive feature of
the CHR 27-525 PS movement. Their innovative and
patented toothing geometries reduce wear and op-
timize power transmission within the chronograph
mechanism.
The pinnacle of artisanship
The caliber CHR 27-525 PS movement is a clas-
sic split-seconds chronograph construction
with two column wheels that, as always at Patek
Philippe, are crowned by polished caps. The
bridges à l’ancienne are meticulously chamfered,
polished, and decorated with Geneva striping.
Each caliber is hand-crafted one by one by a master
watchmaker in the manufacture’s Haute Horlogerie
ateliers. Practically every component is individually
filed, chamfered, polished, adjusted, and finished.
Subsequently, the watchmaker performs a trial
assembly, the so-called repassage en blanc, to ve-
rify the functional integrity of the movement.
Afterwards, the caliber is completely disassem-
bled again. When all parts have been cleaned,
they are reassembled, lubricated, and fine-tuned.
This ancestral method produces horological mas-
terpieces that exceed the expectations of even
the most discerning aficionados.

Split-seconds button
Winding crown
Position 1: to wind the watch
Position 2: to set the time
Subsidiary seconds
Chronograph hand Chronograph button
60-minute counter
1 2
Split-seconds hand
Instructions
WINDING CROWN
The winding crown is used to wind the watch
(position 1) and to set the time (position 2)
MANUALLY WOUND
Your watch has a manually wound movement.
When fully wound, it has a power reserve of at
least 48 hours. 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: Please 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; if you wind the watch too vigorously,
this might damage the movement.
SETTING THE TIME
To set the time, pull the crown out, and turn it
in either direction. Once the correct time is set,
press the crown home again. The movement has a
stop-seconds mechanism (balance wheel blocker)
that allows the watch to be synchronized with
a time signal to an accuracy of one second. The
seconds hand stops when the winding crown is
pulled. It starts running again as soon as you push
the crown home again.
Caution: Please set the time only when the chronograph
is stopped and the chronograph and rattrapante hands both
return to zero, and preferably – to prevent lateral pressure
on the winding stem – before you put the watch on. We
recommend that you turn the crown only with two fingers
and use your fingernails to pull it out.

CHRONOGRAPH
The Patek Philippe rattrapante chronograph
allows you to measure the duration of events,
record lap times. These measurements are perfor-
med with the two large sweep stop hands – the
chronograph and rattrapante hands – and with
the small 60-minute counter at 3 o’clock. Unlike
most split seconds chronographs, the Ref. 5959
is a three-phase chronograph that requires only
two pushers.
Actuating the pusher in the winding crown se-
quentially activates the three following com-
mands:
1. Simultaneously start the chronograph and
rattrapante hands,
2. Simultaneously stop the chronograph and
rattrapante hands,
3. Reset the chronograph and rattrapante hands.
Note: To avoid chronograph start problems, we recom-
mend that you postpone the use of the chronograph for 2
minutes after having set the time.
The pusher at 2 o’clock controls only the rattrapante hand.
MEASURING DURATIONS AND STOPPING LAP TIMES
When the event to be timed begins, actuate the
pusher in the winding crown: The superposed
chronograph and rattrapante hands begin to run.
To measure a lap time, press the pusher at 2 o’clock:
The rattrapante hand will stop but the chronograph
hand keeps running. Now you can take a note of
the lap time. When you actuate the pusher at 2
o’clock again, the rattrapante hand will catch up
with the chronograph hand and both hands, now
superposed, will continue running. This function
can be activated as many times as you wish. To stop
the final time, actuate the pusher in the winding
crown: this will stop the chronograph hand and
you can take a note of the duration of the event.
When you actuate the pusher in the winding crown
again, the chronograph and rattrapante hands will
both return to zero.
Caution: To reset the chronograph and rattrapante hands
to zero at the same time, they must be superposed. If the rat-
trapante hand is still indicating a lap time, actuate the pusher
at 2 o’clock to make it catch up with the chronograph hand,
and then reset both hands to zero by actuating the pusher in
the winding crown.

CALIBER: CHR 27-525 PS, MANUALLY WOUND
DIAMETER: 27.30 MM
HEIGHT: 5.25 MM
NUMBER OF PARTS: 252
NUMBER OF JEWELS: 27
POWER RESERVE: WITH THE CHRONOGRAPH DISENGAGED:
48 HOURS MIN.
BALANCE: GYROMAX®
FREQUENCY: 21,600 SEMI-OSCILLATIONS PER HOUR (3 Hz)
BALANCE SPRING: BREGUET
HALLMARK: PATEK PHILIPPE SEAL
Movement technical data

Recommendations
WATER RESISTANCE
Although your watch is equipped with a water-re-
sistant crown, it is not protected at all against the
ingress of moisture because of the slot for the
minute repeater slide.
Therefore, exercise care to ensure that liquid does not come
into contact with your watch.
SERVICE
We recommend that you have your watch ser-
viced at least once every three to five years. For
this purpose, we suggest you take it to an Autho-
rized Patek Philippe Retailer who will send it to
our Geneva manufacture. You can then be assured
that your watch will be cared for by a qualified
master watchmaker at the Patek Philippe head-
quarters in Geneva.
The master watchmaker will disassemble the mo-
vement and then inspect, clean, and lubricate
all the individual parts prior to reassembly. The
watch will also be tested and the escapement
regulated if necessary. Finally, its performance
and rate accuracy will be monitored for a 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 service issues, please
contact your nearest Authorized Patek Philippe Retailer or
our International Customer Service Department in Geneva.
You may also visit www.patek.com.
PATEK PHILIPPE SEAL
The Patek Philippe Seal is a global emblem of qua-
lity that applies to the completed and fully cased
watch. It covers the movement, the case, the dial,
the hands, the pushers, the straps and bracelets,
the clasps, as well as all other components that
contribute to the accuracy and aesthetic appeal
of a watch. It takes technical, functional, and
design-related aspects into account and also
covers the visual appearance of the watch, its
rate accuracy and dependability, as well as the
quality of the customer service to which its owner
is entitled. It encompasses the entire know-how
and the unique facets that govern the develop-
ment, production, and long-term maintenance of
an exceptional timepiece.

Français

Référence 5959
Calibre CHR 27-525 PS
Montre-bracelet extra-plate
avec chronographe à rattrapante
et remontage manuel.
Avec la Référence 5959, Patek Philippe réaffirme
sa maîtrise souveraine des complications en
présentant le mouvement de chronographe à
rattrapante à roues à colonnes le plus plat jamais
réalisé. Pour relever ce défi, la manufacture
genevoise a développé un calibre de base
chronographe très sophistiqué, conçu dès
l’origine en tant que chronographe à rattrapante
extra plat. Un exploit de taille, car le mécanisme
de rattrapante passe pour une complication aussi
difficile à réaliser qu’une répétition minutes ou un
tourbillon. Ainsi est né le Calibre CHR 27‑525 PS,
alliance parfaite entre grand art horloger genevois
et technologie du XXIe siècle.