Description

The ref. 5100 case was inspired by the ‘Manta Ray’ ref. 2554 from the 1950s. The dramatic case design required 188 separate operations to craft the extended and flared bezel edges, and the refined concave-convex case.

A sapphire crystal case back reveals the magnificent movement. It was a nod to the past and a bold look into the feature, particularly with the new caliber made for the ref. 5100. The rectangular caliber 28-20/220 fitted with the famous Gyromax balance wheel, patented by Patek Philippe in 1949. This 28 x 20 mm movement (height 5.05 mm) comprises 175 parts which produce 240 hours of power reserve. Such an extraordinary power reserve starts simply with turning the crown which enables the rachet to arm the barrel arbor which in turn winds the spring. As this happens, the teeth of one barrel wind the spring of a second barrel. These self-compensating double barrels are critical to produce the power reserve. Although not identical, both barrels are wound at the same time. A slipping spring is fitted to the arbor of the winding barrel to prevent over-tension of the springs and potential blocking of the winding mechanism when the maximum power reserve has been reached. Barrel power is transmitted to the wheel train through the gear train rachet. The Gyromax balance wheel guarantees the stable functioning of the movement, assuring timekeeping accuracy. The power reserve is indicated in a sub-dial at 12 o’clock.