When Patek Philippe launched the ref. 5316/50P in 2023, it instantly became a grail for me. Not so much to buy – no, you probably won’t be shocked to hear that at $987,460 (today’s price) for a perpetual calendar minute-repeater tourbillon, I’m not a buyer. But the aesthetics, that smoked sapphire dial, were such a radical change from anything Patek had ever done before that I had to see one in person, photograph one, or even hold one and understand it briefly. I texted everyone I know, asked at salons and ADs, and two years later, I still haven’t seen it yet. But now I’ve seen its little brother, the new ref. 6159G, and I can start to interpret what the family is all about. If the ref. 5316/50P is anything like its little sibling—it’s one excellent watch.
