In 1996, Patek Philippe outdid itself by adding a split-seconds (or rattrapante) chronograph function to what was effectively a reference 3970. A split-seconds chronograph allows one to stop one hand while another keeps going, and once one has measured that interval, the stopped hand catches up (rattrapante in French) to the running hand. What many don’t realize is how complicated a split-seconds chronograph is to make, and some contend it is far more difficult to produce than a tourbillon. As such, Patek made roughly 12 per year before discontinuing the 5004 in 2011.
What remains amazing about the 5004 is its complexity—407 individual parts—packed into a sub-37 mm wristwatch format. Today, Patek creates a similar watch in the Ref. 5402, which is 40 mm across and costs $336,890, but a 2499 once belonging to Eric Clapton hammered for over 10 times as much at Sotheby’s in 2018—a whopping $3.65 million. For those who admire complexity in a traditional style, there is very little that outdoes the 5004.
From the article by Allen Farmelo, Paige Reddinger, Victoria Gomelsky, Oren Hartov, Blake Buettner
