BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
I think every collector has pretty much eyed this venerable chronograph, not to mention that this is at the pinnacle of high-end chronographs watchmaking. The Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G is here to replace its aging predecessor, the venerable 5170. It was actually released in a ladies watch using an in-house, CH 29–535 hand-wound movement. I could see the signature classical touches on the new 5172G particularly its 41 mm which is not very far from the 39.4 mm of the 5170.
Ok so time to dive in, the case is of course smallish at 41 mm but the details really stand out though. This is the watch you wear when you want to impress but would not like to be perceptively cute. Being a mechanical watch, this is a chronograph with a focus on both function and form. But then throw in the 18k white gold case and we are back to the precious metals picture, for now only though as PP might release it in a different material. Nevertheless this is a classical case with 30 m water resistance. It features box sapphire crystal and the prominent round guilloché pushers and the stepped lugs. The crown itself bears the hallmark symbol. For me, it is indeed beautifully executed.
Moving on to the blue dial, it features a matte finish with a grainy texture allowing for superb legibility. And this is further complimented by the lumed hands and Arabic numerals. We also see the classic tachymeter scale surrounding the inner dial with very readable texts. Moreover, the 2 sub dials are a bit off center maintaining the classic design and taking as much space to maximize legibility in a already crowded watch face. There is the 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock and the small seconds at 3 o’clock.
Powering the new Patek Philippe Chronograph 5172G is the caliber CH 29–535, a mechanical hand-wound movement boasting of 65 hours of power reserve and delivering the Patek Philippe Seal.
Finally, the chronograph wears on a blue leather strap with a white gold folding buckle.
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