Ah! An Annual Calendar from Patek Philippe—a complication that’s been part of Patek’s lineup since the early 1960s, right? Well, not exactly. These watches were actually introduced in 1996—the same year that Macarena by Los Del Rio was stuck in everyone’s heads, or California Love by 2Pac and Dr. Dre was playing non-stop. Even Take That was topping the charts! To put it simply, these watches debuted around the time kids were playing Nintendo 64, as they were the kind of gift you’d find under the Christmas tree back then. In fact, these watches were designed to fill the gap between the time-only Calatrava (typically priced around $9K in the 1990s) and the much more expensive $45K perpetual calendar reference 3940. Patek’s leadership saw the need for a practical complication that was more affordable than a perpetual calendar but still offered a touch of sophistication. So, they created something entirely new—an annual calendar wristwatch. An annual calendar gives you much of the functionality of a perpetual calendar but without accounting for leap years or the quirks of February’s varying days. It’s a calendar complication that automatically adjusts for months with 30 days, but you’ll still need to manually adjust it when February transitions to March. Technically, annual calendars are much simpler than perpetual calendars (QP), making them less costly to produce. For the wearer, an annual calendar is also easier to set. For those who wear the watch regularly, the small inconvenience of adjusting the date at the end of February is a minor trade-off for a complication that closely mimics much of what a QP offers. While the full-fledged perpetual calendar remains the ultimate calendar complication, the 1996 introduction of Patek Philippe’s annual calendar allowed the brand to offer a sophisticated yet more affordable calendar option. It provided a solution for those who found the price of a perpetual calendar out of reach but still wanted more horological complexity than a simple three-hand Calatrava could offer. Now, this particular example is crafted in platinum—an unmistakable "heavy metal" you can feel in your hand. To distinguish it from the white gold version, Patek Philippe has added a small diamond at the six o'clock position—a subtle and cool detail we really appreciate. We’re also big fans of the concave bezel, which gives the watch a unique look. Of course, there’s a display case back that lets you admire the beautiful automatic Caliber 315 S QA, with its 22K yellow gold rotor. The 37mm case features three correctors on the side for setting the calendar complication. The dial is easy to read, with applied Roman numerals filled with tritium lume, a train-track minute track, and white printed text in English. At 6 o’clock, you’ll find the subtle date window. The watch is fitted with the signature "leaf" hands, again filled with tritium lume. This piece comes on the Bulang and Sons strap you see here, paired with the original Patek Philippe pin buckle in platinum. Additionally, a used Patek Philippe strap, as shown in the pictures, is also included in the sale. Specifications: - Patek Philippe 5035- 37mm platinum case with display case back- Case serial 415xxxx, dating to 1997- Annual calendar with 24-hour reading- Tritium luminous- Center seconds- Black dial with applied Roman numerals- Automatic movement, Cal. 315 QA- Movement serial 313xxxx- Bulang and Sons strap with original Patek platinum buckle, plus a used Patek Philippe strap- Fully serviced by our watchmaker- One-year mechanical warranty- Free worldwide FedEx Priority shipping