With the new 4947/1A, Patek Philippe is offering an annual calendar with a round Calatrava-style steel case. At 38mm in diameter, it is right in the sweet spot of what many enthusiasts consider to be the ideal size for a formal watch, and comes with a matching steel five-row strap. It is a beautiful replica watch, although it is not the first 4947, a reference that Patek Philippe has previously used for women’s references, with diamonds on the crown and bezel. Aside from the fact that this circular annual calendar is in steel, what is surprising is that this time, at least based on anything I have seen, Patek Philippe has not assigned this watch to any gender. Quite the contrary, Patek Philippe says the 4947/1A’s 38mm size will fit almost every wrist.
I haven’t seen this metal watch, but I’m inclined to agree. As for the rather indistinct blue pattern on the dial, whether any man or woman would be attracted to it has little to do with gender and more to do with personal taste. If it weren’t for the bracelet, it would qualify as the shared watch of choice for couples.
Come to think of it, it reminds me of the blue-toned window dressing set I bought for a trip to the Kentucky Derby in 2013. This fake watch would go well with that suit. Or, to be honest, that suit would look great with this watch. It makes me want to lose 15 pounds, erase the clothes I bought to work with horses, and make it to Louisville in a few weeks.
The annual calendar is one of those watchmaking mechanisms that lives in the cracks. It is not complicated, but it is more important than a simple date window or moon phase.
Much of replica Patek Philippe’s modern reputation comes from the perpetual calendar – it’s the one PP complication I can see with my eyes closed, and maybe a chronograph on the side. The company had the good fortune or foresight to create a simpler calendar with a few more wishes than the usual full or complete calendar. While extremely affordable versions of annual calendars are ubiquitous today among entry-level and value-oriented brands, I still have a special place for the OG annual calendar, which was invented by Patek Philippe in 1996.
This formal annual calendar, with a strap that reads “wear me all the time, not just with a suit,” is the kind of complication that leans toward the casual side of the function and might even stop people from obsessing over the 5711 for a while. WATCH. The blue dial even has a motif.