Flexible Hours

Patek Philippe’s latest Advanced Research timepiece comes with two major technical advancements, and a large polarising aperture that bravely shows off one of them

- Jamie Tan

The latest Advanced Research timepiece from Patek Philippe has arrived. This series of watches is akin to concept cep cars that various marques release from time to time to showcase new technical and design advancements, and the Geneva manufacture had released only four of them since 2005, with this Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650 being the fifth. The watch showcases two main improvements in watchmaking technology: a new hairspring design, and a new flexible mechanism in traditional steel.

Aesthetically (and functionally), the timepiece is largely similar to the existing Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5164, with general symmetry along both axes. To reflect the times in two different cities, two hour hands are used, with an aperture for each one to indicate day/night. Meanwhile, the date, which is tagged to the local time, is shown via a sub-dial at six o’clock. Where the new Advanced Research timepiece differs is the massive aperture on the left of the dial; the opening shows off the new flexible mechanism, which is one of the two technical highlights in this watch.