Light And Illumination

The Patek Philippe 5316P Grand Complications and Louis Vuitton Voyager Skeleton demonstrate horology's finest traditions in a new light

- JONATHAN HO

EVERY NEW RELEASE from Patek Philippe is a cause for celebration, but when it features a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and minute repeater all in one watch, it becomes something extraordinary.

Combining five of the industry's most celebrated complications, the Patek Philippe 5316P Grand Complications stands as an exemplar on the evolution of finishing. Decorative techniques on the watch calibre can be traced back to the early 19th century, when watchmakers began to add engraved decorations and other embellishments to their movements as a response to the growing demand for luxury timepieces which helped to establish the watch beyond functional necessity and into status symbol.

A rarity for a classical watch of this nature, its smoked sapphire dial subtly shows off the inner workings of the manually wound movement. The use of this unexpected material for the dial is only matched by the choice of platinum; an unusual choice for a minute repeater's casing because its density and molecular structure do not make it conducive for sound, yet Patek Philippe chose to showcase their superior Advanced Research technology in a platinum case to demonstrate its true metiers. Only 40.2 mm in width and 13.23 mm in height, the form factor of the 5316 belies a startling level of complexity - but we digress.