A Chiming Heart: The Patek Philippe Grande and Petite Sonnerie Ref. 6301P

Much of the digital ink spilt for Patek Philippe these days focuses on the brand’s sportier offerings, the highly coveted Nautilus and Aquanaut models, as well as their mid-tier complications including perpetual calendars, rattrapantes and the like. This makes sense, as for many, it is where their dreams, aspirations and account balances lie. But it’s important to remember that Patek Philippe enjoys its reputation for a reason, and every so often, the maker creates something absolutely extraordinary. Case in point, the Reference 6301P, a grand complication ode to the chiming watch that incorporates a grande sonnerie, a petite sonnerie and a minute repeater. Not only does this combination of complications represent the zenith of the watchmaker’s art, but every single aspect of this timepiece is created to the absolute highest standard. Make no mistake, this is a very grown-up watch.

History

Patek Philippe’s history in chiming watches dates all the way back to 1839, and in the generations since, the sound of the manufacture’s watches have continued to ring out through the years. In the modern era, the 1989 caliber R27 is a pivotal moment which not only celebrated the 150th anniversary of Patek Philippe, but also was the first grand complication crafted entirely in house. In the subsequent decades, Patek Philippe has created numerous works of exceptional complication, like the Star Calibre that ushered in the millennium and, more recently, the Grandmaster Chime announced in 2014.

It’s an impressive list to be a part of, but the Reference 6301P, and the GS 36-750 PS IRM movement that powers it, very much deserves to be included. While the brand has a long history of Grande Sonnerie watches, this is only the second wristwatch version after the Grandmaster Chime.

Design Details

The overall look and feel of the 6301P is one of a skillful balancing act. On the one hand, this watch is an exemplar of Patek’s long legacy of legendary grande sonnerie watches, which it has been creating for over 100 years (albeit infrequently). As such, Patek Philippe bears a great weight and responsibility not just to honor this past but also to continually evolve it, updating the aesthetic of this ultra-complicated genre in a sensitive and considered fashion. So it is that the black enamel dial — crafted by leading enamel artist Anita Porchet — is reserved and traditional with a glazed finish and white gold applied Breguet numerals.

While the dial embodies the traditions of Patek Philippe, with its Breguet numerals and glossy black enamel; the 44.8mm wide and 12mm tall platinum case is quite contemporary in execution. The case band is recessed, and the bezel is concave, which in addition to reducing the perceived height of the watch, manages to perfectly encapsulate a contemporary take on the classical form. Functionally, the watch is deceptively simple, lacking the distinctive protruding left-hand slide so common in chiming watches. There’s a function selector discreetly nestled between the lower lugs that allows you to switch between grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie and silent mode and between the lugs at 12 is a single diamond, Patek Philippe’s traditional signature for platinum cases.

Inner Workings

Naturally, the heart and soul of the Ref. 6301P is the highly complicated movement. Unsurprisingly, given how much time it takes to bring this sort of grand complication to market, the calibre is based on the Grandmaster Chime’s movement. While that particular watch does it all, here the focus is purely on the chime. To cover the basics, the GS 36-750 PS IRM is a manually wound movement constructed using 703 components that measures 37mm across and 7.5mm thick. It holds 72-hours of power reserve for the movement and 24-hours for the chimes. There’s a Gyromax balance and a silicon mainspring, all backed up with the Patek Philippe seal. As for the complications, in addition to the grande and petite sonneries, there’s a minute repeater as well as dial-side power reserve indicators for both the movement and the striking mechanism all capped off with a hacking seconds complication.

What this spec list doesn’t adequately capture is how downright impressive this movement is. The grande sonnerie alone is a remarkable complication, which allows the watch to continually chime the time in hours and quarters. Of course, Patek Philippe had to go above and beyond, opting to create the more complex version of the function, by utilizing a carillon. This means that the movement chimes the sound on three gongs rather than the standard two, with the hours and quarters in grande sonnerie, and the hours in petite sonnerie.

As far as finishing goes, this movement is just as spectacular as you might expect. There are Geneva stripes and anglage everywhere you look and smooth mirror polishing on the three hammers. For a watch of this caliber, it does not disappoint.

Versus the Competition

When you start putting the word ‘grand’ in front of complication, you’re entering a rarefied space in horology, and there aren’t many players who have what it takes to make a watch at this level.

The ambitiously named Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie is in the same league as Patek Philippe, as AP has significant expertise in the area of chiming watches. In fact, they patented the Supersonnerie technology, debuting it in 2015 in a Royal Oak Concept. The use of the Code 11.59 case is well suited to the complication, lending a contemporary flavor. If you wanted something even sportier though, this Piece Unique Royal Oak Grande Complication “Pride of Argnetina” is something you don’t see every day.

Another contemporary take on the chiming watch is A. Lange & Sohne’s Zeitwerk Decimal Strike, seen here in a limited edition Honey Gold. While this piece lacks the complexity of the 6301P, it does feature the innovative decimal hour chiming mechanism, and gongs visible from the dial side of the watch.

Finally, there’s one watch from an unexpected maker that could be considered as well — the Carillon Tourbillon from Biver Watches. Founded by industry legend Jean-Claude Biver, this modern twist on a carillon minute repeater (again far less complex than the Patek) also features a tourbillon to boot. While Biver offers novelty with his complication, Patek Philippe offers centuries of tradition.

Personality

Typically, it’s easy to pigeon-hole Patek Philippe personality-wise as the brand is the poster child of buttoned-up conservatism. On the one hand, this is a very traditional watch, especially when compared to the options listed above. Platinum, black enamel, and Breguet numerals are an old-school combination, yet somehow this Patek Philippe still manages to feels relevant and contemporary. Perhaps it’s the subtle evolution of the case, or maybe it’s the simple fact that quality trumps all, but this watch defies conventional expectations and stands squarely on its own.

Final Thoughts 

It’s easy to go overboard with superlatives when talking about this sort of watch — a piece so complicated, well-crafted, and rare that it would be the belle of every ball it attended. But there’s one charming fact that really sums up what makes the Patek Philippe Grand Complication Ref. 6301P stand out, and that is the fact that this watch (and all Patek Philippe minute repeaters for that matter) is personally auditioned by Mr. Thierry Stern himself before leaving the factory to ensure it meets the maker’s rigorous standards. That’s some serious old-world charm right there.