Tourbillon Minute Repeater 5538 Tiger

The Patek Philippe 5538G-016 was introduced at the 2023 Tokyo Patek Philippe Watch Art exhibition. This limited edition of five watches in Grand Feu cloisonné enamel recreates all the power and beauty of a Japanese print depicting a tiger and a crescent moon. To reproduce the animal’s silhouette and striped coat, the enameller laid down some 60 cm of gold wire (~0.26 g) measuring 0.05 x 0.40 mm in cross-section, cut into tiny segments and shaped by hand. He then worked with a palette of translucent and opalescent enamels in 20 colors to render the subtle tints of the original creation. Each dial underwent an average of 15 firings at a temperature of approximately 800°C