Patek Philippe Hour and Minute On Demand Automaton The Crow and the Fox Ref. 5249R-001

The Patek Philippe Complications 5249R-001 5249R-001 debuted in 2026 as an automaton wristwatch with on-demand retrograde display of the hours and minutes. The complication is based on the pocket watch “The Crow and the Fox” (ref. 784), conceived by Louis Cottier in 1958 and preserved in the Patek Philippe Museum. Its case is crafted in rose gold and measures 43 mm in diameter with a thickness of 11.55 mm. The fully polished case follows an officer’s-style construction and is fitted with a sapphire crystal case back protected by a dust cover with an invisible hinge. The crown is executed in a turban style, and water resistance is rated to 30 metres. The dial is executed in opaline matara brown on an 18K gold plate. It features applied fox and crow motifs together with hand-engraved gold foliage decoration. The time is displayed on demand by a retrograde system activated via the pusher at 2 o’clock, with separate hour and minute scales and a Patek Philippe cartouche in rhodium-plated yellow gold with black transferred numerals and logo. A decorative small seconds display at 6 o’clock, set with a diamond at its centre, indicates that the movement is running. Inside is the self-winding Patek Philippe calibre 31-260 PS HMD AU, developed for an automaton wristwatch with on-demand retrograde indication of the hours and minutes. The movement measures 33.8 mm in diameter and 4.00 mm in thickness, consists of 267 parts, uses 28 jewels, and is wound by an off-centre platinum mini-rotor. It operates at 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour and offers a power reserve ranging from 38 to 48 hours. It is equipped with a Gyromax balance, a Spiromax balance spring, and a patented disengaging clutch system for the time-setting mechanism. The watch is fitted with a shiny chocolate brown alligator leather strap with square scales and a patented rose gold triple-blade fold-over clasp.