Introducing: The Grandmaster Chime Reference 6300G – The Most Complicated Patek, Now In White Gold

This, I have to admit, came as a shock. It came as a shock to me, and every other single person with whom I spoke that I'd consider knowledgeable about collecting Patek Philippe. The Grandmaster Chime – reference 5175 – the most complicated Patek wristwatch ever made, of which there were only seven pieces made – six for the best clients in the world, one for the museum – has returned. It has a new reference, in a new case material, and without all that incredibly ornate engraving, but it's back. First, have a look below at what makes this watch so special.

The price for the Grandmaster Chime? Yup, $2.5 million, and we're told there was a list a mile long to get it – the six collectors that received it had surely been hand selected by the Sterns for their appreciation of, and long-term commitment to, the brand. But now those six collectors may not feel quite as lucky, as the same incredible caliber – with over 1,500 individual components – is available to more people! Okay, this is still an insanely rare, special piece that will go to only the very best of the best watch buyers in the world, but it doesn't change the fact that each 5175 was advertised as one of seven in the world, and now there will be more – and in white metal.

Again, the 5175 is the anniversary piece, and it combines mechanical craft with "rare hand craft" as Patek likes to refer to engraving and enamel work, so it is indeed a much more complicated watch to produce with all that case work, but still, to see the same caliber used in this new reference 6300G so soon after the 175th anniversary is interesting to say the least.

The price of the 6300G? A still staggering $2,200,000, or about $300,000 less than the fully engraved 5175R. No word on many of these will be made or for how long, but I can imagine at least six people out there will be curious to know.

More here, and feel free to read up on the original Grandmaster Chime here.

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