After a fairly quiet summer, following a stretch in which it soaked up substantial watch-media attention for the swan song of one of its popular Nautilus models, Patek Philippe returns to the spotlight this week with the unexpected and undoubtedly welcome launch of three new chronograph-equipped timepieces, each of them boasting an additional high complication. Here’s a closer look at the new versions of Patek Philippe’s references 5204, 5905, and 5930.

Each of the three new timepieces contains one movement from the range of in-house chronograph calibers that Patek Philippe has developed since 2005. At the pinnacle in terms of horological complexity is the Ref. 5240R-011 Split-Seconds Chronograph and Perpetual Calendar, equipped with the manual-winding Caliber CHR 29-535 PS Q, presented here for the first time in a hand-polished rose-gold case and a slate-gray sunburst dial and coordinated gray strap.
Measuring 40 mm in diameter, the case features aesthetic elements established in previous iterations of this Grand Complication timepiece, notably the concave bezel and two-tiered lugs. The dial stages the complex assortment of indications in a legible manner: day and month in two in-line windows at 12 o’clock, moon-phase and analog date at 6 o’clock, small seconds and 30-minute chronograph counter at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, respectively. Two additional, subtle round windows display the leap year (between 4 and 5 o’clock...