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Patek Philippe Grand Complications Perpetual Calendar 37mm White Gold
Ref. 5940G
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The 5940G reaches back to Patek Philippe's archive of 1920s cushion-shaped cases, and the decision to revive that form was not cosmetic. The cushion silhouette, softer at the corners than a rectangle and rounder than a tonneau, creates a more balanced frame for the perpetual calendar's day, date, month and moonphase apertures than the previous non-round reference 5040 could manage. It is a more considered piece for it. The movement behind all of this is the calibre 240 Q, which uses a 22-carat gold micro-rotor set flush into the mainplate to keep winding mass out of the way and the whole assembly down to 8.6mm. That figure matters because most perpetual calendar wristwatches carry considerably more height; this one disappears under a shirt cuff and wears closer to the wrist than the complication usually permits. The trade-off worth knowing: the micro-rotor winds in one direction only, and with a lighter wrist it will work harder to reach its 48-hour reserve. That is a characteristic of the movement, not a fault, and it has never stopped the 240 Q from being regarded as one of the more beautiful ebauches Patek makes. Down-turned lugs at 44.6mm lug-to-lug help the case settle across the wrist without rocking. The solid white gold prong buckle is made to match the case rather than contrasted against it, which keeps the wrist reading as a single object rather than a watch and its accessories.
- Reference
- 5940G
- Brand
- Patek Philippe
- Case size
- 37mm
- Case thickness
- 8.6mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Cushion
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 240 Q
- Functions
- Day-date, Moonphase
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.6mm
- Power reserve
- 48 hours
Learn more about Patek Philippe
Antoine Norbert de Patek, a Polish cavalry officer exiled after the November Uprising, founded a watch business in Geneva in 1839 with his countryman François Czapek. The partnership dissolved after six years, and in 1845 Patek took on the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding crown. The firm became Patek Philippe in 1851.
That single invention mattered more than any other in the company's early history: it removed the winding key, and every modern watch descends from it. Queen Victoria bought a Patek pendant watch at the Great Exhibition the same year, establishing the royal patronage the house has traded on ever since.
The Stern family, dial manufacturers and long-standing suppliers, bought the company in 1932 during the Depression. Four generations later it remains in their hands — the last independent family-owned manufacture in Geneva, currently led by Thierry Stern.
Patek's reputation rests on complications: the Calibre 89 of 1989 carried thirty-three of them, and the Grandmaster Chime remains among the most complicated wristwatches made. The Nautilus, drawn by Gérald Genta in 1976 as a steel luxury sports watch, became an unlikely commercial phenomenon four decades after launch.
Production stays deliberately modest, in the tens of thousands annually, and every watch carries the Patek Philippe Seal, an in-house standard the company adopted in 2009 after abandoning the Geneva Seal as insufficiently strict.
- 1839
- Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek found the firm in Geneva.
- 1845
- Adrien Philippe joins, bringing the keyless winding crown.
- 1851
- The company is renamed Patek Philippe; Queen Victoria buys a watch.
- 1932
- The Stern family acquires the company.
- 1976
- The Nautilus debuts, designed by Gérald Genta.
- 2009
- The Patek Philippe Seal replaces the Geneva Seal.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,459), Leather Strap Watches (935), Silver Dial Watches (636), Dress Watches (459), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (271) and Tonneau & Cushion Watches (172).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 37mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 5940G | 14700ST | 4500V/110R-B705 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £59,950 | £65,000 | £50,950 |
| Case size | 37mm | 36mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 100m | 150m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 48 hours | — | 60 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.6mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 37mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £59,950, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £59,950 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths test every pre-owned watch for authenticity, timekeeping and water resistance, and warrant it for 2 years — the same term they give on a new watch.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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