The Patek Philippe 5960A is one of the anomalies in the brand’s history, and as we all know, collectors love or eventually do love, anomalies in any brand. Produced for a short period between 2014-2018, I still remember the reaction when this watch first came out.
The public was shocked because it was such a radical move for Patek Philippe to release a sports watch (outside of the Nautilus and Aquanaut line) in steel! The reviews were mixed and it has been known for a while that the brand has been trying to attract a younger audience, with the 5960A being testament to that. What is even more unusual is the decision to discontinue this reference just four short years later. No one knows exactly why, but there were rumors that Patek did not want to use steel outside of its Nautilus and Aquanaut range. Irrespective of this, what we end up with is a short production run watch that is different from the brand’s usual offering. To me, this is a recipe for success.
Putting speculation aside though, I do genuinely like this watch and how it looks. I for one, prefer bracelet watches these days as I live in the Tropics and the Patek bracelets are one of the most comfortable. The sporty white dial with red accents work for me and the 40mm stainless steel case sits great on the wrist.
The Ref. 5960 is not a new reference. It was first released in 2006 as a dress watch in precious metals and was the first in-house self-winding chronograph made by Patek Philippe. Featuring three apertures at the top of the dial displaying the day date and month and a 6 o’clock sub-dial displaying the chronograph counters and a day/night indicator, it is in my opinion, the platonic ideal of an everyday watch.
It is special and complicated enough to keep you interested, and not something that is so over the top that you have to worry wherever you go. This very idea is why I think it made logical sense to make a sportier version of the 5960. It is a shame that they did discontinue this line as collectors are now starting to realize that it was indeed a special reference. Time will tell, but I have a sneaking suspicion the 5960A will only be more and more sought after.
