Introducing: The Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Ref. 4947/1A

Quick Take With the new 4947/1A, Patek Philippe is offering an annual calendar with a round Calatrava-style case in steel. At 38mm in diameter, it's right in the sweet spot of what a lot of enthusiasts might consider to be an ideal dress-watch size, paired with a matching five-row bracelet in steel. It's a beautiful watch, though it's not the first 4947, a reference Patek has previously used for ladies' references , putting diamonds on the crown and bezel. Besides the fact that this round annual calendar is steel, what's unexpected about it is that this time around, at least according to anything I've seen, Patek isn't assigning this watch to any gender. To the contrary, Patek says the 4947/1A's 38mm size matches virtually every wrist. Initial Thoughts I've not seen this watch in the metal, but I'm inclined to agree. As for the fairly faint blue patterning on the dial, whether any given man or woman will be drawn to it will have little do with gender and more with personal taste. If it weren't for the bracelet, it would qualify as a primo share watch for couples. Come to think of it, it reminds me of the blue-toned windowpane suit I bought to go to the Kentucky Derby way back in 2013. This watch would kill with that suit. Or, let's be real, that suit would kill with this watch. It makes me want to drop 15 pounds, dust off an outfit bought for hobnobbing near horses, and make it to Louisville in a few weeks' time. The annual calendar is one of those watchmaking mechanisms that lives in an in-between world. It's not a high-complication, but it's more than a simple date window or moon-phase. Much of Patek's modern reputation comes from perpetual calendars – it's the PP complication I see when I close my eyes, maybe with a chronograph along for the ride. The company had the good fortune or good foresight to create a simpler calendar that added something a bit more aspirational than a run-of-the-mill full or complete calendar. While extremely affordable versions of the annual calendar have today become ubiquitous at entry-level and value-oriented brands, I still have a special place for the OG annual calendar, which is a Patek Philippe invention from 1996. This dressy calendar, paired with a bracelet that says "wear me all the time, not just with a suit," is the kind of casual-leaning complication watch that might even make people stop obsessing over the 5711 for a minute. Look: The blue dial even has a pattern. The Basics Brand: Patek Philippe Model: Annual Calendar Reference Number: 4947/1A Diameter: 38mm Thickness: 11mm Case Material: Stainless steel Dial Color: Blue Indexes: Applied gold numerals Water Resistance: 30m Strap/Bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet The Movement Caliber: 324 S QA LU Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual calendar with displays for day, date, month, moon-phase Diameter: 38mm Thickness: 11mm Power Reserve: 45 hours Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Jewels: 34 Pricing & Availability Price: $47,904 For more, visit Patek Philippe.Turns out Patek did release an all-steel, blue-dialed number for 2021.