Short on time? A perpetual calendar knows the length of every month, leap years included, and won't need correcting until 2100. An annual calendar knows 30- and 31-day months, so you correct it once a year, at the end of February. The 5140R is a 37.2mm rose gold perpetual with the ultra-thin calibre 240 Q. The 5396G is a 38.5mm white gold annual calendar with moon phase. We have both.
Backstory
The perpetual calendar is one of Patek's signature complications, and the 5140 continued a line of slim automatic perpetuals as the successor to the famous 3940. The annual calendar is newer: Patek invented it in 1996 to fill the gap between a simple date and a full perpetual. Both make a lot of sense. They just answer the question differently.
How They Work in Practice
The 5140R does everything for you: day, date, month, leap year cycle and moon phase. Keep it running and you won't touch the calendar for decades. The 5396G does nearly everything: day, month, date, moon phase and a 24-hour indication, but it needs one correction a year, on 1 March.
The catch with both: if you let them stop, resetting takes a little care. A watch winder or regular wear solves that.
Movement and Case
The 5140R runs on the calibre 240 Q, built on Patek's ultra-thin automatic with a gold micro-rotor, which keeps the 37.2mm case remarkably slim. The 5396G uses the calibre 324 S QA LU 24H/303, with a central rotor, in a 38.5mm white gold case. Both have sapphire casebacks, and both are a pleasure to look at.
Which One We'd Pick
If you want the ultimate expression of a Patek calendar, the 5140R. A perpetual is a serious piece of watchmaking, and the slim case is a joy. If you want something almost as clever, a little more modern in size and easier on the budget, the 5396G. Our guides cover the 5140R and the 5396G in more depth.
Final Thoughts
One correction a year versus none for decades. That's really the difference, and it's a lot more fun to think about with both on the table.
In the safe: a 2014 Patek Philippe 5140R in rose gold and a 2015 5396G in white gold.
