Five factors drove my purchase decision for the Patek Philippe 5370P. Firstly, I had no Rattrapante in my collection and this one appeared stunning to my eyes. My preference for white metal cases and black dials was another positive for this watch. I also have a strong love of Breguet numerals and when set against the deep black enamel dial, the effect is to accentuate the beauty of the white gold numerals even more. Fourthly, the DNA of the watch is very much to the fore. It borrows from history without stealing from it – the very first Patek Philippe Rattrapante from 1923 was also manual wind with enamel dial and Breguet numerals. Finally, its in-house movement is finished to the very highest level.

With a diameter of 41mm and height of 13.6mm, the watch is at the upper end of my comfort zone. However, how one wears this watch is crucial. This is not a watch to be worn casually. It is a watch with a sense of occasion.

Caliber 29-535 was previously used in the Reference 5204. It has been applied to the 5370P and I cannot stress enough just how extraordinary has been the finishing of the movement. For a manual wind Rattrapante, the feel of the wind is not unimportant. It does not disappoint. The case design borrows from vintage classics such as References 1436 and 1563. However, it is important to stress that the case of the 5370P is very much an original.

Enamel dials are not unique within Patek Philippe, but they are certainly very rare. Black enamel dials, in particular are extremely rare. The enamelling process used in the 5370P adopts a process that sees a white gold dial coated at super-high temperature with deep black enamel. The result is a black mirror-like sheen that is breath-taking.

The Patek Philippe 5370P has a purity that is hard to define. It is, for me, almost a perfect watch.