Patek 5249R-001 'The Crow and the Fox': First Automaton in Modern Patek History

It comes as no surprise that there is a rich, shared history between horology and automata. When Europeans discovered mechanisms driven by springs rather than by heavy weights, they immediately thought of two practical applications: keeping time and simulating life. The same coiled spring that could power a clock could also make a mechanical bird sing or move the hands of a lifelike human figure across a faux piano. The fusion of the two disciplines reached its zenith in the 18th century, with many watchmakers - most notably the Jaquet-Droz family and Abraham Louis Breguet - incorporating automata into their pieces as a showcase of their mechanical watchmaking mastery. 

The 19th century would largely spell the end of automata in watches, as the industrialization of the industry put the focus more on precision manufacturing and interchangeable parts than the World’s Fair-style oddities that automata had become. 

But watchmakers never truly let go of them, and the automaton wristwatch remains a pinnacle of horology as art. Houses like Vacheron Constantin, Jaquet-Droz, Van Cleef & Arpels, and now Patek Philippe continue producing these miniaturized marvels for the wrist. 

Enter the Patek Philippe 5249R-001, the first automaton wristwatch in Patek’s contemporary history. It’s inspired by a pocket watch designed by Louis Cottier in 1958, the ref. 784, that displayed the hours and minutes at the push of a button, and used automata based on Jean de La Fontaine's The Crow and the Fox, itself an adaptation of a classic Aesop fable. In it, a crafty fox flatters a crow by complimenting its looks and voice, enticing it to sing and drop its piece of cheese, which the fox then devours. La Fontaine's version was published in 1668 and closes on a moral that's aged well: beware the flatterer who profits from your vanity. 

In case you don't recognize the name Louis Cottier, he is the same Genevan watchmaker who invented the world-time mechanism that Patek Philippe adopted for their World Time family, arguably one of the manufacture's most important technical innovations of the 20th century. Patek has basically rebuilt that famous pocket watch, which is now on display at the Patek Philippe museum in Geneva, with a few minor changes including a resizing for the wrist. 

So how does it work? The magic happens when the user presses and holds the button at 2 o’clock which incites the fox to indicate the hour on the left side, using either his snout or his paw, depending on whether the hour is in the upper or lower part of the hour track. Next, the bird becomes flattered and inspired to sing, thus dropping his piece of cheese which serves as the minute marker which falls to indicate the exact time. Releasing the button then sets everything back to zero. “This type of mechanical genius is part of Patek Philippe's lineage. Bringing forth a piece like this today demonstrates to the masses that Patek Philippe's enriched history encompasses way more than simple timekeeping,” said Kelly Yoch, noted Patek Philippe expert and Sales Manager at Altier Jewelers.

The watch features an Officer’s-style case, fully rendered in rose gold, with sapphire crystals on the front and back. The caseback features a hinged cover to help protect the sapphire crystal and preserve a spotless movement-viewing experience. 

The dial is a solid plate of 18k gold, finished in an opaline matara brown color and fitted with 12 gold appliques, nine of which are beautifully hand engraved. Patek says that each dial’s components take approximately 150 hours to create, and it shows. Every applique is very finely detailed, from the leaves to the crow’s feathers to the fox’s fur. There is also a star-shaped small seconds indicator at the 6 o’clock position, adorned with a single diamond. This indicator serves mostly to reassure you the movement is running rather than to track any specific number of seconds, given its tiny size and amorphous shape. 

The movement powering the on-demand complication is the caliber 31-260 PS HMD AU, a self-winding movement derived from Patek's ultra-thin 260 family, built around an off-centered micro-rotor. It comprises 267 components, including 28 jewels, runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, and carries a power reserve in the range of 38 to 48 hours. Patek developed a newly patented disengaging clutch system which was needed to keep the automaton mechanism from interfering with time-setting. Hopefully, this means we haven't seen the last of watches like this from Patek Philippe. 

If you are in the market for a wrist-sized automaton, Patek isn't the only game in town. Van Cleef & Arpels make a number of them, including this Lady Arpels Bal des Amoureux Automate watch that features two lovers who come together for a kiss at noon and midnight, or at the push of a button if you can’t wait the full 12 hours to see the adorable scene. And take a look at Jaquet Drox: the Jaquet Droz Charming Bird, featuring an eponymous and indeed charming little bird that spins and flaps his wings, beak, and tail, and even whistles, using a tiny piston and whistle system, and The Bird Repeater, with birds feeding their young while the watch chimes the hours, quarters, and minutes. 

It is worth noting that most of the other automaton watches on the market feature an automaton that functions entirely separately from the watch movement, while the Patek Philippe 5249R-001’s automaton action is integrated into the movement and time-telling functionality. A small observation, but one that might be of importance to the discerning collector. 

While they are surely not as prevalent as in their heyday, there is no denying the delightful whimsy that an automaton offers. Even in a world of constant technical evolution, the simplicity of a few springs and gears mimicking a bit of everyday life never ceases to amaze and astound.