Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar References Guide: 5327, 5320, 5236, 5740, 5270 and 5970

A Patek Philippe perpetual calendar is a watch whose calendar corrects itself for the length of every month and for leap years, so it needs no adjustment until 2100 as long as it keeps running. Patek made the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925 and has produced the complication in series since the 1526 of 1941; today the family splits into the classic three-subdial layout on the micro-rotor calibre 240 Q (the 5327, and before it the 5140 and 3940), the vintage-style 5320G with calendar apertures, the in-line 5236P, the Nautilus 5740/1G, and the chronograph perpetuals 5270 and 5204 that descend from the 5970 and 3970. This guide explains how the mechanism works, compares every current reference and the discontinued ones buyers still ask for, and covers dealer prices in 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources Patek perpetual calendars to order; the Grand Complications collection lists the configurations we can seek.

Last reviewed on September 21, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

How does a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar work?

A perpetual calendar carries a mechanical memory of the Gregorian calendar: a cam that turns once every four years, cut with 48 steps of differing depth, one for each month of the leap year cycle. A lever reads the depth of the step for the current month and tells the date wheel whether the month has 28, 29, 30 or 31 days, so the date jumps from 30 to 1, or from 28 or 29 to 1, without help. The mechanism is correct until the year 2100, when the Gregorian calendar skips a leap year and every perpetual calendar will need a one-day correction. The price of that intelligence is complexity: a perpetual calendar module has dozens of levers and springs that must be adjusted by hand, the calendar cannot be set backwards, and if the watch stops for more than a couple of days the owner must advance every indication through the correctors on the case. That is why Patek's perpetuals are Grand Complications and why they cost roughly twice what its annual calendars do. Source for current references: the Patek Philippe Grand Complications collection page.

Patek Philippe perpetual calendar references compared

Our sourced catalogue on 21 September 2026 also listed a platinum Cubitus perpetual calendar under reference 5840P-001; treat that as a catalogue entry to confirm with us against Patek's page rather than as a launch specification.

5327 and 5140: the classic calibre 240 Q perpetual

The three-subdial perpetual on the ultra-thin calibre 240 Q is the Patek perpetual calendar in its purest form, and it has been in production since the 3940 of 1985, the watch Philippe Stern used to reassert mechanical watchmaking during the quartz years. The 5140 of 2006 enlarged the case from 36 to 37.2 mm and the 5327 of 2016 took it to 39 mm with a slightly redrawn dial and applied Breguet-style numerals on some variants. The layout is unchanged: day and 24-hour indication at 9, month and leap year at 3, date and moon phase at 6, all on a movement 3.88 mm thick that keeps the watch under 9 mm. The 5327 is offered in white gold with a blue dial (5327G-001), yellow gold (5327J-001) and rose gold (5327R-001) with ivory dials. If you want one perpetual calendar to wear daily, this is the one Patek itself would point to; the 5140 and 3940 are the same watch in smaller cases at lower prices.

5320G: the vintage-style perpetual with apertures

The 5320G-001 of 2017 borrowed its dial from two mid-century Patek perpetuals in the brand's museum: a cream lacquer dial with applied Arabic numerals and luminous syringe hands, day and month in twin apertures under 12, the date and moon phase in a subdial at 6, and two small round apertures for day and night and leap year. The 40 mm white gold case has stepped three-tier lugs and a thick bezel, and the movement is the full-rotor calibre 324 S Q rather than the micro-rotor 240 Q, which makes the watch thicker but adds a stop-seconds function. A second dial, rose-gilt opaline on the 5320G-011, followed later. The 5320G is the reference that converted buyers who found the three-subdial layout old-fashioned, and it is the most requested current Patek perpetual after the Nautilus.

5236P: the in-line perpetual calendar

The 5236P-001, introduced in 2021, displays the day, date and month side by side in a single long aperture under 12, an arrangement Patek had previously used only on a pocket watch. Making three discs read on one line inside a 41.3 mm platinum case required a new micro-rotor movement, the calibre 31-260 PS QL, in which two date discs sit on one level and a mechanism prevents them from jumping out of step. The moon phase and seconds share a subdial at 6, and day and night and leap year sit in small apertures either side of the aperture. It is the most technically ambitious of the current perpetuals and the most expensive time-only one; our catalogue listed the 5236P-011 variant at US$151,924 brand new on 21 September 2026.

5740/1G: the Nautilus perpetual calendar

The 5740/1G-001 of 2018 put the calibre 240 Q inside the 40 mm Nautilus case, which produced the thinnest Nautilus in the range at under 8.5 mm and the first Nautilus with a grand complication. It comes only in white gold on the integrated bracelet, with a blue dial carrying the three-subdial layout. Because it combines the two things Patek buyers most want, the Nautilus case and a perpetual calendar, it has traded at a large premium since launch: on 21 September 2026 our catalogue asked US$298,695 brand new, against US$69,421 for a 5327G-001 with the same movement in a round case. Our Nautilus 5740 guide covers it in detail, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus page lists the current line.

5270, 5204 and 5970: perpetual calendar chronographs

The chronograph perpetual is Patek's signature grand complication, a line that runs from the 1518 of 1941 through the 2499, 3970 and 5970 to today's 5270. The 3970 (1986 to 2004) and 5970 (2004 to 2011) used the Lemania-based manual calibre CH 27-70 Q; the 5270 of 2011 introduced Patek's own CH 29-535 PS Q in a 41 mm case, with day and month apertures at 12, date and moon at 6 and small apertures for day and night and leap year. It is offered in white gold (5270G-001) and in platinum with several dial colours (5270P-001 blue, 5270P-014 green, 5270P-015 charcoal, 5270P-016 blue and 5270P-017 red in our catalogue). The 5204 of 2012 adds a split-seconds mechanism on the CHR 29-535 PS Q in a 40 mm case and is the most expensive of the three. The 5970, especially in platinum, is the modern collector's reference: discontinued, 40 mm, with the last of the Lemania movements. Auction records at Phillips are the reference for the 3970 and 5970 market.

Which older Patek perpetual calendars are worth buying?

The 3940 is the value perpetual: the same calibre 240 Q as the 5327 in a 36 mm case, produced for over twenty years in yellow, white and rose gold and platinum, with early first-series examples commanding a premium among collectors. The 5140 is the same watch at 37.2 mm and usually trades below a 5327 with more wrist presence than a 3940. Among chronographs the 5970 has appreciated steadily since its discontinuation in 2011 and the 3970 is the more affordable route into the Lemania-based line. All of these need the same checks as a current watch plus a service history; a perpetual calendar that has not been serviced in a decade will need one, and Patek's service for a grand complication takes months. Our Patek Philippe authentication guide covers extracts and dial originality for these references.

How much is a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar? Retail and dealer prices in 2026

• Retail. Patek's US list prices for the 5327 and 5320G have sat roughly in the US$80,000 to US$100,000 band in recent years, with the 5236P and the 5740/1G well above, the 5270 chronograph perpetual higher again and the 5204 split-seconds at the top of the series-production range; the Grand Complications page linked above carries the current figures. The round gold perpetuals are obtainable at authorised dealers with a wait; the 5740/1G, 5236P and platinum 5270 are allocated.
• Secondary market. Through 2025 and 2026 the 5327 and 5320G have generally been asked below list when pre-owned and around list when unworn, which makes them among the few Pateks a buyer can obtain on the secondary market for less than retail. The 5740/1G and platinum 5270 carry premiums; the discontinued 5970 and 3940 have appreciated.
• Bizak catalogue asks. On 21 September 2026 our sourced catalogue listed the 5327G-001 at US$69,421, the 5327J-001 at US$84,487 and the 5327R-001 at US$104,760; the 5320G-001 at US$64,890 and the 5320G-011 at US$80,330; the 5236P-011 at US$151,924; the 5740/1G-001 at US$298,695; the 5496R-001 retrograde at US$51,999 and the 5159G-001 at US$79,689; the 5940G-010 at US$48,999; a pre-owned 5140J-001 at US$52,272; the 5270G-001 at US$120,973 and platinum 5270P variants from US$180,250 to US$266,770; the 5204P-011 at US$271,920 new and US$239,999 pre-owned and the 5204G-010 at US$359,999; and pre-owned 5970 examples at US$176,699 in white gold, US$209,249 in yellow gold, US$233,336 in rose gold and US$269,699 in platinum, all sourced to order.

Those figures describe what we saw and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact reference, metal and set; our Patek Philippe price guide explains how grand complications are priced against the sports models.

Buying a Patek perpetual calendar: what to check

• Certificate of Origin. The certificate should carry the dealer stamp, sale date and case and movement numbers that match the watch; Patek does not reissue certificates. For a 3940, 3970 or 5970 an Extract from the Archives can confirm the numbers and the date of sale.
• Calendar synchronisation. Every indication, day, date, month, leap year, moon phase and day and night, must agree with each other and with today; a watch that has been stopped and reset carelessly will show a wrong leap year or moon, which takes a watchmaker to correct properly.
• Correctors. Ask to see the recessed correctors used with the supplied stylus; each should advance its indication with a clean click, never forced, and never between about 8 pm and 4 am when the calendar is changing.
• Service history. Ask for the last Patek service receipt; a perpetual calendar more than eight to ten years from its last service should be priced with a service in mind, and grand complication services are lengthy and expensive.
• Chronograph function on 5270, 5204 and 5970. Start, stop and reset should be crisp with no hand jump; on the 5204 the split-seconds hand should catch up cleanly.
• Case and dial. Gold cases polish easily; check the 5320G's tiered lugs and the 5327's bezel for crisp edges, and inspect lacquer dials for hairlines and applied numerals for damage.
• Bracelet on the 5740/1G. Count the links and check the clasp; white gold links are expensive to replace.
• Price against the band. A 5740/1G or platinum 5270 offered under retail, or a 5970 without papers at a full-set price, is the single most reliable warning sign.

Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch.

Quick answers

How much is a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar?

Patek's US list prices for the 5327 and 5320G have sat roughly between US$80,000 and US$100,000 in recent years, with chronograph perpetuals well above. Bizak's sourced catalogue listed unworn examples from US$64,890 for a 5320G-001 to US$359,999 for a 5204G-010 on 21 September 2026.

Which Patek Philippe perpetual calendars are current?

The 5327 in three golds, the 5320G, the in-line 5236P, the retrograde 5496 and 5159, the Nautilus 5740/1G and the chronograph perpetuals 5270 and 5204, plus Rare Handcrafts and haute joaillerie versions.

What is the difference between the Patek 5327 and 5320?

The 5327 uses three subdials and the ultra-thin micro-rotor calibre 240 Q in a 39 mm case; the 5320G uses day and month apertures, a vintage-style dial and the full-rotor calibre 324 S Q in a 40 mm case.

Does a Patek perpetual calendar need adjusting?

Not until 2100, provided it keeps running. If it stops for more than a couple of days, every indication must be advanced through the correctors on the case, which is why owners use a winder.

Is the Patek Philippe 3940 a good buy?

It is the most affordable route to the calibre 240 Q perpetual calendar: a 36 mm watch made from 1985 to about 2007 with the same movement as the current 5327, and a reference collectors respect.

Request a Patek Philippe perpetual calendar sourcing quote

Tell us the reference, metal, dial, whether the certificate and full set are required, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, certificate and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: Perpetual Calendar 5327G-001, Perpetual Calendar 5320G-001, In-Line Perpetual Calendar 5236P, Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740/1G-001, Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5270G-001, Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5970P-001 pre-owned; browse the Grand Complications collection, the Complications collection, or sell or trade your Patek Philippe.

Related reading: Nautilus 5740 perpetual calendar guide · Patek Philippe price guide · Patek Philippe authentication guide · Nautilus 5726 annual calendar guide.