The new automaton wristwatch with hours and minutes on demand Ref. 5249 in rose gold is a horological marvel, powered by the new Caliber 31-260 PS HMD AU. Inspired by Jean de La Fontaine’s 17th-century fable “The Crow and the Fox”, the watch features a movement derived from the ultra-thin 31-260 PS, to which an additional mechanism for indicating the hours and minutes on demand has been added. This required the development of a patented disengaging clutch system to secure the counter-clockwise time-setting mechanism. The fox’s muzzle and paw stand out from the other decorative elements as they are movable and serve to indicate the hours on demand, a feature that constituted an additional challenge. The paw indicates the hours from zero and 6 o’clock. The muzzle takes over for the hours from 7 o’clock to 11.59. Maintaining the pressure on the push-piece causes the minute hand, with a tip decorated in the shape of a piece of cheese, to drop from the crow’s beak to indicate the minutes on a graduated scale. Once the time has been read off and the push-button released, the retrograde indicators return to their resting position. The officer’s-style hinged cover reveals a sapphire crystal case-back revealing the caliber’s refined structure including the harmonious arrangement of its bridges, platinum micro-rotor and the remarkable finishes of its 267 components. #PatekTime #PatekPhilippe