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Read the full article: Video: Unboxing the Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Moon P...
Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Moon Phase 4947/1A-001: Everyday Complication Done Right
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Watch the full unboxing
The Patek Philippe reference 4947/1A pairs serious complications with a relaxed, everyday personality. This stainless steel annual calendar with moon phase brings traditional Patek watchmaking into a package you can wear with jeans and a t-shirt. The textured midnight-blue dial reads almost like fine denim from across a room, then shows its annual-calendar and moon-phase work up close. That mix of substance and ease is what stood out to us handling it.
The 4947/1A-001 seated in its Patek Philippe presentation box, delivered with box and papers.
Case Dimensions and Wearability
The 4947/1A keeps its proportions in check. The case measures 38mm across, with a lug-to-lug around 44mm and a thickness just under 11mm. Even with the annual calendar and moon phase inside, it stays slim enough to slide under a shirt cuff and sit flat on most wrists. It is water resistant to 30 meters, which covers daily wear but not swimming.
The slim steel case and integrated bracelet, held to show the profile and the crown.
Weight matters as much as size for all-day comfort. On the scale this one reads 116 grams, roughly a quarter pound, so the steel has some substance without feeling heavy. Light enough that it stays comfortable through a full day, which is what we look for in a watch meant for daily wear.
On the scale the watch and bracelet read 116.0 grams, roughly a quarter pound.
On the wrist: light and flat, an easy watch to wear all day.
The Annual Calendar and Moon Phase
Patek's annual calendar automatically tracks months with 30 and 31 days. You set it once a year, at the end of February, and it handles the rest. That is the practical gap between this and a plain date window: months of correct date changes with no fiddling on the first of the month. The day of the week and the month each read from their own sub-dial, and the date sits in a window at six o'clock.
The moon phase sits just above that date window, tracking the lunar cycle beneath a field of stars. The two calendar sub-dials sit at three and nine, flanking the Patek signature, with the day of the week on the left and the month on the right. Everything is laid out cleanly and stays easy to read.
The day and month sub-dials flank the Patek signature, with the moon phase and date aperture at six o'clock.
Caliber 324 S QA LU Movement
Powering the 4947/1A is the automatic caliber 324 S QA LU. It runs on Patek's 324 self-winding base, with the annual calendar (quantième annuel) and moon phase (lune) added on top. This is an in-house movement with a strong record for reliability and long-term serviceability, which is what we want in a complicated watch meant to be kept.
The automatic caliber 324 S QA LU through the sapphire caseback, gold rotor and striped bridges on show.
Through the sapphire caseback you get the finishing Patek is known for: Côtes de Genève striping across the bridges, a solid-gold rotor doing the winding, and hand-finishing throughout. It is finished to the same standard whether you are looking at the dial side or the movement side.
Dial Design and Integrated Bracelet
The dial is a deep midnight blue with a vertical and horizontal satin finish that Patek calls shantung. In the frames it reads a touch grayer under some light, closer to fine denim, with a linen-like texture that catches the light and shifts as you move. The applied numerals and the classic Patek typography keep it unmistakably Patek, even with the casual finish.
Up close the midnight-blue dial shows its shantung texture, here around the moon phase and date.
The reference comes on Patek's integrated stainless steel bracelet, a five-row design of polished links. It tapers toward the clasp and stays slim and fluid on the wrist, which gives the watch a more casual, everyday read than a leather strap would.
The five-row polished bracelet tapers toward the case.
It closes with a fold-over clasp stamped with the Calatrava cross, secure and clean without adding bulk.
The fold-over clasp, stamped with the Patek Calatrava cross.
Market Position and Value
The 4947/1A is the steel version of Patek's annual-calendar-with-moon-phase, a combination that otherwise runs in gold and platinum in the Complications family. The steel case is lighter and less formal than those, so it wears easily every day, while the two complications give you real watchmaking to live with. In steel it is one of the more attainable ways into a complicated Patek, since the same annual calendar with moon phase in gold or platinum costs quite a bit more.
We are offering this one as a like-new 2025 example with its original box and papers, priced at $40,000. For a steel Patek with an annual calendar and moon phase, that is a lot of watchmaking for the money. It is a serious complication with top-tier finishing, built relaxed enough to reach for every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size is the Patek Philippe 4947/1A?
The case measures 38mm in diameter, about 44mm lug-to-lug, and just under 11mm thick, with 30 meters of water resistance. On the scale the full watch and bracelet come in around 116 grams. Those proportions keep it slim and easy to wear on most wrists.
How often do you set the annual calendar?
Once a year. The annual calendar automatically accounts for months with 30 and 31 days, so the only adjustment comes at the end of February, the one month it cannot track on its own. The rest of the year it changes the date without any input.
What movement is in the 4947/1A?
The automatic caliber 324 S QA LU, Patek's self-winding base with the annual calendar and moon phase added. It is an in-house movement with a strong reputation for reliability and long-term serviceability, visible through the sapphire caseback.
Is the 4947/1A a good everyday watch?
It handles everyday wear easily. The steel case, integrated bracelet, and light 116-gram weight make it comfortable all day, while the textured midnight-blue dial dresses down without trouble. The annual calendar and moon phase add function without making it feel too precious to wear.