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Entrepreneur Carlo De Benedetti spotted wearing Patek Philippe

Italian entrepreneur and publisher Carlo De Benedetti was photographed wearing a white gold Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, specifically the first-series reference 5270G — a dial configuration produced for just two years before Patek Philippe revised the execution in 2013. The detail matters to collectors, and De Benedetti's wrist confirms an early example.

The Patek Philippe 5270G, introduced at Baselworld 2011, represented a watershed moment for the Geneva manufacture. For the first time, Patek Philippe powered a perpetual calendar chronograph with a movement developed entirely in-house: Calibre CH 29-535 PS Q. Previous references in this complication family, including the venerable 5970 and the 5004, relied on modified Lémania or Valjoux ébauches. The CH 29-535 PS Q features a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, a peripheral rotor for winding, and a perpetual calendar module that accounts for month lengths through 2100. It beats at 28,800 vph and offers a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. The 41mm white gold case houses the movement behind a sapphire exhibition caseback.

The first-series 5270G dial — the version De Benedetti wears — carries a subtly different aesthetic from the 2013 revision. It lacks the tachymetre scale and presents a slightly warmer, less formal tone. Among collectors, this transitional variant is considered the more elusive configuration, produced in limited numbers during the model's debut window. The 5270G in any guise commands serious attention on the secondary market, but early examples attract a premium among those who track production variants.

De Benedetti, founder of CIR and longtime controlling shareholder of GEDI Gruppo Editoriale — publisher of La Repubblica and L'Espresso — has long occupied the intersection of Italian industrial capital and media influence. His watch choice reflects that profile: the Patek Philippe 5270G is not an ostentatious piece, but it is among the most technically demanding references in regular production from any Swiss manufacture.

At retail, the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5270G has historically listed in the low six figures. On the grey market, demand for white gold perpetual calendar chronographs from Patek Philippe remains resilient, with the 5270G commanding significant premiums over retail — particularly for early dial variants in documented condition.