Patek Philippe 5249R-001 The Fox and the Crow Automaton 43mm Rose Gold Watch

Patek Philippe 5249R-001 The Fox and the Crow Automaton 43mm Rose Gold Watch

The Patek Philippe 5249R-001 “The Fox and the Crow” is a watch unlike any other in modern watchmaking — the brand’s first automaton wristwatch in its contemporary history, and a piece that blurs the boundary between horology, theatre, and art. Presented at Watches & Wonders 2026 in a 43mm rose gold case, this is Patek Philippe at its most poetic and technically daring.

The Automaton — A Fable in Motion

At the press of a pusher, the dial of the 5249R-001 comes alive. The famous fable of Jean de La Fontaine — Le Corbeau et le Renard, The Fox and the Crow — is played out in miniature on the wrist: figures animate, the scene unfolds, and the story is told in mechanical motion. This is a reinterpretation of a 1958 museum piece from the Patek Philippe Museum — a pocket watch automaton that inspired Patek’s craftspeople to recreate its magic for the modern wrist. Time itself — hours and minutes — is displayed on demand, the complication serving the narrative rather than the narrative serving the complication.

Rare Handcrafts at the Highest Level

The creation of an automaton wristwatch requires the collaboration of Patek Philippe’s most skilled craftspeople — movement specialists, enamellers, miniature painters, and engravers working in concert. The Matara brown dial serves as the stage upon which the fable’s characters perform, its warm tone providing the perfect backdrop for the animated scene. Every detail of the automatons figures is executed at a scale that demands a loupe to fully appreciate.

43mm Rose Gold — Warmth and Drama

The 43mm rose gold case gives the 5249R-001 the presence its extraordinary complication deserves. Large enough to showcase the automaton scene, proportioned to be worn rather than merely collected. The brown alligator leather strap completes the warm, rich palette that rose gold demands. Water resistant to 30 metres.