Baron - Mr Red shares his candid, one-month ownership review of the Patek Philippe 5711/1A, a watch that sparked significant debate among his seasoned collector friends. His article delves into the subjective experience of owning this highly sought-after reference, exploring its design, wearability, and perceived value beyond its movement. This provides a personal, nuanced perspective on a watch often defined by market hype.
When it comes to buying a Patek Philippe, I rely almost entirely on my own judgment and feeling about a watch. After all, it is something that needs to satisfy my taste and preferences. Every now and then, however, I will listen to a group of friends and collectors who have a view which is different to mine and it will pique my interest. I think I listen to about four seasoned collectors…..G, K, P and S….you probably know who you are. Each has a slightly different approach to collecting but between them they have almost 100 years of experience of collecting modern and vintage Patek Philippe. I listen to one about post-1990s watches. I listen to another about pre-1990s watches. And I listen to two about all periods as they know everything! 90% of the time, it doesn’t affect my choices, but every now and then something happens that poses a question.
There are some quite definitive thinkers in this group. Tastes are different and the shape of each of their collections is very different. Nonetheless, I think it is fair to say we all have an extremely high level of respect for each other’s collections and the approach that we all take.
And this is part of the problem. What happens when two out of the four believe that a specific watch is most definitely cool, attractive and an intrinsic part of a collection whilst the other two think it is a watch that requires them to look away and for the watch to be totally avoided? Yep…… it is a divergence in thinking that is quite remarkable and very unusual amongst this group. Now, my favourite watch is the Ref. 3448. One of the collectors would never have this watch in their collection but at the same time recognises the watch as stunning and totally understands my attraction to it. But he would never have it in his collection. That type of reaction is both normal and typical. But revulsion versus addiction is quite abnormal. And this is what this tale is about….the Patek Philippe 5711a. It is one of the most discussed watches on the forum. The waiting list for the watch is enormous. As I understand it, the secondary market premium over the list price is huge. Clearly, this is a watch that remains very much in focus for many people. In focus for sure, but is it a Ford Focus or a Porsche 911? The following represents my own subjective thinking…..
My own feelings about the Nautilus in general have always been lukewarm at best. I have never really been drawn to the reference. However, after being so taken aback by the Aquanaut 5650G, I decided to revisit the Nautilus and so discussed it with the 4 Wise Men. And that is when I met this divergence of opinion. So, there was only one way to resolve this issue and that was to buy one and try it. Ford Focus or Porsche 911?
The first thing I will say is that the 5711a certainly has something about it. But then, with that Genta design it was always going to carry something special. And to be blunt, this analysis needs to be a review of form over substance insofar as I see the 5711a as a design rather than movement issue. One doesn’t buy the 5711a because of its movement. So, it is with that perspective that I moved to evaluate it.
It is a very slim watch that sits well on the wrist. As someone once described it….”A sporty watch but not a sports watch”. This is quite an important distinction for me. The 5711a just cannot compare with a Rolex in terms of being a sports watch. For me, the Rolex wins hands down every time as it represents in my mind what a sports watch is. The 5711a, on the other hand, has a sort of chicness to it that the Rolex does not.
The 5711a also has a distinct feel of the 1970s about it. For me, that is great. I think I am often drawn to things that have maintained their core DNA throughout decades and continue to have a certain Factor X. I think the 5711a does have that. However, what it is doing is replicating the cool of the original…..the 3700. In the same way that, for example, the Porsche 997 replicates the Porsche 993, the two are very different.
The third thing that I noticed was that within my collection, the 5711a added something that no other watch did. It is just very different in style to anything. OK, one might argue that the 5650G is a sporty and comfortable watch that can be used casually, in the pool etc etc. So I thought I would ask my wife if the two watches were comparable in nature. Her response was “that one is my favourite watch of all your watches and that other one is my least favourite of all your watches”. Wow!! She sounds like the Four Wise Men. Her negativity was aimed at the 5711a. She said it was “boring’. Ouch! I was not convinced at all, as the feel of the 5711a is very different to me and did add something different to my collection. I found it hard to call it boring. But, maybe, the fact that I had just bought one made me want to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Fourthly, I found the 5711a to be highly versatile. The bracelet is extemely comfortable. The watch sits well on the wrist and is at home with a pair of jeans or even a Black tie event. Yes, it is very versatile. Easy to wear in the pool or just around the house. A big plus. So far so good.
After a couple of weeks with the watch on my wrist, I noticed something unusual. When I was wearing the 5650G, I looked and stared at the dial all the time. It is the same with virtually all of the watches in my collection. The dials draw me in and I love looking at them. With the 5711a on my wrist, however, I never looked at the watch “unless” I wanted to see the time. It was not drawing me to stare at it at all. This was not a good sign.
After a couple more weeks of the watch on my wrist, I feel I have at least begun to understand it a bit. It is a design icon. It is one of Patek Philippe’s most recognisable watches. It is priced at the very low end of the watches that are available within the Patek Philippe range. However, while it is absolutely NOT a Ford Focus, it most certainly is not a Porsche 911 either. Rather, I see it as a Fiat 500. It is quite cool. Quite chic. Very retro. But lets not go overboard on this. It is essentially a re-edition of a design icon. It does have something cool about it, but it is not a 3700.
Watches always stay in my collection for at least a year and usually two years before I decide to sell. 90% of the Patek Philippe that I have ever bought are still in my collection. I rarely, if ever, sell a watch based on the first year or ownership. I need to see how the watch feels in different environments, casually, formally, in the sun, in the rain, in front of the log fire. Owning it and wearing it will allow me to evaluate it properly over time. But at this early stage of the process, it is struggling. A secondary review will follow in a few months.
