Patek Philippe 5650G vs. 5990/1A Comparison

Obvious cosmetic differences aside, on closer look the brothers-from-a-different-mother share some common functionality...executed very differently.

First, both basking in the sun





Just capturing the light in a way to accent both dials was very difficult. The 5650G blue pops, with varying gradients of blue, under the slightest of direct light. The dial is intoxicatingly prismatic. The 5990/1A is very rich in its own way, with beautiful tonal grey qualities, but tends to almost absorb direct light. Perhaps best described as business on the right, party on the left 😉






From the rear at a distance not much can be said. Movements are exactly what you'd expect. Caliber 324 base on the left; caliber CH 28-520 on the right. I'll leave that comparison to Patek, which does a better job discussing both than do I. Apologies for the poor imagery...old iPhone 😞





One more picture of those dials, cropped to edge of pixel integrity

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Beauty shots aside, a few comments on the references themselves.

The similarities: short and sweet, as while both share the dual-time zone complication, the execution of this mechanism as we know is quite different. So what is similar??? They both tell time 😀

The differences: are many!

The actuation of the dual time mechanism is of course technically and physically different. The former has been discussed ad nauseam so I'll focus on the resulting user experience. The 5990/1A gives a sensation of progressive depression ultimately resulting in an almost "jump" forward / back. The 5650G a much more linear actuation and "transition" forward / back. Requisite pressure to my hand feels comparable on both references, however the "angle" of attack clearly favors the 5650G as its profiled pushers allow an efficient actuation from a wider angle. The 5990/1A is best approached at a near 90 degree angle to the case at 9 o'clock. In my opinion, it appears clear which will underpin future PP second time zone references.

While physical size is only very marginally different (40.5m for the 5990/1A; 40.8m for the 5650G), the watches of course wear very differently. Without a scale to hand I'd suggest the 5650G has the tonnage advantage by a small margin, a result of course of its metal of choice. On the wrist, the weight difference (if any) is amplified by that weight's distribution: the 5650G wears top / case heavy. Or better written, the 5990/1A better distributes its weight due to the balance of case and bracelet (both of course in steel). Having suggested that, the 5650G nonetheless wears very comfortably. No doubt in part due to the buttery rubber strap. I have no preference here, as either feels "normal" after a few minutes on the wrist. The one further note: acclimatizing to the buckle on the 5650G requires some purposeful attention. The rubber strap can lull you into complacency, just as the comparatively bulky (vs the 5990's clasp) contacts a hard surface inadvertently. Take care!

Finally, with respect to my actual use, I find the two references similar yet different enough that I don't find much redundancy. I tend to retrieve the Aquanaut for the typical personal travel situation; the Nautilus for the same when a degree of "formality" is required.

In summary, from a non-technical perspective, two fine, functional, and in this author's opinion beautiful takes on the casual dual-time complication by PP!