Patek Philippe: My Most Important Watch Collection

Ok guys- bear with me as there is a bit of a story to the two watches. The Patek is a 5135. I gave this to my father for his 70th birthday years ago. It was the most expensive watch I had ever purchased and the best watch I ever purchased. I gave it to him and he cried. I cried. My mom cried. It was a gift that he never expected and one I never expected I could afford.


You see I had heard my dad talk about buying a Patek for as long as I could remember. But he could never get himself to pull the trigger. He is a doctor so successful but very frugal. He came from nothing and was an immigrant to this country. It’s not that he couldn’t afford it, he just couldn’t get himself to spend that kind of money on himself.



Buying that watch for him and watching him open the box and him realizing it was a Patek is a moment I’ll never forget. 


Ever.



Fast forward to a weekend few months ago, I’m visiting my parents and it’s my 50th birthday. My brother and I are hanging with my parents. We are chilling and hanging out and he says, it’s time for me to gift you the watch. I want you to have it for your birthday. 



I knew exactly what he meant but I lost it. Tears started to well up in my eyes. So he goes in his room and grabs 2 boxes. The Patek (all box, papers etc) and the Rolex with the box and papers.



The Rolex my father had purchased for himself. While he never could get himself to buy a Patek, in our culture the Rolex presidential is the watch you get when you’ve made it. It’s a status symbol. This one happens to be the rare 41mm which was only in production for a few years.



He wanted to give me a watch and my brother a watch. We are 3 years apart but our birthdays are only a day apart. My dad is healthy and no issues but in his 80s and he just wanted to pass some of his momentous to his sons. 



Naturally he was going to give me the Patek and my brother the Rolex. I had saved up for a long time to buy the Patek for father so this watch has some serious sentimental value to me. 



I thought about it and I just couldn’t take the watch. I told him no. I gave this watch as a gift so I couldn’t take it back. I told him I wanted my brother to have it. As with as much love I gifted the Patek to my father, I now sort of gifted it to my brother and happily took the Rolex.



This may not seem like a big deal to some but to me, part of the bond between my father and I is our love of watches. He is the reason I’m so passionate about them. To now pass this sentimental and precious gift to my brother only seemed fitting.


Thanks for allowing me to share.





Patek 5135 that I gave to my father for his 70th birthday.




The Rolex 41mm that my father gifted to me on my 50th.