Barneyboy
3
PATEK 5107 ? A personal story
This is my first post but I have been keeping an eye on this forum for over a year now. It has been great fun!
Six months ago I treated myself to a 5107RG for my 40th birthday. Ever since my early twenties I had been dreaming of a high-end timepiece. In the months leading up to my 40th I had narrowed it down to a Patek 5107RG and a Langematik RG with outsized date. The Patek won it by a whisker after I had tried both watches on in the shop. The 5107 just ?smiled? that little bit more at me.
What an enjoyable journey it had been. For year I had been researching catalogues and the internet, for years I had been standing in front of shop windows with butterflies in my stomach. Just imagine how much adrenaline was pumping through my veins when I finally ended up in Bond Street to make my purchase!
I?ll never forget the moment I shook hands on an agreed price with the shop manager.
Then there was a slight hick-up?.
A few days after I had bought my timepiece I noticed that the dates did not fit perfectly in the date window. This was only noticeable when the dates 21 to 31 were on display as then a very small part of the previous date was still visible. In other words, the date ring was slightly misaligned.
I got back in touch with the dealer and they provided an excellent service. Within a period of two weeks I had my 5107 returned. All excited I opened the courier parcel and I immediately noticed something different about my 5107 ?..
Have a look at these photos, can you spot the difference?
Yes, you have no doubt guessed it. My 5107 had been repaired with a different style of date ring. I got in touch with Rhone Products (UK Patek Service Center) and I put in writing that I was very disappointed at the way Patek Philippe had changed the date ring type without my prior agreement. I thought it was not in keeping with Patek?s tradition of excellence. Rhone Products replied by sending me a letter of authenticity. In the letter they confirmed that ?during technical intervention, the date ring was exchanged and replaced with a new type which is used for several watches with the same calibre as the 5107?. They also stated that ?if I preferred the bolder type date ring they would be more than happy to exchange it as a matter of urgency?.
I decided to keep the new date ring. I had started to get attached to my ?individually styled? 5107.
Six months on and I couldn?t be happier with my purchase. In my native Dutch language we have a saying ?Het hebben van de zaak, is het einde van vermaak?. Roughly translated this means ?The longing for an object is more enjoyable than the possession of the object?. No such emotions on my part. I still get a buzz every morning when I put my 5107 around my wrist. And I don't think that buzz will ever fizzle out!
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Many thanks for having taken the time to read my