FabR[Senior Patek Moderator]
26166
Only a few people are authorized to work on Rare Handcraft dials at Patek (a handful for enamel, and for instance *only one* for wood marquetry! ;-), so while timelines are not an exact science, I can estimate a 5131 can take a few weeks to complete.
Sep 30, 2022,01:17 AM
Out of total honesty, however, keep in mind that the 5131s in the four metals (or now the 5231s) are *in-catalog* Rare Handcrafts, hence relatively more accessible and with simpler enamel dials than the out-of-catalog references we announce every year (5077, 5089, 5177, 5086, 5738, etc.).
These latter obviously require a more sophisticated (and time-consuming) work on the dials, which also explains why they are released as MUCH more limited editions (I was actually given an exact number this year by Patek, and it's 6 per dial! ;-)
The fascinating thing with *each* Rare Handcraft though, both in- and out-of-catalog, is their uniqueness due to the individual hand work necessary on each dial....so you'll be certain, even with a 5131, to be wearing a unique, gorgeous artwork on your wrist!