Patek Philippe

Hello all,

Here are two pictures I received from a friend, who, btw, requested to stay anonymous.

Front:



And back:



And a question: ""Is the Patek "worth" twice the price of the Lange?""

If you search the (incredible!) Antiquorum website, you will find two Patek 5565´s being auctioned and fetching approx USD 42K and 45K

A similar search for the Lange learns that the Jubilee´s auctioned sold at approx. USD 15K ~ 18K

So, two watches, very different but very similar as well, but worlds apart according to the prices fetched at auctions.

Love to hear your opinion(s).

Edwin

I would take the Lange and buy a nice Journe with with extra 25k left over.

or take the left over 25k and buy another Lange!

and buy a PP 5146 annual calendar

come on... that LE is strictly marketing.

If Lange could do the same, they would

...and my watch budget than what marketing tricks Patek, Lange or anyone else can pull off.


- Daniel

who Patek is actually targeting to purchase that watch  It certainly is not the "purist".


_Ron

...they are targeting whoever will pay for the watch, just like with all of their other watches.  After all, Patek like all other manufacturers (which I distinguish from craftsmen) is ultimately in this as a business.  That is why their most popular model (at least in terms of production estimates I have seen) is most likely the twenty-four.  They are not targeting female
"Purists" or WISs, just customers.

I like and admire many watches that Patek makes, but have no illusions about their corporate goals.


- Daniel

For me, I did.... and I picked 5565 without a second thought.

Since you asked for comments.....

I believe, for most (if not all) true PP collectors, they admire the TRUE tradition, TRUE history, TRUE value, TRUE classic of PP. It is hardly any brand that can be anywhere close to it. To me, PP and Lange are indeed targeting for different group of customers (except for the new watch collector who has less than 5 years of "experience" and still in the "learning" phase of his watch collecting path...)

Personally, I don't like the 21st century high-tech aftertaste inherent in Lange... I don't know why but I have a feeling that it is like eating GM food... I have no objection for the people who prefer GM food for various reasons but I prefer not to if possible.

With my taste, I prefer organic food.... let's look at the 5565 again... I think it deserve better photos, isn't it?







With such good looking classic watch, who care to see its proven classic (yes, classic!) hand-wind nicely finished movement from the 70s .... btw, I hope we still remember that a watch is definitely more than just its movement.... and the movement is used to be very shy and working endlessly deep inside a watch for ages until recent years (because you guys ask for it...)

p.s.: BTW, I believe it IS targeting for "purists".... at least I believe I am a purist

I fully concur with Happy. 

I was just recently fortunate enough to purchase a new 5565 which, to the horror of some purists, I will put safely away in a lockbox for some time.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Langes and, in point of fact, recently sold my Double Split which I adored for two years (after losing $35K unloading it) -- wink to those who say Lange's are "great investments".  I must admit, however, I had far better results with my Luna Mundi sets.

I am hopeful that the very limited run on the 5565 and the rarity of PP stainless steel will make it a great long-term pure investment for this Purist.  If the value goes high enough, I may even wear it.

BTW, I have lately been wearing my stainless steel Omega Seamaster (simple version, no chrono) and enjoying the heck out of it...great for swimming and no matter how many times I whack it (like when putting on the my shoulder seatbelt) it looks good as new.

it seems to be my first ever time seeing it on the wrist.

From an investment perspective it's clearly the better watch. But really, it's a fairly pedestrian piece of work. The mystique of the brand name adds a lot, in this case.

if that's really what you think, I would recommend you to look for that brands that create weird monster...

If you want someone to spot (far away from you) that you are wearing a PATEK (or a high-end, luxury watch), I think most Patek models would not be your choice.

Please remember that Patek has a TRUE tradition and TRUE history. What it means is that they had created something very classic and successful a long time ago.... and these would be "borrowed" by other from time to time. One of the very good example is 5098... what do you think? Is it a FM?

Anyway, if you would like to use the watch to WOW people, there is only a few choice from PP that can satisfy your need.

Actually, I, personally, believe that a hi-jewel... full of diamonds and gems Rolex can have a better "WOW" effect ... Like this one:





or (at least this)





p.s.: BTW, is that Lange shown above so "Lange"? It looks like a Chronoswiss to me

Seems to me that there are two reasons PP fares so well as a brand:  first, it makes great watches, and second, so many people whose views Happy WIS cares about -- other WISs, happy or not -- accept the conventional wisdom that PP is the "best" watchmaker.  Suspend that conventional wisdom, and you'd just be judging individual models on their individual merits, and you wouldn't be making sweeping generalizations about the superior heritage, romance, etc. of one luxury brand over another.  (Such debates are akin, in my country, to the silly arguments Harvard and Yale students make about why their particular university is better than the other.)

Also, Edwin's just right about this one:  Patek makes many fine models, and its Calatrava line is sublime, but this particular model, the 5565, seems fairly unexceptional to me, at least by Patek or Lange standards. 

I only happen to own fairly classical watches, including a 5127R. I'm just saying I find the 5565 a rather tedious marketing exercise, aimed at rewarding good customers by essentially giving them a stainless steel Calatrava guaranteed to rise in value.

It's an okay watch, nothing more, and Patek is just so successful at luring us all in, including me--until lately. Everything Patek does strikes me as shameless.

Agreed Mostel. and ofcourse they're hardly alone.