Patek Philippe

JUST RETURNED FROM BASEL..MY SECOND TIME. I AM NOT A FORUM COORDINATOR SO FORTUNATELY...

WHILE MY SMALL COLLECTION IS MAINLY PATEK, JOURNE AND THE ODD LANGE, I AM ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS IN DESIGN ACROSS BRANDS THE FORUM IS INTERESTED IN. SIHH WAS PRETTY UNINSPIRING SO I WAS HOPING MORE FROM PATEK ETC.

ALAS, THE NEW WATCHES ARE SIMPLY ODD. BIG EXPENSIVE WITH MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS NO ONE NEEDS. THE 5961..what's up with that.... The Aquanaut travel time ......ruined a perfect simple dial. Can anyone read the date on the 5496 or 5216?????

Encrusting a bunch of diamonds is not innovation.

Nothing much for the average bloke with 60k in his pocket. The 4897r for women was quite nice and I am just glad they displayed last years 5170 chrono...a true beauty. What's up mr stern?

ROLEX was no better. The new DAYTONA makes no sense with its brown and gold dial and leather strap.

HUBLOT had nothing new to say and is showing some signs of fatigue!

To see BREGUET was like getting an invitation to the White House and their time zone watch is just too BIG. Can someone remind them that big is kinda 2009's story.

But the most disappointing watches were at BULGARI...huge just huge. I weep for the bulgari of old. I owned their watches their cufflinks...how did they lose their way. LVMH please do something.

HERMES gets points for trying hard but if they want to attract male buyers, they need to make less feminine watches and perhaps take over FP Journe or something.

The best booth was SEIKO...yes and not an empathy vote. These guys are doing better and their range is impressive. Of course they are not a Patek...but they seem to last forever and are improving in design....

YES I KNOW THIS POST WILL AFFECT SOME SENDIBILITIES BUT IT DOES GET TIRING READING THE USUAL GUSHING VIEWS ON NEW RELEASES!!
Respond to this post | 
 

It's refreshing to get an honest point of view.

Thank you and please keep such posts coming.
M.H.

No message body

ALAS, THE NEW WATCHES ARE SIMPLY ODD. BIG EXPENSIVE WITH MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS NO ONE NEEDS. THE 5961..what's up with that.... The Aquanaut travel time ......ruined a perfect simple dial. Can anyone read the date on the 5496 or 5216????? Encrusting a bunch of diamonds is not innovation.

Big ? no the are the right size, watches are between 39 and 42 mm today. Make a poll and you'll see that 70% or more prefers this size. A few will go bigger and ask for 44 and more a few will prefer 35 till 38 but the vast majority wants them to be between 39 and 42 mm.

Multiple complications, that's what Patek is famous for. Super finishing and very nice complications. The perpetuals and chrono's are (imo) the most important Pateks. Besides you still can get dozens of Calatrava's and Gondolo's with only 3 hands, the choice is big enough. The aquanaut is not my favorite Patek but I have a feeling most people who didn't like the 5167 do like this travel time so Patek did a good job.

5496 and 5216, yup it's very easy to read the date  In fact these are together with the 5270 the most beautifull Pateks from Basel 2011. 

I agree on the diamonds, this is NOT my style, but others will like it

Nothing much for the average bloke with 60k in his pocket. The 4897r for women was quite nice and I am just glad they displayed last years 5170 chrono...a true beauty. What's up mr stern?

Like the average bloke has 60K in his Pocket ?????? I agree, this year the focus was on super complications but like said, they still offer more than enough ... for the average bloke   LOL. And I'm sure they have a market for the +200K watches. It's not because I can't afford them , or maybe you can't and for sure most of 'us' can't that Patek should not make these watches.

ROLEX was no better. The new DAYTONA makes no sense with its brown and gold dial and leather strap.

I like that Daytona and I'm looking forward to 2012 or 2013 because this will look great in a SS version, the new explorer looks good but I need to see it irl.

 
The best booth was SEIKO...yes and not an empathy vote. These guys are doing better and their range is impressive. Of course they are not a Patek...but they seem to last forever and are improving in design....

Now I will shock some people  but I will NEVER buy a high end Seiko. I might be wrong but for me a Seiko is and stays a 300 euro watch. When spending 5K I won't give them a chance I'll go for Panerai, IWC, JLC

 

I put all the remarks from the OP in fat and italic, why didn't that work ?

Now it's not easy to read :-(

I tend to agree with your views. Looks like they are out of touch with reality , Except for the 5270 the the rest are either laud or not meant for common folks. How many of us need a minute repeater or a tourbillon.

Henry Hoe

What is wrong with Patek?  I have a theory?  Are you targeting the "Dragon" with the sky high prices, diamonds combined with complications, which I am sure there are stll lots of people who can afford there.  To me a minute repeater is at its prettiest when it's simple and pure.  With diamond, give me a break.  Just my opinion.  WS

OK, it's clear.........for 2011, Patek new models focus on highest end complications.

High complications are good for the brand......they involve research and innovation, stimulate new thinking, and if well done, will reinforce the brand as an elite house.

The prices of of these complications place them in the highest end of the market.  That's fine too.  I'm not in that market (fwiw, would love to buy the 7000R for my wife!), but there is no reason the ultra high end market should not be served, and served well by Patek. 

Next year, I am sure that a different, more modest market will be the focus for Patek at Basel 2012.

As for the rest of the Basel 2011 Patek collection, it's very much a matter of aesthetics. 

I am not a fan of diamond encrusted watches, and do not understand the emphasis on them in 2011.  I find them "blingy", and not consistent with Patek understatement.  No right or wrong, no judgments, just not something that I understand or would ever consider purchasing.

And, fwiw,  I find the Aquanaut dual time, one of the few "modest" entries, unattractively messy...........again, no right or wrong, just personal tastes.

The only eye-opener I would say.

Question to Patek: Where are the 10-day chrono, 10-day perpetual and 10-day split-second/MR?

Saving them for the next 5 years?

And yes, I am not impressed by old models ornamented by pure-carbon crystals.

Larry

None of these companies corrected prices for the ~ 35% loss in value suffered by the 2008 crash. Now, with things still trying to recover they increase prices...They are making greed look modest.

Cheers,

--

Richard.

Just back from Basel , you took the words out of mu mouth so disappointed , no creativity  and no freshness
For me the Best Collection was at Frederique Constant.