Patek Philippe

a Patek "application" and your experience with the process?

a paper to get the high complications

Your AD will put your name on it, a reason why you should get a certain Patek and if you have one or more Patek he'll  put these watches also on that paper.

The purpose is to know if the person who's asking for this 'special piece' is a real collector or a flipper. If you're a flipper you won't get it. If Patek once gave you one or more special pieces and they know you sold them asap ( they can see the serial numbers on auctions houses, you probalby won't be able to buy another sought after piece

 

A lot of people think only the clients with already several Pateks will get the hard to get pieces. THIS IS WRONG. The relationship with your AD is imo the most important. If your AD can convince Patek you're a good guy without a huge collection you also have a big chance to get that special piece.

 

Now, what are special pieces ?? The repeaters and the tourbillons I guess. But I was also told the Advanced research series + the limited editions + hot pieces like the 5070P were 'appllications' pieces. I can tell you the 5070R wasn't one

 

but I think my AD  told me so

What about the 5131 ?

i got 5131 without any application although long waiting

only grand complications such as 5950/5951/5207/5208 etc. need applications

I had to list all my PP's along with their serials. I am in the US. Where are you?

i think it depends on if ur retailer got 5131allocation confirmed by patek from the beginning. if yes, retailer can sell you 5131 without application. if not, retailer must send ur application to patek. Actually my retailer got some grand complications without sending any customer's application, such as 5016P 5078P 5074. but i'm not sure if the customer should send details to patek before buying them.

When i enquired in January....

plus one from a reseller. Strange that Patek on Bond Street would say it is an application piece? Someone recently posted that there was a 5170 in the window at PP Bond Street.

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to demonstrate that you want the watch for yourself and not to resell--that is the point of the application, whether explicit or not.... ridiculous in the extreme as gray market Pateks of all variety are everywhere, which Patek does nothing to prevent... but they put the good customer through this absurd process...

put up with this process, Patek wil continue it.  I of course do not have the means to even consider this application.

I don't understand this policy by Patek.

The high complications are already so expensive that only the seriously rich can afford them.  It's not the case that with good savings and giving up other non-essentials a collector of modest means can ever hope to attain one of these pieces.

The prices are set at what the market will bear - why do they therefore care about flipping?  If you can afford the official entry price then you can afford the flipped price.

If they are truly concerned then they should increase the price to the true 'street' price.  No 'collector' will miss out.

I for one am not in a position to purchase a minute repeater - yet.  But I expect I will be able to in a few years time.  However, there's no way I will put myself through a demeaning review process to be given the 'opportunity' to buy and tactics like this confuse me.  It's a seriously misguided policy in my opinion and out of line with today's purchaser who most likely made their money the hard way.

...perhaps someone with deep pockets like certain keynote stores would order certain models to then have in stock. As such, use a 'flipper' to sell these rare watches to people who "must have it now" and not desiring waiting months for the timepiece to be produced. Naturally the "must have it now" person may also pay far over retail, or worse still a 'flipper' in need of fast cash places the timepiece at auction. If too many flippers do this, it may give the appearance of 'cheapening' the brand.

Besdies, odds are the demand outstrips the ability to product such complicated pieces in (relatively) high numbers and thus Patek may feel it is best to produce these timepieces for true enthusiasts than for those who only want to 'make a fast buck' by flipping them. i applaud Patek for the application process as am sure it is easy for them to detect the difference between a longtime enthusiasts and...

if you have a relationship with an AD and if you own several pp pieces, application process is fairly simple.  to make the long story short, AD contacted me and said pp allocated one 5131 to his store,  and asked to see if I am interested in applying for one.  i said YES.  he filled a pp application for me (i never saw the application) 6 weeks later the watch arrived in mail. 

note:  i own 8 pp pieces, and have never flipped a pp.
next application piece i am interested in purchasing is 5550p. will keep you posted when my application for 5550p is accepted or denied. This message has been edited by D10 on 2011-06-30 12:06:28 This message has been edited by D10 on 2011-06-30 12:07:52