Patek Philippe

Hey guys, I'm new on this board although have posted a few times over on the AP section about my ROO Diver I recently got. I've totally fallen in love with the 5980 but like many am unsure whether the charcoal or blue dial is the way forward. I like both and really am about 50/50, so was wondering, once I've made my choice will Patek change the dial for me at service in future, like Rolex would with a datejust or am I "stuck" with my original choice? Does anyone know? I've had a good bit of Google time, but not coming up with an answer! Thanks for any help guys!

The reference and serial number would change but ask ask ur AD he would know better

While I can't speak to Patek policy, everything I know leads me to believe that they would not do this and that you would be unwise to wish it.  Changing the dial of a fine watch makes the watch undesirable to collectors, so you would be paying to reduce the value of your watch.  If you decided you'd rather have the other dial, you would be better off selling your watch and buying one with the other dial in comparable condition.

I do understand your dilemma.  I've been wearing the blue dialed version a great deal and bought another with a black dial, thinking I'd eventually want both.  For months, the latter has remained unsized, unworn, and untouched, as the blue is wonderful and often looks black.  I'm still unsure whether I have any reason to keep both.

You'll likely  be happy with either choice, unless indecision causes you to wait until next week's price increase before acting.

Park

 

 

 

Is this a world-wide increase? As I've only really decided to go for a Patek recently I hadn't picked up on this! Do you guys have any details as to what % increase will be applied? I hadn't quite got to the stage of being ready to hand over the readies, but if there is a price increase maybe I'd better get on with it!

Thanks for the input so far guys!

you would end up with a mis-matched watch. Any future buyer who is willing to spend so much for a watch would know that the counter on the blue face is black and the counter on the black face is white. Buy the blue dial as it is classic Nautilus and in some light conditions, it looks black. I had to ask my AD if he sent me the blue dial as I thought it was black at first! ;-)

let me convince you to go for the blue dial who changes colour depending the light from blue to grey several times a day    if I had the choice again I'd take exactly the same one

 

 

 

 

 

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very nice pictures!!

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Thanks for sharing them!

R

if you're unsure which color to go with and hoping that PP will change out the dial for you, then I would suggest you think hard about which one would be the one you could NOT live without. That way, you'll be happy with your choice and your purchase.

Aloha,

Bob

Buy either one and you will not go wrong. Blue is more classic for Nautilus, but black more rare and perhaps with a touch more "elegance."

for all the replies guys, and especially thanks for the photos. The 5726 has also sprung up as a candidate, and it's tough to decide which direction to choose. The 5980 has a nice chunky-ness about it that is quite modern and the bracelet is more versatile day to day - ie it can get a bit damp in the shower or a bit sweaty and won't get wrecked like a leather strap. The movements in the two are I'd guess equally impressive although I don't know which is the greater feat of engineering - I'm not a huge movement expert... yet! The 5726 has such a beautiful dial, with slightly better symmetry (due to placement of the date) and I've never owned a moonphase before, so that is quite tempting. I also saw a dual-signed Tiffany version in a photo the other day with "Tiffany & Co" in tiny letters on the bottom half of the moonphase and thought that looked superb, and quite rare I'd guess. As you all say though, a nice dilema to have.

I think the blue dial would win, because I'm just not super-keen on the charcoal dial's white on black date wheel. I guess in real life things might be different, but in pics the datewheel seems to stand out more in black than in white. So....

Blue 5980 v 5726 (ideally Tiffany branded 5726)

Annoying there is soon to be a price rise as I really wanted to have a clear out of my collection to help with funds and make me feel less crazy for forking over £25-£30k for a watch!!!

Here are 2 pics to aid in your cause

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Its more rare and from what I heard will be discontinued in favor of the Gray....

The Nautilus range is a great all rounder and are superb.

But I see that your have moved from having a Nautilus with a Chronograph complication or an Annual Calendar complication.

Which from your 2 choices would you find more useful?

Regards

Tony  

...I use my watches to tell the time. A date complication is nice, but anything beyond that is purely aesthetics, in my honest appraisal of how I use watches. I've really been big into watches for a few years now and never needed reminding of the day or month, and likewise I may occasionally time a pizza but you don't need a £30k+ chrono to do that!

I would be interested in which movement between the annual calendar and the special chrono in the 5980 is in theory a more impressive movement - if either.

I think that the blue dial outsells the black one...

As far either being discontinues that would be anybody's guess unless you have inside information from Patek...

I doubt that the blue dial would be discontinued as it is a much loved watch...
It could actually be the reverse- the black dial that would be discontinued after a short spell....

However as I do not have a crystal ball, I cannot tell what will happen....

Both dials are great- I prefer the black one but I am biased....

Cheers

Back in 1990s, Patek (through their Henri Stern Agency in NY) would routinely swap out dials to replace with an alternative color. I changed the black dial on a 3970 with a white dial and I changed a pink (salmon) dial on a 5035 to black. They even let me keep the old dials. Somewhere along the line, they stopped returning the old dials to clients and then stop the practice of swapping out dials all together. Now they will only replace a worn dial with the same that originally came with the watch (assuming it's still available). Hope this helps.

I think Patek general philosophy is three fold:

1.  Patek is reluctant to make a "piece unique"............changing dial on 5980 (without changing date wheel color) would render it a non-standard piece.  My guess is that Patek would not agree to do so, but you never know unless you ask.

 On the other hand, I have heard of Patek willingly changing color of dial on models where end the result is not unique, for example, in the woman's Aquanaut Luce quartz line.

2. I have also heard that old dials are not returned - I suppose the motivation is to prevent their use in Patek fakes.

3.  I would guess that Rules 1 and 2, above could be bent for special customers.

Great choices. I was just looking at the 5980 and the 5712 yesterday. What pushed me away from the 5980 was more of the size. Which also could be something you prefer. But it stands rather tall. I want something a bit more quiet, less like a rolex and more like a thin patek, ergo I leaned toward the 5712 on shape and dimensions. Also I love the added complications. But then when looking at the 5726, I think the following rank it tops when compared to the 5712, 5980:

Doctor,

Nice to see your comments.  It's not only a detailed and nuanced analysis, but one that recognizes how others might prefer something different.

Park