Comments:
New 5167r defective or acceptable for a Patek as they are hand made?
Just got my first Patek a 5167r factory sealed from a London AD and notice that the crown guard on the right is larger/wider than on the left. Is this acceptable?
So far I've been told that as Pateks are hand made so you can't expect perfect symmetry like Rolex cases. True??
See pic
5167r aquanaut
mmmm not acceptable ,,,,hand made?
Possibly hand finished,and this is not finished well.....
Hand made is strong.....no company as big as Patek makes "hand made"watches....But then there are legends......
Mo
Would you get it replaced
Thanks Mo. Would this bother you? Would you get it replaced or just re polished?
Like Oliver and others have said...
first check if its a constant"design feature"..otherwise make a point to your AD.
Mo
Hand finished, not hand made...
Hello Soos,
Surprised to see such a blemish, I would ask myself if this is acceptable to you. Its likely no one else will notice it on your wrist. But, perhaps some day you may want to sell or trade. What will the next potential owner think?
Kind regards
Anthony
This message has been edited by tick tock doctor on 2014-01-26 06:09:44
I agree may affect resale value
Thanks Anthony
I actually see it every time I look at the watch. I agree about resale as the watch may look like it has been badly polished
Buck or feature? Have you compared it with ...
another 5167?
"hand made" cases, who told you this?
Oliver
"hand made" cases, who told you this?
Oliver
To me it looks very similar ...
what I see on your picture and on those from PP.
Once more, is it a feature and not a buck?
Oliver
Once more, is it a feature and not a buck?
Oliver
Interesting
Thanks Oliver. That's reassuring. It's a very good picture to compare. However I have seen others that have symmetrical crown guards. Maybe this is within the tolerance range. I just find the variation too much for a high end watch.
Dear SooS, may I ask you a favour?
Please clarify the topic with your trustfully AD, an official PP retailer I guess. As you can see we can´t solve your "problem" here and I guess that´s what you really want.
Let us know how it went out and welcome at PuristSPro by the way
Looking forward to your further contributions!
Oliver
Let us know how it went out and welcome at PuristSPro by the way
Looking forward to your further contributions!
Oliver
Compared with another 5167r
and unfortunately my 5167r is the odd one out. They have emailed Patek so hope a replacement will come soon. Interesting the picture you posted had the same problem as my watch but I notice that that picture is from a site selling fake watches
Will keep you all informed!
I would...
...first compare with other 5167's in the flesh to see if such variations are common. Although, the fact that such obvious variations are common does not make it right.
Then, I would immediately request to have it sent in to Geneva for casework to have the casing replaced or redone.
Good luck, please keep us posted on your findings and results!
Would you sell it to me, at a premium?
This is like having a white German Shepherd. The breeders will just kill it, but there are people who prefer something that is rare.
Compare it with another new model
If the other one isn't like this, then I'd send it back and ask for a new case.
- AT
hard to see the problem
from your photo. Why didn't you examine before you bought it. I like to have the dealer inspect any watch I buy. You skip all those steps when you take delivery of a sealed watch, which makes little sense with a watch you intend to wear.
Well, I looked for marks and defects
on the dial. I did not expect a misshapen watch from Patek especially since it was sealed!
The cases are forged (stamped) and the hand finished
I find it unlikely that there would be such a gross accident, it's likely designed that way. As others have said, compare it to another one.
An update
An update for those interested. Went in today to pick up my second replacement factory sealed 5167r. Patek had accepted the last one as not up to standard and provided a replacement. Unfortunately this one is worse. One of the 4 lugs was unusually narrow (the one to the right of the 12 o'clock). It was excessively polished. Noticed it within a minute of picking up the watch. It was a pity as this watch had a perfect dial. The 10 and 2 was inline unlike the two previous 5167r which were returned. I have left it with the dealer to get Pateks response. I suspect there is a bad batch of 5167r.
Sad to hear...
Sounds like a troublesome experience! So you're waiting on your fourth(!) one now? What did the dealer have to say about this? I can't imagine handing a watch to someone who's so picky (and you have the right to be) when the fault is even worse. Does he understand your problem?
Yes the 4th one..
..but the first wasn't Pateks fault. The dealer gave me a re polished display one instead of a factory sealed one which they agreed when I ordered.
Yes the dealer understands but feel that as it's hand finished they feel it can't be a perfect as a Rolex case. However my argument is that the other stainless steel aquanauts I've seen looks fine. However I've seen the dial issue (10 and 2) in the SS ones too
I've told them to leave it to Patek to decide whether they can produce a good one. If they feel it's within their tolerance range I will not be buying it and it will be my first and last Patek as I am almost loosing faith in the brand as it's starting to feel like they are milking their great history and track record and not putting as much effort and quality control on the cheap Pateks like the 5167r which I think is one of the best looking understated watch out there!
I'm with you
Why should there be an issue when producing and hand finishing this particular watch, where it doesn't happen on SS Aquanauts, or Nautiluses, or every other elaborate case design that is produced? I think it should be just as perfect as a Rolex case, for the amount charged. I've never believed in the "It's made by hand, so less than perfect" thing.. Then stop finishing it by hand if it is so hard!
This isn't meant as a Patek rant at all, but I can just feel the frustration here. Buying and picking up a Patek should be joyful experience, where one shouldn't be thinking "Geesh, wonder what's wrong this time" after the dealer calls that the watch is in. I wouldn't buy one either if it weren't perfect.
AD gave you a re-polished display piece?
I would stay away from them from now on, unless they told you in the first place and gave you a bigger discount.
It was a new sealed one..
... from Patek. As it was the 3rd replacement (ie. 4th watch) it was apparently checked by a director before being factory sealed and dispatched to London
Finally got my replacement 2 weeks ago.....
....and my 5167r is now very acceptable. Not perfect in terms of symmetry but good enough for me. Superb service from my AD. Love the watch and definitely worth waiting for a good one!
They are NOT hand made!
I participated in a PP factory tour, and they are NOT hand made! A worker will place the metal with his/her hand on the machine, and the rest is done by the machine. Afterwards, the worker takes the piece out of the machine with his/her hand and place the piece on a tray... It goes on and on throughout the tour.
metal fabricators
I have a relative who is a metal fabricator. Metal is placed in the machine and totally cut from info. pre programmed in a computer. I would assume this is how it is done with watch cases. He does have his share of quality control issues due to computer error and some human error in monitoring the machines. In my relatives instance, nothing goes out before it passes quality control inspection. His metal parts are for the aviation industry and lives are at stake. Standard are obvious not as stringent at Patek for obvious reasons. Maybe my relative should make watch cases for Patek.