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WatchProSite|Market|Digest

Patek Philippe

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Comments:

A discontinued 5035 spotted in Beijing

 
 By: GLau : March 30th, 2014-09:55

My Swiss friend wore his lovely 5035 and we had a delicious dinner at the new Waldorf Hotel

This 5035 is made quite a while back and the dial is around 36mm, which is quite a bit smaller than the 39mm for current Annual Calendar watches (such as the 5396)

Which size do you like better and why ??

Gordon

 

  

5035 (36mm) at the Beijing Waldorf

5035 (36mm) at the Beijing Waldorf


5396 (39mm)

5396 (39mm)


I have a Ref. 5056P...

 
 By: jeffrey2 : March 30th, 2014-13:09
Which is similar to your friend's watch but with a grey dial and moonphase indication.  And btw, the watch is 37mm in diameter.  IMHO, I prefer the older models much more than the new ones, even though the newer watches are slightly larger.  I think the balance and layout of the 5035/5056 is much nicer.  Please congratulation your friend on a beautiful piece.


Regards,  Jeff.

Thanks Jeff, I will send your congrats note to my friend

 
 By: GLau : April 1st, 2014-06:02

Interesting pair with a small difference between his and yours, as his has a 24 hour dial vs your moon phase

personal I like the looks of the moon phase more but find the 24 hour dial a bit more practical when setting the watch

Cheers,

Gordon


5035

 
 By: jonrus : March 30th, 2014-15:26
Those were the days of fun collecting, both in terms of availability, price affordability, and design.  That's my "era" of PP collecting.  I miss those days.

Hi Jonrus ... desgin is still quite good for some new pieces (i.e. 5235), but ...

 
 By: GLau : April 1st, 2014-06:06
... price is a different story

I would have said 36mm in the past

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : March 30th, 2014-23:26
but now am getting used to 39mm too.
For calendar complications esp those with sub-dials, the extra 3mm does make the info on the dial easier to read hence I will prefer the more modern 39mm

But Gordon, the 36mms are so classical that I can't resist their charms too! All the PPs and VCs in 36mm are eternal classics. I will say they never run out of fashion even if all modern watches grow to  40+mm

cheers
robin

Hi Robin, if movements can fit into smaller cases, then

 
 By: GLau : April 1st, 2014-06:58

watches should stay smaller as I believe classic style should encompass discretion which implies smaller rather than larger cases 

Let's discuss it (and other interesting topics) over drinks when we meet in Singapore??

Cheers,

Gordon

ok! let's discuss Gordon

 
 By: jrwong23 (aka watchthebin) : April 1st, 2014-07:12
Looking forward to our drinks session smile

Cheers
Robin

I prefer the original size.

 
 By: whit : March 31st, 2014-16:42
I do like the dial designs of some of the newer pieces and think they would be outstanding in a smaller case. I believe case sizes have become too large.

I may be from the old, old school where the smaller size offers more discretion and keeps a quieter appearance as I believe a dress watch should. 

Of course, after looking at the latest issue of Revolution and seeing the pieces shown by other manufacturers, Patek seems to be quite tame, but trending in the "too large" direction for my taste. They had a 60+ year run of smaller case pieces which include some of the most sought-after references regularly breaking auction records, so maybe that is a sign that there are some folks who do prefer the smaller case design. 

Hi Whit, I agree with you on the smaller size and discretion, especially given..

 
 By: GLau : April 1st, 2014-07:09

... given that I have a small wrist smile

39mm or so is that largest that I can wear without the watch making me look childish (like a boy in a man suit)

Patek is a business and I understand why they need to make changes to cater to the evolving taste of consumers.  As a family owned business, they have more ability to manage the speed of the change.

Cheers,

Gordon 

My favorite elegant watch!

 
 By: Anatol : April 1st, 2014-11:53

I have bought and sold many Patek in my search for my favorite watch. A bought, sold and bought again this 5035, realising that it does everything to me I expect of a PP.


And I can see why you've returned back to it.

 
 By: BABKA : April 1st, 2014-12:37
It's a beauty.  The size is small to some but it's still very wearable even on larger wrists. ENJOY!

congrats for finding your true love!! [nt]

 
 By: GLau : April 2nd, 2014-08:06
No message body

I love the 5396.

 
 By: patrick_y : April 5th, 2014-17:36
I like the 5035, but I love the 5396.  If I were in the market for an annual calendar only piece, I'd probably get the 5396.  But then dangle the WorldTime in front of me and goodness, I'll be stuck!  

Edit:  You asked why.  Why do we like watches in the first place?  Why do I like to squeeze myself into uncomfortable small cars that force your foot to go in a strange place because of the whee/tire well.  I don't know, I must be illogical.  But I personally like the style and size of the 5396 more than the 5146/5035.  One thing I dislike about the 5146 and 5035 is the fact that there is lume on the dial.  There shouldn't be any lume on a dress watch dial.  The hands are okay, hands can be replaced without difficulty.  Dials are very expensive to replace (thousands of US dollars in Patek Philippe's case) and lumed dials will require re-luming and eventual replacement.  Only on sportier watches such as the 5960 or Nautilus would I expect the lume.  

Naturally, the 5396 doesn't have lume.  
This message has been edited by patrick_y on 2014-04-05 17:39:56

Hi Patrick, good observation by you about the lume on the dial

 
 By: GLau : April 8th, 2014-07:56

If requested, would Patek remove the lume??

Personally I like the design of the 5396 more because it is "cleaner" and more simple with the apertures (instead of subdials which to me make the dial "busy") 

Gordon

Never asked Patek Philippe...

 
 By: patrick_y : April 8th, 2014-19:53
Never asked Patek Philippe if they would remove the lume, but I have a feeling (knowing how they operate) that they would refuse to grant such a request.    

I personally wanted to own the 5146G with slate dial for a long time.  But then I decided I like the 5396G slightly more (I love the old sector dial, miss it terribly).  

But then you have the 5130P and 5130R competing for wrist time...  

Note, the 5396 with the sector dial can look busy.  But it's just such a nice version of busy that I really don't mind.  

Patrick, I also think Patek will not remove the lume

 
 By: GLau : April 10th, 2014-08:29

BCTW, the 5396 sector dial I felt was too busy and hence I went for the current 5396

On the other hand, I feel that the 5296 sector dial strikes a good balance but of course without the annual calendar and moon phase

Unfortunately I do not have the 5130P to compete for wrist time.  Are you referring to the 5131 ??  This baby dominates over 5396 naturally

Take care

Gordon

 

5130P, not 5131...

 
 By: patrick_y : April 10th, 2014-13:21
Honestly, I personally think the 5130P looks better on the wrist than the 5131.  Don't get me wrong, I like cloisonne enamel and I think the 5131 is really special for having it.  But I'm perfectly more than content with a 5130P on the wrist.  

Note, I don't have a 5130P on my wrist either.  Although I wouldn't mind having one, or the 5130R version.  Or even the 5110 version in R or P.