sham1
9768
A fetish for steel!! :-)
Over the last few years there has been a tendency for collectors to prefer stainless steel over the precious metals, perhaps platinum being the exception. Perhaps collectors prefer to pay for the movement of the watch rather than the metal it is encased in. Last night, I had the privilege of being invited to my AD's annual dinner in Chiswick in West London, a trip that I made from my native Malaysia. Yes, you can tell this AD is like no other! 
My main focus of the night was to try on the new 5212/1A Calatrava which I had pre ordered when it was released a couple of months ago. I was particularly anxious about the 40mm case which is larger a case that I would normally be comfortable with but was secretly hoping that the busy dial and the lugs would be in my favour. Allow me to apologise for the poor lighting and photos but I am pleased to say that the 5212/1A and I had a special moment - it was love at first sight and at second sight too, come to think of it!! The lugs were a pleasant surprise and I now look forward to the arrival of the watch, possibly before the year ends.
The lugs were a pleasant surprise and I now look forward to the arrival of the watch, possibly before the year ends.And to make matter worse, I am sure most of us tend to get caught up in the atmosphere of a watch event and do silly things like trying on other watches which we had no plans of buying. As I have been curious what the big fuss has been about the Nautllus, I decide to try on a 5711/1A. What do you kind gentlemen think? Those who know me would be quite shocked at my even trying on a watch with a bracelet but I was more intrigued to see how two differing but similar sized 40mm case watches would fit me. I must confess that I like the thinness of the 5711's case and bracelet.
Thank you for your much appreciated responses and I am sorry if my replies come a bit late as I am about to catch a flight back to Malaysia. Have a pleasant weekend!
The 5212/1A. If a watch can look this good in poor lighting, imagine how it would look like otherwise. The watch also looked a lot better than in photos I had seen.
This would be my first, last and only bracelet/sports watch if I pull the trigger. I prefer it to any Rolex due to its slimmer profile.
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A fetish for steel!! :-)
Over the last few years there has been a tendency for collectors to prefer stainless steel over the precious metals, perhaps platinum being the exception. Perhaps collectors prefer to pay for the movement of the watch rather than the metal it is encased i...
Both suit you well, probably an understatement
I like your pictures, super funky! I like the 5212 on your wrist. Not a huge fan of the 5711 myself but that also looks great on your wrist. Just asking what you would do with this watch? Diving: no, using at the beach in the sand: probably no, at the des...
Thanks Dirk!
I agree with you that the 5212A looked superb on me. The Nautilus on me would never experience the water, a squash match or even a desk as I am now retired. More likely than not, it may be seen on my wrist during a day or evening out in not too over crowd...
Hi Sham
I did try on the 5212 (in Geneve Salon), too busy for my liking. 5711 is simply marvelous. Since you like "hand-watch" in 1 (not feeling the weight), 5711 ticked that box ...
Yes the busy dial of the 5212A is not for all
and although it is easy to tell the time, it is less easy to read the other functions. The 5711 would tick the boxes of many, the thing with me is a bracelet watch ha always represented a mental block for me - until last night! Thank you for your reply.
I could not resist
so I have placed an order for the 5711. Patek says that it should arrive by the end of next year but I am happy to wait
5711 looks as good on you as I remembered it
The 5212 is very fetching and looks bigger on the wrist then the 5711. Knowing some of your other exquisite pieces I think the 5711 would be very fitting. The bracelet on the 5711 is very comfortable and the thinness never gets old in my opinion.
Hi there my friend!
Thank you for your reply and we all know who got me started on this 5711 predicament!! I actually felt that that the 5212A looks smaller on my wrist. This is why I call it love at first sight - there is no more logic when that happens!!
You could easily wear either of these lovely pieces.
The Nautilus does seem to wear better on you from these photos, though. It looks natural on you. The 5212 works well for you, too, but I’d say it is at the maximum of what would work on your wrist. I say that as a person of similar wrist size, and knowing...
Thank you for your frank evaluation!
Really? I am glad particularly of your evaluation of the 5212A. Yes 40mm would be the max on my wrist and that too because the lugs were nicely curved or else I would have no chance!! And you are not the first who has said that the Nautilus looks better o...
Absolutely, you can wear the 5212, and it will not look out of place on your wrist.
As someone else mentioned, I do think this one has the potential to become a classic. It is such a handsome piece. Regarding the 5711, from that photo it wears perfectly on you if you can get past your mental block. Agree that it’s somewhere between a Rol...
Thank you one again for the encouragement!
I can imagine myself not simply a wink during the 12 hour flight to Kuala Lumpur thinking of this lovely predicament
I was right!
I hardly slept during the flight and now I have to stay awake for the Champions League Final which will be shown at 3am in Malaysia.
Ahh congratulations!
We wait for 2 watches in common, then. 😁. The good news with this one is that if for some reason you don’t end up being comfortable with a metal bracelet watch (I doubt it in this case), you will easily be able to relocate it without any financial loss. I...
Thank you very much!
I actually did try the new 5726 but found it a bit too thick, something that probably does not bother you at all. But my inclination for slim watches, that weigh next to nothing, took over and I was pleasantly surprised that the 5711 was as affable as it ...
That’s a great story 😂
I bet this person had a bit of a laugh when the order came through.
I bet he did!!
He did advise me not to get into the Nautilus fever (probably so that he does not have the headache of having to allocate one to me!) Fortunately I hope to make it up to him as he will be coming over to Malaysia for a holiday next month with his family an...
I recall you had a similar view when trying on my RO 15202
I sense a trend my friend.. maybe even the steel Daytona soon?
Wipe those thoughts off your mind! :-)
The Nautilus is thinner and lighter which for me was essential on a bracelet watch. Also I like the Nautilus' bracelet more than that on the Daytona. I do like the dial of the Daytona though but as it is thicker, you deserve it more than I do!!
Well the good news is that I doubt many of his customers share as close of a relationship.
For this reason, I would guess you are well taken care of regardless of what you request. It’s a good situation you are in😁
Yes I am rather blessed
as I have a more than an excellent relationship with my AD and Patek UK for many years now. I see them more as friends than sales people as I am fortunate to have chosen an AD in the British countryside that has been nothing but first class to me. I in tu...
Relationships make the world go ‘round!
Something I wish we saw more of in today’s reality.
Relationship is a two way thing
so it is down to both the buyer and seller to establish this. It is not always on the table but if the chemistry exists and one is of a similar mindset, then, a relationship is probable.
Thank you!
I think at the end of the day a relationship can only be beneficial both ways and is really worth investing in because part of the joy of buying a watch to me is the relationship one has with the seller which can make the buying experience so much more sp...
I really couldn’t agree with you more on this.
It’s what I tell others, too. Yet some people expect it to be a one sided affair and still get VIP treatment. It just doesn’t work that way.
I shall be naughty here
and say thank goodness for those who expect it to be a one sided affair because then they make others like you and I look especially good in the eyes of the seller which will result in an even better purchasing experience!
You’re certainly not wrong here!
I’ve spend a lot of time at my AD sometimes just to have a cappuccino and talk watches. It amazes me some of the attitudes and entitlement they have to deal with on a daily basis. It’s got to be exhausting. I have to say, I’ve certainly thought about how ...
You are lucky my friend
because I am more than ten thousand kilometers away from my AD but I do give them a monthly call to have a chat and of course I do make an effort to attend all the events that they invite me to.
Normally your suggestion would be laughed at!
But I am actually considering it Thank you!!
Laughed at by who???
Both are very different and attractive. One is already a legend and the other is a future nominee
Patek Philippe
should make more steel models. They are absolutely divine and a lot more affordable - of course it means lengthy waiting lists
Laughed at by yours truly :-)
as I could not normally possibly afford both! Yes they are quite special pieces. One a classic and the other a future classic.
I’m green with envious!
Both looks good on you Sham, but you know my bias 😬 Safe travels dear friend and I hope to catch up with you one of these days. Ramadhan kareem and Eid mubarak!
I would feel very guilty wearing one
especially in front of you Kamal! My AD said an 18 month wait would be the maximum I would have to wait so your 5 year wait drew disbelief last night when I mentioned your predicament.
Well..
you could always secure that allocation on my behalf... 😌 That is if you are not interested in getting one for yourself. What’s eight months of waiting when I’ve clocked 5+ years! Let me know ☺️
Not quite 8 months Kamal
Probably towards the end of 2020 so let's just say18 months. Patek UK and I get on quite well fortunately For the record, I have decided to get one for myself and will contact my AD this week.
not a sports watch
I also agree I would never emerge the 5711 in water or use for sports. The 5711 is really a dress watch to me in SS and on a bracelet. Rolex is for sports.
I could not agree more, thank you!
Rolex makes more robust watches, Patek make the best dress watches (in my opinion) and the Nautilus to me is a dress watch which a sports watch wannabe!!
Both watches look great on your wrist my friend .
But i think you have a winner there with the new Calatrava 👌🏻 have a safe flight back and hagwe
Thank you very much my friend!!
Yes the 5212A is a winner for sure as it gave me an immediate feel good feeling! Hope you are well and please take care.
Beautifu watches...but I believe gold went out of "fashion" due to the recession...
and people wanted to not flash their wealth around with gold. White gold, stainless and platinum are far more under the radar because most people don't recognize one watch from the other BUT when your watch is sparkling gold it stands out. Just my opinion...
Your opinion
is similar to my opinion Blansky. Thank you! There are of course still certain cultures where yellow gold is king but white metal has its obvious understated attraction. The question lies on whether a person buys a watch to impress others or to impress on...
Agree on that but I think the feeling was flashing yellow gold was a bit too in your face...
when people were losing jobs and fortunes due to circumstances beyond their control. Not really about impressing people.I think it was sort of a manners thing. In good times show your bling, in bad times pull back.
I agree that is the norm in the West
but unfortunately in many countries in the East, yellow gold is almost a must as compared to rose gold, white gold or even platinum. I believe though people are becoming more discreet these days which is never a bad thing.
5212/1A yes Nautilus no
The new Calatrava is unique and a great combination of vintage style dial with pragmatic week counter complication. The Nautilus is well just nautilus and I’ve never understood the big wow about this watch
I am in agreement with you
Well, at least until I tried on the 5711 last night!! I am not too keen on the actual shape of the Nautilus but I like its slimness, lightness and blue dial. It is undeniably over rated or should I say over priced in the used market but I know many will a...
Thanks for your nice photoreport Sham...the 5711 and 5212 are so different and yet so special in their own way...
But if I were to choose one and only one of these two, in the end I’d probably go for the 5212😉 Cheers
If I had to choose only one
it would definitely be 5212 too but I am actually contemplating both watches. There goes my watch budget for 2019 and 2020!!
But unlike most,
I seem to be spending more than I am making which is quite easy since I am making nothing!!
I think I need to decide soon
to make sure I get the 5711 sometime next year. I was told that it was possible for me. Thanks for the encouragement!
Gordon, Gordon, Gordon
Since when did you acquire psychic skills??!! I am about to fly home to KL and hopefully the long flight will knock some sense into me!!
Sham sham sham, I DO have psychic powers for Patek lovers with small...
Asian wrists like ours !!
I never thought my small wrist
would be comfortable with a 40mm watch Gordon! Joey had been persuading me to get a 5711 and his wise words are having an effect on me.
It is my personal battle Gordon
with watches on bracelets. I am so one dimensional as you know that one can almost predict the watch I would go for! I just love watches on leather straps but I may make an exception with the 5711/1A. It feels great and for me that is important especially...
For the record GordonI
I have overcome my mental block and have placed an order for the 5711 or rather have requested to be allocated one!
I hope I will be the one having lots of laughter when the watches do arrive
because this is the first time I have ever placed an order for two Pateks simultaneously. And I am so supposed to be retired!!
Thanks Nico!
The considering phase ended last night when I put the watch on my wrist. So pleased that I had missed out on the AP minute repeater because now (he! he!),I can go crazy in my comfort zone, ie Pateks!!
My 5212 is due before the year end
but I am not holding my breath as my AD will be allocated only one piece this year!
I thank you Nico.
There seems to be a growing waiting list for the 5212 and I know the Patek Salon in London has closed its list.
That 5212 looks terrific on you, Sham
What an irresistible watch! I especially like the almost hand-drawn appearance of the dial, which is very unexpected.
Thank you Ano for saying so!
I thought so too and was quite surprised when many exclaimed that the nautilus looked better on me - it just shows that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!!
"Over the last few years there has been a tendency for collectors to prefer stainless steel over the precious metals, perhaps platinum being the exception"
I believe this statement to be true ONLY because from certain houses ss is harder to get or very rare. I'm sure that if these houses started to produce high volumes of steel and less of precious metals. People would be clamoring over the precious metals. ...
Interesting view point, thank you
For me personally, I prefer steel (or even titanium) because I like my watches to be light. Many may however prefer to feel the weight of their watches which is understandable. I think even if the 5212 came in gold and platinum at say a ten percent premiu...
I agree with you.
If weight is a major concern than you can't go wrong with Carbon, Titanium or ss. I guess I just feel underwhelmed with some ss watches costing the absurd amounts that they do. I've been collecting for a long time and maybe I'm just feeling some collector...
Yes I agree that the prices of watches have gone a bit mad over the years
Lots of independents for example are charging quite an exorbitant sum for their stainless steel watches. Admittedly they may produce fewer than 150 watches a year and the finishing on the movement is breathtaking but many three handed pieces cost double t...
Looks great on you but
I wish they made the 5711 as a proper homage to the original i.e. 2 hands only. It makes a world of difference to the depth and feel of the piece. Rapwatch
Looks like a lovely event!
Hi Sham, to be honest both look fantastic on your wrist. You already love the 5212, and if you are on the fence about the 5711, I think it would be perfect for the more casual moments in life. I would love to try on the 5212 myself. All the best and hope ...
Hi Rahul!
Lovely to hear from you. I concur with your argument - I just need to get over my no bracelet watch ethos. The Nautilus is a very good watch - if only they made it in scratch resistant ceramic!! See you in Singapore.I shall be there from 30 Sep to 1 Oct.
Thanks for sharing Sham...
Of course you’ve a great AD I should say ! I think both 5212 & 5711 suits you well. If you’re able to get both at retail thro’ your AD - go for it. They’re quite different & it can fit well into your collection. Best, Mahesh.,
Thank you Mahesh!
Yes both will be ordered via my AD - that is my only hope of obtaining a 5711 quickly and at retail price. I know prices have increased today but I would never entertain the inflated prices on the used market.
Thanks again Mahesh!
Thinking forward I must confess that having both watches as part of my collection can only be a good thing.
That is most kind of you to say so Teacher Yang!
The 5212 is my personal favourite while the Nautilus has a cult following!
The 5212 looks great on you!! Congratulations!
Which give me a hope that the 5212 would fit my 14mm wrist as well... I shall be able to try it on in two weeks.
Impeccable taste
I too was at the event, a shame we did not speak Sham! After stepping outside to see the piece in natural light at the event, I also have pulled the trigger on 5212a yesterday and I think I will wear with a dark brown matt alligator strap and hopefully a ...
What a small world Bob!! :-)
I was seated in the centre table with Simon Walton and yes it would have great to have met up but there were way too many people there in a very confined space compared to previous years so I was just content standing at the corner where the 5212 was bein...
14mm???
I hope you meant 14cm but even then you might find the watch a little large because my wrist is closer to 16cm. Still, those lugs will decide it for you! I wish you all the best!!
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