bill2016
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A very interesting and well considered post
and the fact that the 911 and the 96 are icons of their respective brands is indisputable.
While the 911 has kept the familiar silhouette and rear engine layout over the past 46 years, it has been relentlessly developed and represents the pinnacle of automotive technology - ultralight steels, suspension control, DFI engine, variable vane turbo, PDK and the list goes on. There is nothing in common between a 1964 and a 2010 model. Despite its high price tag, it is neither rare or exclusive (except for the special models such as the GT2 and Turbo S etc). The 911 is a sharp, ultra-focused weapon and there is a 911 variation to handle any condition.
The 96 and its variations are supremely well made and represents the pinnacle of watch craft (as far as production watches go). It is however, totally antiquated technology. In an age of ultra cheap, tough and reliable quartz it is an expensive, exclusive anachronism. And wearing it with anything but a suit looks out of place.
I am loathed to make car-watch comparisons but in this case, I would compare the Patek 96 to a Bentley Mulsanne. Both are iconic, expensive luxury items that are utterly well crafted but are also utterly antiquated.
With that said I'd love to have a 5196. A 911 it certainly is not. But then that isn't necessarily a bad thing...
Bill.
💰1729 Marketplace Listings for Patek Philippe›Patek Philippe Calatrava · 2 for sale · 8348 discussions›
Porsche or Patek Philippe, 911 or 96: do we love classics because they are classics?
A few weeks back some here discussed about the parallels between cars and Patek Philippe watches. patek.watchprosite.com A few weeks even earlier I had looked more for boat builder comparisons. patek.watchprosite.com I stick to my words about such paralle...
I totally share your view on the long tradition perpetrated by both the 911 and the 96.
While I would compare the Minute Repeater to a Aston Martin, though, both sharing this sophisitcated aesthetics and spirit, in my opinion. On the existing parallel between the 96 and the 911, that is so true! More evolutions than revolutions, with great a...
Thank you Nicolas, but...
Hi Nicolas, In fact I don't consider an Aston Martin as more sophisticated than a 911. An Aston Martin is certainly rarer and more exotic, consequently adding a certain charm of exclusivity even greater than a 911, but a 997 GT3 is for me more sophisticat...
I think Patek stick to its root and....
they are classic. That's why we love them *CL P.S. If I can have the choice, I would LOVE to have one ref 96 SS, one 2526 RG, one 3450 YG, one 2499 YG, one 5070P, one 5970G, one 5004R, one 5101P, one 3939R , one 5078P and one 5016R. Can't think of any oth...
For me its MB SL
Its pointless to compare a watch and a car but for me it would be an SL haha
The original SL
Hi, The original SL is indeed one of the most appealing cars ever. It would quite probably have been my favourite car in 1954. The more recent SL models are really excellent cars, but the SLS is the one that lives up to the SL name. Today I personaly much...
ooops...I'm colorblind so
no car for me Porsche is not my type of car but I do appreciate its classic appeal and look, same with Bentley before they were sold. Then again, I would have to say that Mecedes is a true classic too. Hmmmm...come to think about it, Mercedes is like a Ro...
Interesting thoughts......
However, I would disagree.... I would associate PP more with Mercedes than Porsche..... First Porsche is owned by VW, PP is owned by PP.... Mercedes has a wide range of cars, starting from the c class coupe all the way to AMG, to SLR to Formula 1...... PP...
it was yours truly
fellow purist equates Patek to Ferraris. and i agree with you the similarities between PP n Mercedes and i still stand by my "pecking" order of the range of mercedes relative to the pecking order of the Patek family.
It's certainly a matter of taste
Hi, I understand your points but don't share them in fact. I personaly find MB cars lacking refinement to be at the level of PP (except perhaps the S range). But again it's personal. On the contrary all Porsche models (and the range is vast too) share the...
We agree....
to disagree.... lol However we are in accord on the refinement of PP... Cheers
That works
But the question is really "Classic" vs "Icon". If you think "Classic" then the Calatrava works well but maybe Bentley would be a better example than the 911. I actually think "Icon" is a better word to describe the 911 and then the Nautilus and the Royal...
Why not but....
Hi, I can easily agree and indeed the 911 is iconic now, but it has also become IMO the classic design for a 2+2 sports car, the one that serves for all comparisons. So iconic and classic for me! Cheers Dje
Wonderful reading, I could not have come up with such
comparisons if my life depended on it. Needless to say they represent two designs which have endured for decades and seem to have no end in sight as you have so well pointed out.
'68 Porsche and PP 5296
Great post!! I could have written it. When I open my garage, I see my 1968 Porsche 911, a true classic. Last year I added a PP 5296 sector to complete this picture. Great combination....
I do not...
... classic or not: the design and the purpose decides wheter I like a product or not. If it is a car and the 911 in particular: unpractical for a car. A car has to be for me practical in the fisrt place. A MB E 250 diesel is all that I would ask and need...
The question was do we love ...
... classics because they are classics? My point of view is: no. I decide myself what is credible and what not, what is elegant, classic or easthetically pleasant. The 911 can not live up to the demand of imense bhp that a car nowadays has to have, appare...
What I ment is : no absolution just because it is a classic...
... the current 5196 is with 37 mm too big and the open design and flat construction does add even more size to it. I was actually quite "disapointed" when I tried one on. If I put a vinatge 33 mm watch from a non exsisting watch company on: it looks and ...
Well, PP watches are not always the most practical ones....
Hi, No? And the 911 is possibly the most practical real sports car (I mean not a "standard" car with a big engine like a MB AMG or an Audi S)! The diesel MB is an excellent option, but does it have the PP kind of refinement, exclusivity, ...? Cheers Dje
What I ment is...
The 911 is a good example what can happen to a classic: once a great, revolutionary car in design and performance, now a leaking shadow of itself. The fact that they made a water cooling boxter motor out of an originally air cooled boxter once did not rea...
If you avoid S models you should have no special problems
Hi, if you avoid S models you should have no problems (if of course all due service is done and if you use your car normally). Hopefully! Re "simple" PPs I'd be happy with a 5196P, a 5098R or a 5711/1A. Just one Calatrava, but one is enough! Cheers Dje
These PPs are a real pursit's choices!
The 5196 R did, although gorgeous to look at in the window, not really feel comfortable on my wrist when I was "deciding" whether The Ellipse or the 5127 R or the 5196 R. Maybe the P version will have a different feel. The design of it is not a matter of ...
Classic watches and classic cars...
indeed, they sometimes seem to have common DNA......
Interesting thoughts
Nice post Jerome. It reminded me of a similar conversation I had very recently with a friend of mine comparing Porsche and Rolex rather than Patek. It began with a conversation about his Aston Martin which he rated as very good but not quite perfected. On...
If I had to compare Porsche to any brand I would compare it
to JLC. As the owner of a current 911 I can tell you it actually is very practical for a sports car and it does almost everything well with out causing to much of a stir while doing it. I look at JLC in the same light. I consider them to be one of the bes...
Totally defendable too
Hi, In fact I would have loved to see JLC associated with Porsche instead of AM (even if I love historically AM, I'm less and less appealed by the modern ones, not as much as it is the case with Bentley though). Cheers Dje
In response...
I have both, a 997 that I bought June of this year and I also have a 2 yr old aquanaut and a 5 yr old 5110R There definitely is a parallel to both brands and the way they perform Not to mention the cult following that comes with both brands To sum it up I...
...and for track days...w/c i attend about twice per year...(also used on elegant occassions)...
...Like all the watches we talk about in this site...these are the 4-wheeled classics in their own right... ...the thing that makes it really cool to drive these cars is that i also get to glance at the watch(es) as i zig-zag, maneuver, and negotiate all ...
yes...that's what track days are for...to let loose...
and on normal days...i adhere to the speed limit...or drive a regular car
PP5396 a calssic?
I beg to defer in some of your comparisons. ie the PP5396 the one that u posted. That I can't say is a classic. Firstly it is not a calatrava but an annual calender. This model with due respect is unlikely to be classic. In my view it is not even well acc...
Here's the difference
A Patek tells you how long it's been since you've been with a woman. The 911 gets you the woman..
The 911.....
certainly gets you some women... However these are the women that I can certainly do without..... Cheers
A very interesting and well considered post
and the fact that the 911 and the 96 are icons of their respective brands is indisputable. While the 911 has kept the familiar silhouette and rear engine layout over the past 46 years, it has been relentlessly developed and represents the pinnacle of auto...
Love them all...
Love the Porsche, love the Patek Philippe 96 references... Definitely a hard decision. They both stem from a tradition that remain true to the core root of both companies. And both represent their respective firms very well. There are a lot of dislikes I ...
Porsche or Patek, 911 or 96 do we love clasics?
Of course we all love classics. Equating Patek Philippe built quality to the built quality of Porsche I couldn't agree for more. But to equate a Patek 5196 calatrava to Porsche 91 I, I beg to disagree. It just wouldn't sync.The driver of Porsche 911 , a r...
Unparalleled refinement
When I think of Patek Philippe, I think of a Rolls-Royce where refinement and construction are of the utmost priority. Price is almost of no consideration and the items speak for themselves. Pateks are not flashy or ostentatious; the watch knows what it i...