Grisar
451
Great post, great watch.
Great photos and great explanations! I used to dislike 5170 a lot, but you just described the feeling and impression I had when I saw it in metal and tried it on. The watch is very understated yet very sophisticated. For me this is one of the best examples Patek offers.
I am also an admirer of 5070. The movement, although Lemania based, is ways better constructed and finished than any similar ones from VC, Breguet, Roger Dubuis that I have examined. The case is a marvel of construction. I hate huge watches in general, but this 42mm looks just as elegant as a normal 39-40 one. Even the small movement (compared to the size of the case) doesn't look out of place due to the clever design of the back case edges.
For me, I can own both even they are two very "same" watches.
Tried Datograph many times, but just never had the feeling that I would like to own one. For mainly two reasons: the movement is too thick. The thickness makes it easier and possible to finish the edges of bridges in a more extensive degree, but the movement just looks not fine enough from construction perspective. The case design is also not my taste and the watch doesn't sit well on my wrist. Well, some may argue this is very German Bauhaus way of design, but for me the Patek Calatrava (e.g. Ref. 96) is a much better example of Bauhaus design in a watch case. The excellent ergonomics of most Patek watches comes from decades of experience and you can feel it only when you put the watch on the wrist.
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Ref. 5170 - The genesis of a new classic ...
or already a classic? The movement (CH 29-535 PS) was already introduced in 2009 ... ... and the watch itself in 2010. We cant call it a classic after a few years only, can we? For a better (common) understanding we have to look at the watch, in detail. ...
I saw three since it was released, and played with 2.
I am not convinced at all... The 2 subdials which are below the 3 and 9 o clock line, which, therefore, eat the minute indexes ring, the hands, the combo of colors ( that may change with the further versions, though ), the finish of the movement ( I much ...
Thanks, Nicolas for your ...
reply. I see what you don´t like, but most of this is typical for PP if you look at the old ones. Can we blame PP for being PP ;-) It is the 5070 which is "uncommon" for a PP, isn´t it? Maybe that´s one of the reasons why you like it that much. Oliver
Maybe it is the reason. BUT...
Look at the 5960 and the 5980... These are Chronos I love a lot, and these are modern Pateks! ;) Best, Nicolas
Epic!
and really breath taking pictures. I thought it was a quick packshot but it is fantastic. I think, as I mentionned in my post some weeks ago, that we arrive to the same assessment: a great Patek Chronograph, so elegant, classic and desirable. Funny how I ...
Mark, thanks for your kind reply ...
and I have the feeling that we are brothers in mind when it comes to watches - quite often :-) Oliver
OMG!! Your post is one of the best...
... I've read. I was about to sleep, now gonna need some pills :) Just a little comment about the pushers, because for me too, its critical. When you trigger the chrono, the pusher goes from soft to harder untill you reach the breaking point. The magic is...
"The magic is in the smooth feel of the whole process."
I agree 100% and I love those kind of magic :-) Thanks for your kind reply! Oliver
It is already....
a classic ... at least for me and now let the roasting begin.... I like it more than 5070 ;) Do I smell burned meat :) Thank you very much for great post and awesome pictures Damjan
Damjan, I get a new ...
grill on Thursday ... (together with a new range cooker, but that is another story). Both the 5070 and the 5170 are great watches, but only one would get a place on my wrist :-) Thanks! Oliver
I don't follow you...
Thanks for this post and your beautiful pics ! But my opinion is that this chronograph can't be a reference. An example : the subdials are covering the minutes ring ! I don't like that at all...For me, it is just some kind of mistake (imho of course). I d...
Your example mentioned ...
is not new and was seen at several chronographs in the past. Good or bad, quite a few people still pay a fortune to get one. But I get your point, in general. You mentioned the 1815 Chronograph ... ... and I am quite familiar with this one, if you talk ab...
Great post, great watch.
Great photos and great explanations! I used to dislike 5170 a lot, but you just described the feeling and impression I had when I saw it in metal and tried it on. The watch is very understated yet very sophisticated. For me this is one of the best example...
Grisar, thanks a lot ...
for your reply. bauhaus - Only simple things fit to their approach and something like the Datograph is far from being simple. Maybe the old Langematik could fit ;-) Oliver
Agree about white metal
but as sensational as your write up is... I believe this model will always have a mixed reaction... there will be the crowd who feels it is too dry, too dull. But when it hits in platinum, the whole line will be energized, my prediction. WG and also RG wi...
Lovely post Oliver..........
And the clarity of the photos, especially the very clever magnifier ones are some of the best that I have seen recently.:) Frick's your description of the pushers, is exactly also my impression, when I saw one, for the first time last week. I thought at t...
"the piece still leaves me cold"
Nothing is wrong with that! Imagine we all would have the same taste. The world would be even more crazy :-) Thanks, for your kind reply! Oliver
Everybody´s darling ...
is everybody´s fool. Polarizing - I like that :-) If the crowd will never like it. I couldn´t care less. If they will love it in the future. I hope I will get mine before :-) Oliver
A wel researched post with amazing pics. Thanks very much
I would love to see the 5170 IRL Julian
Julian ....
one day you will see one, for sure. Took me some time as well :-) Thanks, for your kind reply! Oliver
Your first impression ; 'Cold'
I know you changed your mind ;-) But I always thought about the opposite Doesn't this feel 'warm' ? btw, thanks for the review. I really enjoyed it ...
Bruno, I was waiting ...
for you :-) To be honest, on your picture the watch looks cold to me. Why? Because I miss the grainy structure of the dial, which is the key for me :-) (ps: There have been some pictures from you, which are better - much better and much warmer :-) ) Hope ...
this is one of the very few Pateks that i like.
being a former owner of a 5070, i must admit, however hung up we are with the Lemania caliber, that the 5170 is FAR superior in interface and chrono operation. its very much like how Dato owners(myself included) keep insisting that the new Dato up/down is...
Horo - you are a very wise person
I am not sure why we all bow down to the holy altar of Lemania. I would imagine that PP can present a superior product ( at least in terms of movement, if not also aesthetics) Julian PS What did you recently purchase from PP?
To be frank, it's not difficult to improve on the Lemania...everyone could and has done it
Not sure about the wise bit, to me, it's like a no brainer!! I am however not concluding on collectability.....that's for the individual to decide. For example, as "clumsy" as the 30CH Longines is by today's standards, it's still a wonderful piece, with a...
Lemania obsession
Your post is absolutely right. The Lemania is fault - not a virtue. But say something like that to most 5070 owners and they start crying. I personally love the 5070 and am looking for one to add to my collection (which metal chaps - I can't afford P) but...
YG ...
I've just read your answer Horo and this is something I had in mind since quite recently and I wished to post a little note about it on HOME. I really like RG look and light but in spite of the fact YG was old looking for a while, I'm sure it will be back...
Yupe, read that and posted a old picture :)
I will choose YG most of the time, call me old fashioned :)- for me, the default would be YG, unless RG or PG or WG is better looking...unlike most whose default would be RG or PG or WG and YG would be a last look, should the rest is not available. Best, ...
Thanks for this great post, very close to your feelings
Like you at first I thought it was a very conservative novelty. As you said, problem came from 5070 which had a shocking a 42mm, an inedequate XL bezel (actually adequate to compensate the size of the caliber), a concentration of info per square meter rar...
A Luke-warm reception for Patek's C3PO
Many thanks first for this enjoyable post. With this one some things went wrong and some things are top. First the strongpoints: The design is classic, indeed, with a nicely polished case. I prefer all polished cases a bit more as I like to polish my watc...
Dear Oliver. You have created a master article on
a wonderful watch. There are a few remarks in the thread referring to the pushers that I must shed some personal light upon. The pushers on the 5170 may be a smooth as butter but the pushers and particularly the return pusher on the Vacheron&Constanti...
A superb review.....
The 5170 definately evokes much reaction, some positive,some indifferent and some lets say are not so enamoured by its presence! For me, this is a quintisential Patek; all the ingredients are there, the lineage, DNA (altough I really don't like using this...
Great review !
Thanks for your great review of the 5170, which is IMHO, already an absolute classic. Best regards Georg
Love my 5170
What a wonderful opinion piece on the 5170! I love mine!! I think it is an instant classic... Around twenty-five years of no in-house chronos from PP and they finally master the chronograph again. No more outsourcing parts that several companies use alrea...
Agree
This is my favorite chronograph. The yellow gold is classy and sophisticated. I changed my strap to black. Looks much nicer.