Dje
7534
I doubt I'm qualified to answer but....
Hi Rollin,
Interesting question you raise.
What's the point of progress when we may well be satisfied with what is already there?
Well I suppose that if you don't go forward, you finish backward. 
I suppose that Patek Philippe wants to remain the king of highly elaborated and efficient calibres!
You could look at what is happening in the car industry, well the higher ladder of course. The current AM cars are built in aluminium and carbon fiber and that gives outstanding results. Of course they are still somewhat traditional. Braking systems are now made in ceramic too, like for the ball bearings in the most modern auto calibres. Still they are traditional, out of the use of "exotic" materials.
Will these materials last? That's the question and I have no answer.
Is the use of these "exotic" materials a breech towards a really new concept for tomorrow? Perhaps! Look at the new escapement tested by GP: basel.watchprosite.com
It is at the end of the post.
So yes what Patek Philippe is doing with the advanced research watches is fantastic. These watches will probably be outdated by what will come someday, but today they are fantastic!
Cheers
Dje
Advanced Research Watches - Fad or Fantastic?
