Patek Philippe

Evosam
233

• Show profile
• Show other posts

Initial Impressions of my 5712/1A - from a Patek Newbie

So as I posted yesterday, it's been over 12 months since my initial quest for this piece from an AD and I finally got delivery of it. However, I guess since that time, the price has also gone up considerably - but that's another discussion that I think has already been covered.

The interesting thing about this Patek (my first Patek) is that I essentially bought this watch "blind" without ever handling a piece since all the ADs that I went to never had one to show.

 Now I actually have it, here are some immediate observations and comments on this piece.
 

Things that struck me immediately:

1. THIN - This piece is really thin! I had no idea - I thought it would be similar to a Royal Oak, but boy is this slim line.

This is probably the thinnest watch I own. Compared with say a Royal Oak Chrono (City of Sails), this makes that look positively overweight and tall. There isn't even a comparison when I look across at some of the other pieces I own like a GO Navigator perpetual, or a Speake-Marin Serpent Calendar etc...

2. IS THIS REALLY 43mm? - Doesn't feel or wear like a 43mm watch. I think this again is due to how thin the watch is and I think how 43mm is measured from wingtip to crowntip. Again, compared with say the Royal Oak chrono which is meant to be a 40mm watch, the 5712 seems to be "smaller" and there is no comparision against say a UN Marine Perpetual which is meant to be a 42mm - the Patek seems tiny.

3. DELICATE - Case is nice but seems really delicate and fragile. I can't honestly see this as being a watch I can wear for any type of strenuous sports activity. Others that have had this watch for longer please correct me if I am wrong on this!

Things I am a little disappointed with:

1.     1. BRACELET - feels too light and hollow. Reminds me a little of the old  Rolex bracelets before they moved to the new solid ones on the GMT II-C and the Daytona. It feels like they are hollow (which they might in fact be). I just feel that the bracelet should feel more substantial for a watch of this grade.

222. CLASP - feels way to flimsy for this watch. The flip over clasp is very disappointing with both the design and the action. I'm not usually a Rolex fan, but again, Patek should really take a lesson from Rolex and look at re-engineering the clasp to bring it more in line with what a clasp on a watch of this price range should be.

3.     3. CROWN - the screwdown crown also feels a little flimsy and weak in how it works. There is not positive feel when it is unlocked and I wish they would have paid a little more detail in how the crown screws down so that the PP Cross is always aligned right way up when it is full screwed down. These are minor details, but again other manufacturers pay attention to this stuff and for a premium piece, I would expect the same attention to detail from Patek.

4.     4. PUSHERS - I knew about this going into this piece where the pushers really compromise the water resistance of the case. I wished Patek would have figured out a way to configure the date and the moonphase via the crown instead of the push pieces to allow more water resistance in the case.

The 5712 is very comfortable on the wrist since it is so thin and actually very light due to the "hollowness" of the bracelet. The dial is exquisite - especially the graduation in color and the detailing around the various complications. I’ve mentioned this above but again, I think this particular Nautilus is much more of an elegant watch than a “sports watch”. Sure it sits somewhat in a sporty case, but it seems so delicate and fragile, that I don't think it can really stand up to a very active lifestyle. Not that I mind at all since I love the intricacies of the dial and the complications it has. I’m looking forward to many more days enjoying this piece along with my regular rotation pieces.

Finally, I wanted to thank everyone on this board with all the previous discussion and comments on this piece. It's really educated and informed me without actually having a physical piece to touch and hold. Happy WISdom to all

Cheers

-Sam

Site Info.