Patek Philippe

johnswatch1
275

• Show profile
• Show other posts

more details..

Thanks Erich.

Until I get it into my hands I can't be certain of its condition.

These pics seem to suggest that it's in ok condition.  I had been considering a re-dail (the blasphemy!)  as the seller stated that he thinks the dial is not original however to my eyes it looks pretty good.

The font looks consistent with other examples I've seen and it looks like cold enamel printing unlike many flat redials.  I hate case scratches but I'm also paranoid about buffing wheels removing any remaining crisp edges.  I'll pop the movement out of the case and then polish it by hand using car paint polish such as Autoglym.  This should remove the tiny swirls without being aggressive on the rest of the case.

I'd like to remove the oxidisation on the markers - is this likely to come off easily or should I not bother trying?

With a bit of luck and a following wind I should have a serviceable watch. 

I was struck by the classic Calatrava design - dauphine hands, applied gold markers, smooth flat calatrava case.  There are no shortages of references from the 5196 to the 3976 , 96, etc which cover these bases.  If I want Patek DNA distilled in its purest form I have to have the original - a 96 is therefore the logical choice.  Furthermore my vanity requires something with wrist presence – something that will get noticed.....no wait – hear me out...

Like many PuristS I often notice what watches others are wearing.  A while back I was in a meeting and my gaze was immediately drawn to the speaker’s wrist.  Something jumped out at me.  He was wearing a simple yellow gold dress watch with a small seconds and perfectly harmonious proportions.  The key thing I noticed was the size of the watch.  It must have been only 30 to 33mm, tiny by modern standards.  As the wearer was young it was clearly not an old watch he had had for 40 years and it looked totally fresh.  I noticed it because it was smaller than the usual large watches that everyone wears.  Had it been 40mm I’d not have given it another glance.

Spurred on by this revelation I tried on one of the classic 30mm ultra-thin Vacherons at an airport AD and was shocked by how it didn’t look out of place.  After all, when was the last time you noticed a guys watch because it was too small?  It’s usually the other way around.

The fact that the ref 96 despite being the classic Calatrava is still affordable made it an easy purchase to rationalise.

Site Info.