Patek Philippe

1. The quality of the 5170's chrono mechanism and winding is simply on another planet to the 5070. People will remain fans of the Lemania in the 5070 which is fine, but really, the new in house caliber is just delightful to operate. The 5170 chrono has a tactile mechanical transparency, which is just incredibly satisfying - those of you that have driven a vintage Ferrari will know exactly what I mean - you can almost "feel" gears slotting in and clutches working on both the car and this 5170.  The 5070 winding is smooth and chrono operation is magic also, but it cannot compare.... it lacks the "solid precision" of the newer piece.....what can I say, but time and technology marches on..... 

2. The depth and heft of the 5070's case is IMO, it's true "unique selling point" (I hate to be so coarse but I can't think of any better phrase). The "thickness" of the case gives the 5070 a "heaviness" that I tend to associate with a more sporting watch. Indeed, this the thickness  (which I believe is greater than the 5170) the 42mm size of case diameter give the piece a certain big "presence" which is not common in PP's offerings.  I think it's this presence together with the elegance of overall design (with an almost "sporting" edge) are what make the 5070 such a coveted piece - this "attitude" is just a very rare combination for a PP. If you want sporting PP, you get a Nautilus - if you want a classical PP, you choose from the rest of the range. With the 5070, IMO you get a piece that is mostly classical but has a little sporting edge as well....unusual? And IMO, I think that 90% of that feeling is generated by it's case and overall size. 

3. The true beauty of the 5170j cannot be conveyed in pictures. It just cannot. Go and handle one in the metal. It is sensationally beautiful. Many people in Europe and the USA are not fans of yellow gold (to the same extent perhaps as people from the Far East and India) but I personally find the watch stunning. The 5170 case has a satisfying thickness, just enough flashes of gold to remain elegant, but on the wrist the watch has a huge amount of presence. It's really NOT especially subtle (which I like!) and although it doesn't have quite the presence of the 5070, it is certainly no shrinking violet! But you need it on the wrist to understand. The details of the black dial on the 5070j tend to be lost in that colour whereas the dial of the 5170j is far more legible with the white dial. Obviously this changes with different 5070 metals but I believe the current 5170j dial/metal combination to be at least the equal of any 5070 combination.  The overall dial layout and scales of both pieces are a delight and I simply cannot choose between them - 5170 is cleaner, 5070 has more drama - which you prefer I cannot advise. However both dials need to viewed, not seperately  but in the context of each piece - to break down either in isolation (and analyse the dial alone) is to do neither piece justice.

4. The view of the new caliber through the rear of the 5170j  is sensational - the entire case looking like it's at bursting point fitting in the movement. Once again the Lemania in the 5070 has no answer to this,  as it's movement is smaller and PP manipulated the rear to to accept the smaller movement in the bigger case- also it's less complex mechanicals mean that it just doesn't have the "drama" of the 5170.  However, the finish on both is up to the usual PP standards - world class.