Chromatic Fugue
1850
Ne plus ultra
Nov 28, 2019,16:14 PM
I promised more photos and observations. Here's the watch, a 3940P:
I think it was Nicolas (amanico) who said that I should go with the 3940 rather than the 5140 because, even though it lacked the immediate charisma, it would grow on me. That's already happened.
One of the great fringe benefits is the size. Some say: 36 mm is small by today's standards. But that's a plus rather than a minus for guys like me with thin wrists:
But the size comes with another benefit. Think of those ads: "You never really own a Patek Philippe; you merely look after it for the next generation." Those ads all seem to show men and their sons, not men and their daughters. I have two kids; both are girls. Hours after I got this, I showed it to my older daughter (who's 20) and asked: "you want to inherit this?" She said: "Just give it to me now." She doesn't want my other watches, precisely because they are too large for her (and truth to tell, some of them are too large for me).
This watch not only has a modest diameter; it is also unbelievably thin:
That's a huge part of the charm. There's probably no watch that has a higher ratio of horological excellence to case volume.
This is not to say that the watch is perfect. For reasons no one understands, Patek decided that 3940P models should never have exhibition case backs. So instead of a view of the 240 Q movement, I have a view of this:
But that's OK. The makers of the greatest Persian rugs always included a subtle imperfection somewhere to acknowledge that God alone is perfect. Perhaps the obligatory solid case back reflects the same piety. And the platinum does come with two fringe benefits. One is the heft of the extra density. The other is the ability to wear this watch with jeans:
Finally, I'd like to thank everyone here for their comments on this and related references. I don't know what I'd do without this forum. I'd probably buy lots of watches that I'd divorce later. But this one is a keeper for life -- sorry, older daughter. : )