Patek Philippe

This week at the Philips auction in New York, all eyes will be on Paul Newman's Daytona. I noticed though that a very rare Patek Philippe will be auctioned, which for me personally, is my favourite watch of all time. That is quite a sweeping statement but...  

In fact I was going through the auction houses' sites last weekend and once I saw this I felt it was your cup of tea 😃 Sometimes I wished there was a way to travel back in time to net these exquisite pieces! All the best if you're bidding.

I would love to bid for this watch but it is way out of my budget and is likely to always remain that way unless I find oil in my back garden! (a lot of oil!!!)

....the Breguet numbers applied and the hands are a wonderfull classic, though... I don't like this kind of loops, too rigid respect to the soft shapes of the watch, but the most disturbing thing is the movement's architecture and the finishes of the move... 

I guess I am so captivated, with what in my opinion is the perfect dial and case size, that I would be willing to forego the finishing of Dufour or Smith to secure this watch The finishing is still excellent though, by my standards perhaps. ...  

My other qualm is that some of these bridges feel too "modern" for a classical grand complication - with the recesses in bridge meant for the rotor, it feels made more cnc than by hand. Regards, skyeriding

if the finishing of Patek's minute repeaters has changed a lot in the last 20 years. I am assuming that over the last two decades, the demand for finely finished watches has increased dramatically so Patek would also have followed suit.

Even the crown doesn't exite me, too "rich" The finishes, in my opinion, are inferior to the very high cost!

It is amazing though that this has not stopped the watch from doubling in price over the last 20 years. I will put this down to the watch being a very rare Patek which automatically guarantees its eternal value

Rose gold Pateks normally chime pretty distinctively but that was my experience with the 7000R

Best wishes Alkiro

There are many Patek minute repeaters that I like - the 5539, the 5078, the 7000 but I just adore the 5029R due to its military watch case, Breguet hands and numerals. I have a weakness for these

Best wishes Alkiro

Claudio is a purveyor of finely finished watches and he has argued that there is an unjust corellation between the quality of the movement and the cost of the watch. I must confess that my knowledge of fine finishing is not as advanced as Claudio's so I a... 

Best wishes Alkiro

Patek would make a minute repeater like this again and who knows what I might do to secure it this time

Best wishes Alkiro

sham1, Wow! To choose it over a Roger Smith? You must be afflicted with lust in your retirement Still, I would agree with you so I'm in the same boat for different reasons. We still get to the same conclusion. I like the "simplicity" of this PP 5029. Rega... 

I am too biased when it comes to the 5029R and on a separate note, I lust for all beautiful things, this being one of the most beautiful (in my eyes anyway). It is a watch that is so me (price aside )

I was in awe in 1997 And 20 years later nothing had changed other than I probably am even more in awe of it Thanks for sharing Best Imran

that reading your posts, our taste in watches is not too dissimilar!

This is a very interesting timepiece I am not too familiar with, the rose gold Breguet numerals set against that shade of enamel dial is sublime!!!! I love the crown shape and the way the wrap around detail at the base. It's elegant simplicity is very sim... 

you appreciate the dial as much as I do. Very similar to the 5078/5178 but somehow in rose gold the 5029 looks even more elegant. It is watch which to me has the X factor!!

and making dials that one lusts for is one of them. I can understand your near adoration for this piece-the dial, the complication and the size. I might feel the same way if it was a bit bigger. And the finishing is equal to all but the best-so no real lo... 

But I am afraid the watch is way out of my budget but I would be eternally grateful if you do bid and pay on my behalf and I will pay you by instalment over the next 15 years. Obviously, you will have the freedom to enjoy the watch for 15 years

I'll let you know if I win.

I have little doubt that you will win!!

It only sold for USD375k, back pocket money for you

Look at that. A perfect watch.

Everything but the asking price I know perfection does not come cheap but as the saying goes 'aim high, hit low!!'

Some newer models have added the tourbillion which, to me, is completely unnecessary with a the minute repeater. This is the art form at its best. I imagine the chime is amazing.

the 5539 and 3339 both have tourbillons in them which although not necessary in a minute repeater, it is Patek demonstrating its technical prowess in combining the two complications in a thin case.

Yes there are quite a few rare beauties at this particular auction. I am partial to a Cartier London crash watch, a rare Tank Cintree in Platinum and even the rare Dufour Duality. Apparently only ten of those were ever made and the prototype in platinum i... 

perhaps by the time the next 5029R makes it to an auction, I might be in a position to bid because I would have gladly have paid $375k for the watch. Living on bread and water for a few years would be worth it!

Worth more in my opinion...

The fact that so many other pieces sold for more makes this $375k watch a relative bargain in my opinion. I am just angry with myself for not having been in a position to have bidded for the watch. If only!

But the size is just alittle on the small side for me.

that limited the appeal of this watch to many but it is purrrfect for me!!

that one can never overestimate the rarity value of a Patek and there are no more than ten 5029Rs around. It is all about supply and demand since it is possible to still buy a Patek repeater perpetual or even a Patek repeater tourbillon but not a minute r... 

So simple in appearance ... yet ... so complicated "under the hood". For those of us Patek enthusiasts who value the understated nature of many of its references ... the Uncluttered Minute Repeater is at the TOP of the list!

There are minute repeaters and there ARE minute repeaters! The ability of Patek to compress the complex mechanism into a 35mm thin case and to be able to bring out a sound defying the case size is quite something! :

... and I found that the best sounding Minute Repeaters were devoid of other complications. That doesn't mean one shouldn't value a Repeater that possesses a multitude of other complications ... because of course combining a number of different of functio... 

I too attended a similar Patek minute repeater workshop and the best sounding (clearest!) minute repeater was actually the 33.7mm 7000R, the simplest and smallest of all the repeaters