First things first, I think if i won the $175m, it would not in itself alter which watches I currently view as the grails. Having the money to buy something should not alter the original perception of the watches. So, in that spirit, I am more in line with Nicolas inasmuch as the watches I would see as my ultimate five are not unique pieces or pieces in such exclusivity that they are essentially unique. They come from a production run that is typically not too low.
Secondly, having five watches as a limit poses a wearability issue. If i had 5 unique pieces from the 1940s, 50s and 60s, I wuld not feel comfortable wearing them at the pool, out casually etc etc etc. So, I would need at least some of my five to be "wearers".
Maybe I am reading to much into the question...maybe I should just give 5 super grails rather than "my 5" ultimate collection. But anyway, I am going down the latter path....so here are the five that I would say woul be "my" ultimate 5 Patek Philippe. It is based on what truly appeals to my taste and what would have me staring at the watches all day. The
1: 3448G.........For me, my ultimate watch that has ever been made by anyone ever is the 3448G. I tried to convince myself that the 3448J was warmer, more vintage, but actually the 3448G is the ultimate watch for me. It has the most stunninhg dial balance and I could and would be happy with a collection of just one watch if it was the 3448G. (Perpetual)
2: 2499......Now this is a "boring" choice as so many collectors will say this is possibly the finest watch ever made by Patek Philippe.. I woiuld take the 3448G over any of the 2499 because the former just does something special for me. But, for my perpetual calendar chronograph, I would want the 2499....a second on third series as they are usually in much much better condition than the first series. Metal colour would not be an issue for me here. Yes, the super rare platinum would be a "treat", but I would be kidding if I said I would have an issue with a rose or yellow version! (Perpetual chrono)
3: 5370P.....From the modern era, this watch drew me in immediately. The enamel dial and breguet numerals creates an aesthetic which has me staring at the dial all the time. For my split-second chrono, I would have to have this watch in the bag of five. (Rattrapante)
4: 5650G......Here is where I think there may be some contentiousness. I have been quite vocal on just how stunned I have been as an owner of the 5650G. I think the advanced research movement is a game-changer for Patek in terms of its future watches. In this sense, I think the watch will hold a special place in Patek history. However, for all the reasons in my review, I would abslutely need this in my bag of five. It would be a watch that would get an enormous amount of wrist time.
5: Choosing four is actually quite easy. The choice of the 5th is actually stunningly hard. I have perpetual, PPC, split chrono and a a travel variant in the bag. Given the 5650G, do I need to add a world time? I have no time only watch...no Calatrava. That poses me a big problem. How can i not include the 3417 Amagnetic? How can I not include an enamel WT? What about an enamel Calatrava like the 2526....It is so hard to make a 5th choice. Nothing on the list above would replace any of the first four, which is interesting to me. So, avoiding the question by giving a soft 5th is my only out here....the 5th watch would be one from the following; 5131p, 3417, 2526, 570p.
So there we are...a mix between modern and vintage and a variety of styles and complications.