Patek Philippe

meatrackmd
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Criticism of Patek this year...

I am a collector and an admirer, and I have always held a high regard and deep rooted respect for Patek.  I will never have the luxury of owning a grand complication without divine intervention, but nonetheless I will keep my critiques to the common man's models.  I apologize in advance if I ruffle anyone else's feathers.  Of course these are only my observations, and that everyone else's taste is different, but I must admit that I was not a star struck and madly in love with much of the additions this year as I have been in the recent past.

5170g: I think this one truly stole the show. As I said elsewhere, it save the entire 5170 line with the breguet numerals. The index markers and roman numerals just didn't do it for me. Not to mention, a chrono should be just as functional as it is a form factor beauty, and telling time should be a split second observation, not a thought process. They finally rectified the dial with individual numerals for this purpose.  This would be my

5200: Ok, I was surprised, both pleasantly and unpleasantly. I always gave patek designers credit for subtle and balanced dials, an attribute that saved or destroyed the complications of other manufacturers for me. This is certainly a symmetrical balance left and right, but the presence of a day window smack in the middle of the analog date wheel threw me off. I think it is highly out of place. Either if they switched the power reserve to be internal to the date and have the day window towards 12 o'clock, or eliminated the day window all together. I would buy the blue face model right this very moment (if available or course) had there been no day indicator. However, the gondolo case is stunning, always has been even in the older models, and the date is the truly necessary complication. Power reserve is icing on the cake. Perhaps a moon face would seem more attractive, less necessary and funcitonal of course, but between this and the all gold 5980, I felt like patek was influenced by the rolex model, and I was very disappointed.

5980: At least the two-tone model brought back some older glory, and blending in the gold around the hour markers made the transition more natural. I had this on my 2tone ceramic submariner, and I felt this combo attractive but rolex influenced for today's models. The all gold version also reminded me of the big, blinged out "look at me" rolex mentality, which in my mind is exactly the antithesis of the nautilus. gold on a strap is seductive, perhaps all gold on a bracelet seems more appropriate on the thinner models. That's not to say that it's not attractive, I am sure it is stunning in the metal, but it's short of what I expect from patek.

5227: Back to success, excellent execution of the crown side of the case, less aggressive wing guards and the gorgeous hinge back.  Even the change in the sides of the case is appealing but agreed as highly aggressive.  I look forward to buying this model.

I simply think that the only true adventure Patek set forth on was the Gondolo, and that it came so close to instant perfection, but tragically far enough that I will never look at it again. It's a shame, because this would have been a dream gondolo if the dial flowed more smoothly. And as well as the nautilus line is concerned, patek showed us with the 5726 that a complication can meld with a sporty case and look simply stunning in a quietly successsfult fashion. I hope that in the coming years we bear witness to the perpetual with the blue dial, as some other forum members have mocked up.  I am sure that other forum members share some of these thoughts.  I would hope to see this discussion evolve a little further, and perhaps help me change my mind about this year's offerings.