Patek Philippe

BenJones
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Joining the club - A few queries

As a collector of watches for a number of years (Tag - Omega - Rolex - JLC - VC - Breguet), I have come to the stage where I am looking to purchase my first Patek.

I am looking to acquire a classic piece with simple complications - I have my mindset on the 5146G (cream dial) which to me is a timeless (excuse the pun) classic and embraces everything that is so great about the brand (elegance, class and very understated).

From conversations with a number of AD's I have been told that the 5135 is going to be phased out shortly and that I may want to consider getting this instead whilst I can.

I think I'm certain on the 5146 but do have a few random questions that I would be grateful for assistance on:-

1) Is there a general "shelf life" for PP's before they are phased out, replaced, or updated?

2) Given that the 5146 is one of the more readily available models is it considered to be less desirable in the secondry market and is this likely to be around for longer than some of the less well known / less advertised models?

3) is there a chance that PP will look to upgrade the 324 Caliber to include silicon parts

4) is it worth waiting until after Baselworld incase they launch something new

5) Whilst I also like the clean lines and elegance of the updated 5396 - does anyone else find this watch remarkably similar to the Girard Perregaux 1966, if so was the GP launced first and can it be considered as a comparable watch (quality of caliber, heritage of the specific watch). Clearly I appreciate the differences between the two brands but  I am thinking that I could acquire the GP 1966 at a later date and thus focus on the 5146 rather than being distracted by the new kid on the block (5396).

As it is my first PP is there anything specific that I should know eg removal of the Geneve seal on the packaging, registration with PP owners club (as with Breguet) etc etc.

Finally is there any information i can get that would show me the evolution in sales of Patek versus some of its peers such as VC, JLC and Breguet? I know there is growing demand for all these brands from emerging markets (particularly China) and just want to get some assurance on the exclusivity of the respective names. Also is there any way to track the price changes for a specific model, to compare this to the general level of inflation / change in the price of gold.

Apologies for the number of questions - I am keen to consolidate my knowledge of the brand and its products to fully immerse myself in my first buying experience.

Thanks

Ben