Patek Philippe

Firstly, the 5960P is an amazing piece, the PP that by far gets the most wrist time here. PP clearly also agreed it was amazing and unfortunately made way too many of them for too long. I suppose they tried to make it up with the black dial 5960P which was in production extremely briefly. It is a gorgeous piece and I would like to congratulate those who managed to get a hold of one. Too many produced is also the case with the 5270G, to me it has kind of stained the magic of perpetual chronographs. The previous lines are still magic, however the term perpetual chronograph does not hold the same wow factor today thanks to the high quantities of 5270s being produced.

As much as I like the 3940 I find the size of the 5140 more appealing. It is a relatively small upsize and at 37mm still breathe the spirit of PP (as I perceive it, of course). The latest iteration in rose gold with a white dial and in platinum with black dial are both spectacular. However with the 5050 I am in complete agreement and sad they did not stay closer to the original in their evolvement. Also agree with the 5496P, could be so great but why so large for this kind of watch? Also wish they kept their perpetual chronograph at a maximum size of the 5970. But of course we can not love everything.

And yes they do still make many spectacular things. The commemorative pieces did not disappoint and the current lineup holds some spectacular pieces. In the space of what I categorize as unobtanium they still do extremely well in my opinion, particularly referring to 5951P and 5204P. Further they still manage to keep it exciting with new releases and happenings. 

My biggest disappointment with the brand these days has been with the ease at which one can source almost any reference from the current lineup in the secondary market at deep discounts to retail price. Is it they fear death of the mechanical watch coming with smart watches etc and churning out quickly to lock in some moneys? Are they less concerned with the long term equity of the brand as they want to ramp up growth and sales figures so they can be acquired at a premium by one of the Richemonts (or Apples for that matter) out there? While I understand they want to maximize production numbers and profits it is important they focus on maintaining the brand equity if they are in it for the long haul that is. Lack of communication to address the concern of the loyalists however may be interpreted as them looking for a way out to monetize the brand. Whatever it is, I am experiencing a reduction in the sense of specialness of the hunt as it has become too easy. I still put Patek highest up but increasingly find myself glancing across alternatives more so than in the past. 

Another thing worth addressing is their turnaround time for servicing. I know there has been many posts on this, but it is a valid concern. It should not take that long to get a service performed on a watch that is still in production. Further getting replacement leather straps here in Europe is a real pain as they are shipped out of Switzerland and therefore has a 3 month delivery period due to customs rules for exotic leather goods. Crazy or what? I need to start planning 3 months early if I want to get a Patek strap or go with another manufacturer. 

Sorry for the ramble, but wanted to throw my 2c in the bowl. 

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