Mike-On-A-Bike
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I'm glad you had a fantastic experience.
And wish you continued good luck! I purchased from their Geneva auction. Of the many mishaps along the way, perhaps the most 'memorable' was when I finally received the piece, took it to a PP service center to replace the strap, and the watchmaker told me the tiny screw used on the deployant clasp was (1) not an authorized PP part, and (2) made of stainless steel - hence it completely chewed through the softer white gold thread, rendering the clasp unusable. I suspected (but Christies of course denied) somebody at Christies swapping out the original alligator straps to cheap "Christies" straps before shipping out lost the original screw and replaced it with whatever similar sized screw they had in the shed. Even more suspect as the watch came with 19mm width straps crammed on (this watch lug width is 18mm) and the straps were on the other way around - whoever did this had no idea what they were doing. Christies asked me to send the clasp back to them for a repair, and when it returned 3 months later, it had the exact same bogus screw from before. I asked my wife to punch me in the face if I ever try to convince myself to buy from them again! LOL
Long time lurker, first time poster
I was inspired by WH’s post earlier. I too am quite impressed with the level of maturity and general civility in this forum and have enjoyed the discussions very much. Special thanks to the moderators for keeping this place a positive forum for all. Simil...
A warm welcome for telling us your story ! 3940 as a first piece is ...
plenty good ! A worldtimer for your second Patek IMO is an excellent decision. Naturally if you can get a 5231G or P at retail will be a big home run !
I learned a lot about the cloisonne world timer from
your older posts, so this is my chance to thank you! I do wonder if PP will indeed ever come out with a white 5231 though. Actually, only reason I have not pulled the trigger on a 5230G is that I fear they will release the enamel version some time later a...
Welcome Mike, and thank-you for joining this special place! :-) A really nice and knowledgeable introduction that I've read in one shot from start to finish!
Congrats on building such a beautiful collection, where motivation, knowledge and passion go hand in hand! I also believe this might be a great place for you The amount of research you've done in particular on your first Patek (and, I'm sure, on other wat...
A very warm welcome, Mike.
Thanks for sharing your horological journey with us. A Patek WT is certainly a great choice though I’m not sure if you quoted the correct reference number. Best, V.
Thanks Pretty Boy and I apologize for the confusion
Indeed there is no white 5231 as I understand it is in J only. I was only 'dreaming' that if PP does launch the other color variants I would love to get my hands on a G or P
Got it. Definitely a good choice.
The 5231J was my first cloisonné enamel dial and I’m totally addicted now. Given that 5131/1P won’t run out in 2020, I have placed an order for it last week. However, being late to the party, it’s not going to be easy but the feedback from Patek has been ...
Yep, but you have 5131/1P.
I was always reluctant because I’m not a huge fan of the bracelet and the price that comes with it. This was the reason I turned it down two years ago (when it was a bit cheaper than now😭). Big mistake. Now, I’m absolutely crazy about 5131/1P. I’m going t...
Agree, I would keep the bracelet too.
It’s part of the overall look of the watch and together with the colors of the dial (which perfectly match) makes the watch so special. 😍 But it took me some time to get it.
Dream of getting this 'addiction' myself one day ;)
As has been said elsewhere I think there is indeed something special about the P with the ice caps mixed in with the green and blue
Thanks for the suggestion Nicolas!
Unfortunately I've not studied up on JLCs just yet. I do know who to pester with questions when I do though
Welcome Mike! This is indeed a wonderful community!
What a strong start, kicking off with a 3940! Apart from the Nautilus, this is the Patek that pops up the most all over the internet/instagram. Congratulations on finding one that meets all your expectations, I know that during your service if you indicat...
Thanks for inspiring me to post!
Agree the 3940 seems to be getting a lot of publicity these days, but thankfully not as crazy as the Nautilus or Aquanaut 😂 What you say re polishing is consistent with what I heard from the PP service center here in Hong Kong as well. Hence my preference...
It could be a safe queen
But yes i would be skeptical as well, as those safe queens tend to change hands quickly and discreetly
Impressive story
Also a Hodinkee reader. A new watch connoisseur in our community. A good collection. A world timer is on my list too, but i am also in for a perpetual calendar or an annual calendar which can be found in the Omega constellation globemaster line of watches...
Thanks Weems
Agree with your sentiment that a watch does not have to be ‘haute’ to have personal value. And your B&M story sounds fascinating - hope to hear more!
Nice thorough intro Mike-On-A-Bike!
This has to be the bst watch site in the market, you are in the right place.
welcome . Lots of new posters which is great
Love your journey and that 3940 is just the bees knees. A grail for any collection Enjoy your watches and lets see some more pics in the future Julian
It‘s not the having, it’s the getting!
Thank you for your very interesting and detailed story. I can understand all of your decisive reasons very good. If you are looking for a „sports watch“ as a contrast to your Batman: What do you think of a IWC 39-mm-Fliegerchono? Enjoy your latest acquisi...
Indeed journey can sometimes be more beautiful than the destination!
Thanks for your suggestion. I’m not familiar with IWC yet but will keep it in mind. Didn’t know they made ‘smaller’ sizes like 39mm. 👍
Got this from Christies...
...but I would not recommend them. I had a pretty horrible experience with them in the past for a painting, and promised myself I would never buy from Christies again, but this watch came up and I really had no choice to deal with them once more. I was ho...
That’s unfortunate as I have had the exact opposite in my dealings with the. In NY, HK and DUBAI. After
Sales was fantastic and they consistently went the extra mile at zero cost. In fact Sotheby’s I am not a fan of at all
I'm glad you had a fantastic experience.
And wish you continued good luck! I purchased from their Geneva auction. Of the many mishaps along the way, perhaps the most 'memorable' was when I finally received the piece, took it to a PP service center to replace the strap, and the watchmaker told me...
Under some CITES they cannot export the strap with the watch and hence replace it with an alternative,
I always get the original claspseperately and to be honest the original straps do pop up later but 7nder different shipment
Yes, indeed I ended up getting an original buckle separately
They should just give us the option of receiving just the watch head with spring bars and clasp/buckle in a zip bag, no strap. Instead of unnecessarily risking damage to the watch from bad installation *shrug*
nice writeup Mike and yes I agree, if one can appreciates
watches early, like buying an insurance policy, many bonus for acquiring them earlier I started before 30 and acquired many but mostly were treated like a biz-tools, even though I loved them all. Over the years, the passion never fades but taste has chang...
on that note Mike, Patek did authorise some 3940p with a see through back. I have personally seen one with a letter written by Patek for such a special addition.
I almost bought the set and would probably by the ultimate Patek I would have own, but no. So when a good piece comes by and you have doubts, just buy it LoL.
Don't worry about the 3970 dings
Who am I to say what you should be satisfied with, but if you didn't want a polished watch to begin with, why buff out the dings on the one you just bought? I kind of like the fact that some of my nicer time pieces have some dings or a bit of polish on th...
It exists and I have seen one
With letter by Patek assuring it and the reason it made an except to provide one to that piece.