Patek Philippe

Hello everyone, Among the new pieces presented by Patek Philippe this year at Baselworld, there was a watch that I considered my favorite from this cuvée: the 5204R with Perpetual Calendar and Split-Second Chronograph . Not only does it house one of the f...  

The depth of the movement is quite impressive. The case shape is indeed very sensual, and I agree here about liking the rose gold. Very warm and fitting with the dial. Impressive article, thanks Mark.

Thank you Michael! Best, Mark

...and amazing photos to go with it. Great job...

And thank you for your very nice compliments! Best, Mark

Indeed, this timepiece would have been my favorite also if it only was not so thick. It is very tempting to fall for this watch by just looking at the dial. However, once you put it on your wrist, the thickness really overwhelms the person. I wish there i... 

Thanks for the feedback Jim, the thickness though very well mastered for such a complication is something that an owner should indeed accept compared to other watches he may have. And thank you for your kind words! Best, Mark

What a fantastic post, thank you! For me ref. 5204 (naturally P) is one of the very greatest modern Patek. Only 5370P is able to win it but naturally, that opinion is totally subjective. I really do not see the point why a very sporty complication like sp... 

Than it becomes a quite mighty task!

.....there is something quite magical about the perpetual calendar complication. At the same time, the split second chrono is an incredibly cool complication. Yet, to my mind (at least at the moment), combining the two results in something which is less t... 

As someone who one wonderful vintage 3 handers or the 3448, I'm not surprised to read that your heart goes for a more exclusive and simpler watch. And I must say I like that too. It is like focusing all the attention on one single actor, without being dis... 

I know that you have seen many complicated and rare watches and that it gives you quite a very good perspective when trying a watch. I completely agree with you about the 5204's place for Patek. This 5370P is indeed something very special and I was also w... 

I like the most perpetual with automatic winding. It is the most practical way of having a perpetual always on right time. Best Kari

It is another way of enjoying our watches. The decoration of a manual wound movement is an element to consider, especially when it is a PC next to a chronograph. Otherwise, the automatic winding is a clever addition to the PC to consider. Nevertheless, it... 

Great to see so much effort going into this article Julian

It took a little time and Dje's presentation was helping a lot Thank you Julian for your nice compliements! Best, Mark

Thank you so much for putting so much time and effort into that wonderful in depth review. Your passion is addictive. You clearly have a deep love and understanding of that beautiful Patek Piece. I\'m going to read it again later today when I get 15mins a... 

I thought that this kind of watches is rare enough to take a little time, especially as it will be one every several years imho :p It is not that easy to try communicating what we feel, especially without beeing too long and boring. That's why I appreciat... 

A great watch indeed neutral would hesitate between this and the 5004 I really love the lemania based one.... but the 5004 should have been a bit bigger

What a stunning piece. Thanks Mark

Yes, it is a very appealing one, certainly one of my favorite in the complicated ones. Best, Mark

Thank you for your compliments Bruno! Best, Mark

A big thank you to you for all the time you spent for this write-up. Best wishes Alkiro

I enjoy writing them knowing it will be appreciated here, even if people don't have to love them but at least being interested in the technics or respecting different aesthetical orientations, being curious etc... The discussion is always done in a good w... 

Agree with you when posts like yours open debates. That\'s always interesting. Best wishes Alkiro

Thank you for the detailed article! I do prefer the older hands personally than this model. Does the new movement here and in the 5270 lose the adjustment to advance a day at a time including moon phase like the Lemania versions had? Best regards

It seemed to me the 5970 had this all-in-one very useful feature and I know the 5270 doesn't. I couldn't manipulate the buttons of the 5970 and see this by myself and when I asked a retailer he told me that he didn't know about such feature in the 5970 so... 

Neither the 5270 nor the 5204 have the feature to advance all indications at once... that\'s the only downside compared to Lange (1815 rattrapante, dato perpetual) and the 5970 (and 5004 I think, but didn\'t check myself)... I don\'t know why such a usefu... 

Maybe the new design of the 29-535 caliber didn't make it possible anymore but it was indeed a useful feature. Thank you for the info! Best, Mark

Every time your articles are becoming better and better and this is the best I read so far,So detailed. This watch is one of the watches I love deeply and on par with 5370P.But I made sure not to try them,Because they are out of my watch budget,The 5970 a... 

Don't laugh but that's also something I tell myself sometimes. To answer your question, you guessed right as they are also both out of my budget. But it would be one of the two. This being said, I don't know which one I would choose between 5370P and 5204... 

When it comes to watches.....I am glad we met here in the forum,Would be happy to meet face to face one day.I am sure it would be very interesting to meet some one with your knowledge. Getting your dream watch or grail as we may call it is something and g... 

If I should one day intend to acquire something in colored metal, this one would it be without hesitation and I really wouldn’t care that I have already the 5204P. The winding feeling and the smoothness of the pushers are indeed outstanding and certainly ... 

as owner of the beauty you have this tells a lot About the pushers and winding feeling, It is very interesting to notice your observations: this is maybe the consequence of the thinner caliber and the pushers position and display design (compared to the 5... 

Thanks Mark, really enjoyed this post. In my opinion one of the most attractive references in the available range right now. What would I change? Squeeze it down to a size between 36,5 or max 38 mm, but keep the thick case. I am not a fan of the coated ma... 

and I'm glad about that. I totally see you pleasure having a smaller case but with that very unique thick feeling (something that I like in the 5930 as well). You must like the 3970 I presume The 5370P is quite very different from Patek's classical cases ... 

Stunning review. Thank you!

You're too kind. I'm glad you enjoyed it Best, Mark

but I have read the comments to the manual wind perpetual calendar. perhaps the future may hold for this watch an automatic winding function. Owners wear the watch on occasion and do not set the calendar. sad but true too often.

that's a question every future owner should ask himself indeed. And I think that the answer will depend on how often he or she wears it. As for an alternative automatic display, it will be interesting but will be with the loss of a part of the bridge and ... 

The watch itself is of course beautiful, but there is something about the lugs which I am not keen on. I would prefer the lugs from the 5270. This is just my subjective opinion of course, and very likely wrong!

...when dealing with lugs but also cases, pushers, bezel etc... I noticed these lugs were different and I'm also a fan of the 5270 or 5230's shape. Finally, I think that these more classical lugs may look better for such a complicated watch. I think maybe... 

You have me salivating at this watch ! Cheers, Gordon

I think this is a very appealing version indeed. I was glad to see it as I imagine it will remain quite rare. Thank you! Best, Mark

A technical marvel in engineering and beauty. Thanks for your intricate post. Cheers. Geross.

something I think is worthy of holding to appreciate fully the brand's mastery in that field. Thank you for your compliments Geross Best, Mark

Thank you Mark for the fantastic report! Look here for a comparison with its Lange-pendant:

Thank you for the link, I remember that post and your pictures, and agree with most of what you exposed. Thank you for your nice comments about the review Best, Mark

I hope all is fine with your 5712 and that you had a great time during the CES. Let's catch up soon in Paris Best, Mark

Thanks Mark. I agree the "upside down" moonphase takes getting used to. I would have preferred the moonphase above the horizon as in the 5270. I wonder if this will come in any other metals.....

So do I. I don't know if there is a technical reason behind it. About other metals, I think they will indeed, at least in Platinum. Will it come in yellow gold too? I don't know but as there is a come back of yellow gold watches, maybe yes Best, Mark

This literally could have been the most perfect watch IF NOT for that ridiculous upside down moon phase. Seriously... what is the point to that. Could have been perfect, but why? Why Patek??? ;{

Great in-depth write up and images. Great work Mod.

Much appreciated. Best, Mark

5 and 27 around the moon phase are minimized to fit the dial, just as on the 5140. However on the 5140 it is often mentioned as a negative thing, but apparently it doens't matter on the 5204? What do you think... Great review by the way Mark

This is indeed sometimes mentioned about dials. 1. I noticed that some newer dials have such figures less small and more similar to the other figures' height (there is an evolution, maybe it is because they have bigger cases). It seems that it has changed... 

Actually I first noticed the squeezed numbers on the watch after seeing your pictures. I can see that the 5004 came with variations in the hour markers. I hope to see the 5204 follow that path as I am not the biggest fan of lumiscent on this particular re... 

Mark, Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough and well-illustrated review, and for including DJE's content to remind us of the technical elements. Great pictures and feedback, especially regarding the tactile feel of the pushers and winding... 

The feeling from manipulating a movement is definitely very important. That's a great asset of the new 29-535 caliber and showing the flawless activiation of the different parts. Thank you for your very kind comments, I'm gald you liked it! Best, Mark

Hi Mark, if you get the opportunity to get a 5959R in your hands you must do a similar review... please I can't find any good pictures on the internet of it either. /M

The thing is that they are very rare and I imgaine that a client would have to fill an application for it. This is a fantastic model, aesthetically but also in terms of movement. I would love to see it Best, Mark

But any owners of the 5204 would care to share their experiences, including reliability? Feel free to PM me as well!