Mark in Paris
[Purist]
10488
Well, it is a knowhow that Patek has chosen to develop again since quite a number of years
As in other fields of old techniques, especially regarding what is needed to service old pieces.
The 5131J was I think the first of a more limited production but regular piece in the catalog. I don't think that enamel work was successful back then but Patek took this decision regarding the historical value of such craftmanship. I don't know for other unique pieces that are part of the Rare Handcrafts family as they are usually not presented in the catalogs.
Today, several high-end brands provide enamel work and I think this is for good.
Nevertheless, even if we talk more about them, they remain very rare in terms of output, whether compared ot the overall production or considering the market size.
Now, how will it evolve in the future? I can't really say but my opinion is that there won't be that much because it takes time (to craft with a lot of waste and many years to train one enameller), there are not that many enamellers yet and I would say they wished to keep numbers low to preserve the "image" of such work.
Best, Mark
Available on the marketplace
2,850 Patek Philippe listings are live on the eBay market and 1721 collector listings on the WatchProSite marketplace.
What a lovely problem to have!
i would choose the owl. It's not necessary because of the owl but the sunset gradation and leave details seem more intricate. Wear in great health and please post more wrist shots once you have it in your possession! Keith
Congrats on getting an allocation on the Rousseau series and having the ability to choose !
The Owl has more character because of its eyes and the dial has a very nice sunset, whereas the color for the Bird dial is more vibrant because of the colorful fruits throughout the motif. This decision would be a most difficult one for me. Hence, I would...
The owl. Roman mythlogy , it is a divine creature. And the symbol of victory. Good vibes.
Wear the enamel Calatrava and close deals in your favor. My opinion only. Opinion based on history readings of mythology and geomancy. Cheers. Choose what your heart desires. Geross
Welcom , i would go for the owl 👍🏻 like other say its got more character imho
Would love to see more pics when you got it 🙏🏻
I don't know your gender
The owl piece is more masculine. I would pick that for myself The bird piece is more feminine. I would pick that for my wife
Welcome on our forum :)
I see that you've had several replies to your post already. This is a great project that you have and the choice is tough. I think it is really about your own appeal as both should be wonderful in real. It is difficult to judge without handling them but p...
Vacheron Constantin Metiers D Art
Go for the Magnificent Enamel Collection of Vacheron Constantin Metiers D Art , Their Craftsmanship is far above PP .
There a a few enamellers who do a very excellent job
and participate to preserve skills and know-how. The fact that enamel dials are back again in the collections of brands is an excellent news. Now, from what I saw, saying that one is far superior from the other, is something I would like to know about. Th...
Very subjective indeed. There must be some standards that enamellers adhere to, for their own quality control.
I have read that the big players are investing millions in training enamellers for the future, was thinking, would there be an over-supply of them, hence devaluing enamel pieces in the future, if there’s too many to go around?
Well, it is a knowhow that Patek has chosen to develop again since quite a number of years
As in other fields of old techniques, especially regarding what is needed to service old pieces. The 5131J was I think the first of a more limited production but regular piece in the catalog. I don't think that enamel work was successful back then but Pat...
Thanks for the explanation Mark.
Indeed, I would imagine even with newly trained enamellers it will take time for them to acquire mastery of this rare skill, and the production will be limited.
Taste is indeed subjective
However from what I have seen in person, VC’s enamel piece is higher quality. I have not seen Patek’s higher end enamel work, but 5131s are really average at best. Use a loupe and you can often find little imperfections like bubbles on the 5131s (though i...
That's indeed all the difficulty in assessing Tom
I think that, like in finishing, the level obtained depends on the shape, pattern and especially the size of the drawing. The smaller it is, with many details, with more parts, delimited with the gold wires ("cloisonné" technique) compared to champlevé et...
Imperfections in Enamelling like Bubbles can be considered a defect?
Thanks the input and 🦉 vote.
Yes
But it's a bigger deal in enamel painting (Geneva method) because its flat. Frankly in cloisonné you are almost certain to find some imperfections if look close enough. However in the big picture it doesn't matter, when it comes to enamel watches, aesthet...
