Patek Philippe

it out of my head. Do I have to spend over 40k to fix my head? Isn't there a pill or something? I am sure not everyone gets mental help at the Patek Boutique. This is terrible, I wish they never invented that watch. Let's see it is May 24th, I am sure I will not hold out past my 50th birthday in July. If anyone has a solution to this watchaholic disease I have, please tell me before I get that thing. Thank You, Jay

but your response is typical of those who have been smitten by this piece. Good luck in getting it out of your brain.

50 year is an important date, so why not celebrating it with the watch of your dreams?

Hunt it on the CM, you may find a cheaper one, and save for the Champagne!



Best,

nicolas

not save so much. I can get it from the boutique for not much more over CM. Then I have a full warranty and I know it is not one of the early ones with a sticky chronograph. Also most pics of these watches seem to have pretty big yachts in the backround, so a pre-owned might have been exposed to salt water and used harder. This might be one watch better off new from the company itself. If I end up with a sticky pusher, which seems possible from what I have read, the boutique relationship might be useful. It would be my 4th watch from the guy, he would be very service oriented with any problems I might have.

It is always preferable to get your PP from the Boutique, as to start a relationship with them, of course, and to get an impeccable service, too, which counts a lot, to me.

The only thing is the time you will have to wait before getting it, and to be sure you will get it.

But every thing has a start...

Best,

Nicolas

Also availabe, but I told them I would be wearing it. Actually a lot of watches previously unavailable are in stock. If you want to save 15-20% you can get a 1-2 year old or grey market piece. But it hardly seems worth it.

Not that you need any encouragement, the 5980 seems to have a love/hate following. Nevertheless from reviewing posts it seems to have proven its reliability and I will share my daily wearer experience since delivery in April 2008 (it's been on my wrist 350+ days).

1. Easy to wear and no worries about wet weather

2. The weight is balanced with slight heft and very comfortable on my wrist

3. Wears visually smaller than specs since dial is 28 mm even thought case is 44mm including wings

4. No problems for me with 12.5 mm thickness since it sits well on my wrist

5. I like the aesthetics of dial and virtually every woman in my life finds watch attractive and no "dated" comments

6. I feel that the bulls-eye chrono counter overcomes any non-contemporary styling

7. Versatile watch that can be worn casually in jeans or shorts or dressy in a suit

8. Even though I use the chrono feature often it is not always early to read when minute hand covers the counters

9. Back end of chrono minute counter covers the chrono hour counter which is the same length--suggestion to fix would be either to use different colors for these hands like 5960 or eliminate/shorten back end of chrono hands

10. Feel of chrono pushers is nice and wings provide an unexpected ergonomic feature since perfect resting places for your thumb or index finger when pressing pushers

11. Scratches easily but I don't expect a watch in constant use to be pristine

12. Bracelet is supple for all metal and similar to my impression of first RO that I held

13. Bracelet double deployant clap is fairly secure and even when I failed to close the locking clasp the watch has never fallen off my wrist

14. Prefer 5980 to 5712 because I'm not seduced by the latter's aesthetics (too similar to 5035/55/85) and their list prices are relatively close plus 5980 movement is unique in comparison

15. Did consider 5960 versus 5980 but for my lifestyle the Nautilus is a hands down winner

16. Marketing description of continuous moving seconds hand is somewhat misleading since really only accurate as chrono feature although one might use is as a pseudo time-related second hand

17. Accuracy is good to outstanding--my early tests were +/- one or two seconds a day but stopped tracking several months ago

18. Since the rotor and bridge word hides much of the movement a non-display case back would have been just fine

19. Finishing is acceptable although since marketed as dual purpose sports and dress watch perhaps portions that are sand blasted might have been upgraded?

20. Value and price; well that's all relative within the context for each individual isn't it

Bottom-line: the 5980 it is a robust and flexible watch that does what it is advertized to do--a keeper. Cheers and live well!

1. How hard is it to read when the minute hand covers the Chrono?

2. Also where does it scratch easily?

3. Just a comment. When I have a watch with a busy dial, I dont like Second hands, especially on a Chronograph. The watches are busy, so let the dial look peaceful without a second hand like the 3940/5140. On a chrono, you can time anything you want anyway.

4. I like your comment about the solid back. Even including both could be cool.

Well I may just not be able to resist walking into the Patek Boutique and getting it on my B-day, although I really shouldn't. Having a Roger Smith and a Repeater on the way, makes this one expensive beater/ daily wearer.

Hi JASNY, just now responding since took yesterday off from Internet to celebrate Decoration Day.

1. When minute or hour hand is between 22 to 38 after sometimes chrono timing can be difficult to read since hand may block counters but not the entire period. I use chrono for client consulting and time in casino but for practical purposes I'm able to make a good estimate when temporarily blocked.

2. I have several scratches on top of bezel but I suspect most are due to my carelessness. Bracelet has bruises on several links when I forgot to remove watch while unpacking and moving a heavy sculpture.

3. I agree with your comment about timing events whatever you want and I repeat that the wings provide nice ergonomics when pressing the pushers.

4. I previously owned 5165 but no dato, but I much prefer the look of this Nautilus to Aquanaut and inclusion of complication is great because I would be less bothered by case wear due to regular use of 5980 as opposed to care that I would want to afford a dato.

Regardless of your choice, or if you decide to acquire several watches for celebration, enjoy your 50th.

I like about the Aquanaut is it is understated, and rubber bands are as comfortable and maintenance free as it gets. It is pretty hard to bang up rubber, and pretty cheap to replace. For a chrono of that level, legibility should not be compromised IMHO. But then again the dato only goes to 30min and has a nice movement. I guess that is why so many people have multiple watches. Thanks for your help, Jay

Buy an even more expensive watch firstt, then you will feel far less guilty when you buy the 5980.

In May 2008 I brought this 5980 and I promised not to buy any watches for at least 2 years.

 

Mt wrist is less than 16cm. It still wears comfortably.

(But...later, I changed my promise to "not to buy any watches more expensive than 5980 for at least 2 years" )

 

himself a self imposed limit. God knows how big his collection is now. I wish I could resist, but not sure that is going to happen. Thanks for the pic though.

We are all insane and addicted.

with this piece after seeing it on a gent's wrist last summer at a kids store in Malibu California. It was a European (Italian) gent wearing it.  Very nice watch.  You will love it.  Very little downside IMO 

I looked lustfully at the 5980 and had a couple of pics on my desktop. then I saw a Lange Datograph and looked through the display back and was cured! I just stopped lusting after the 5980 on the spot. If only other cures were that cheap ;-)

you only live once....buy two

is to bang your head very very hard on the corner of a wooden table.

Sorry to be gruesome! But it really is the only solution.

still be able to see patients Wednesday morning?

Ack. can't think of one!

Jay,

If you will only use the chrono. occasionally, the watch is fine and beautifully made.  If you will depend on it many times a day for billable hours, this is not the watch for you, as the chrono hours and minutes are too often unreadable.  Sadly, Patek has never made any chrono. that is well-designed for this purpose.

I had a similar desire to own this watch, but gave it up because of the unreadability of the chrono.  AP and VC make more profession-friendly chronos.

Park

 

 

not to mention save me some money, lol. Maybe Patek should have had the dials turn and not the hands. Who knows.

Jay,

Earlier in the thread you mention timing patient visits.  Psychiatry or any branch of forensic medicine requires a 6-, 10-, or 12-hour totalizer for tasks ranging over 30 or 60 minutes, for which the worthy candidates are AP Royal Oak Chrono., Royal Oak Offshore, or VC Overseas.  Any other specialty can probably use PP 5070, A. Lange Datograph, VC Malte Chrono, or AP Jules Audemar chrono.  These choices are all great, but I can tell you after owning about 50 chronographs that just about anything else is a waste of money if you care about quality.

Park

The 5167 will give me water and vacations, The Dato gives me big date and the 30 min flyback I need. I will mostly use the Chrono to time drug onset times, so I do not have to refer to the record and then back to my watch. Thank You for everyones help. As usual if you go for too much it gets harder and harder to read. I want something legible for sure. Thanks again for all the comments.

but I know the Patek disease has little to do with practicality! Though we may try to convince ourselves.

I would like to thank all the contributors for an excellent thread.

Walter, I love your Aston Martin photo.