Patek Philippe

OK, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I am definitely smitten.

I have posted before about my trading a 5070P in toward a 5970P.  My primary reason was that the 5070, in spite of its gorgeous blue dial, just never looked right to me with its oversized case and "rings of Saturn" bezel (I realize I am in a very tiny minority, if not alone, here!).  Further, I find myself really drawn to the new 5170 and hope to add that some day as a simple-chrono Patek.  I chose the platinum version of the 5970 primarily because I thought that such a regal watch was most appropriately cased in this metal.

I received the 5970P and really did like it, however I kept having my head turned by pictures of the 5970J as I ran across them.  Almost as if by providence, I came upon an opportunity to buy one at what I believed to be a great price.  The J came to me sealed, and I admired it through the plastic as I fretted over deciding between the two or keeping both.  After some time, I knew I was just not going to be comfortable owning two 5970s (although Miles is so tempting with his R & P!).  While my head told me to keep the platinum, my heart was irresistably drawn to its little sister in yellow gold.  I have no other watches in YG (all rose, white and platinum) but for some reason, this one captivated me.

Finally, I was recently able to sell the 5970P and let the golden maiden free from her plastic bonds.....

 

While I feel somewhat embarrased at the indirect route it took to get here, I am ecstatic with this watch!  I am looking forward to a long and happy courtship with this classic beauty.

Thanks for listening,

Steve 

,

She is a real beauty.

I have always admired the 5970 in all metals, but until quite recently, my favourite has always been the platinum piece.

However, after speaking with an owner of a 5970P, who stated that he found it very difficult to read the various dials & apertures. 

I wondered what your views are, having now had first hand experience of both?

It seems to me that all the Y,R & G have the same silvery opaline dial?  

I did have an issue with the legibility of the 5970P in certain light conditions.  It gave me pause to think of having that kind of money into a watch I couldn't read in low light, plus it was a not-so-nice reminder that I turned fifty this year!    The black dial is stunning however, so I could have gotten past that issue, but the J is much more readable (to my old eyes anyway).

Steve

 

 

captivated by this piece in YG. It is IMO probably the perfect choice of metal for this watch,giving it warmth and an old world charm.The white metal pieces are more favoured in general due to the current trend and is more contemporary but for it to be a classic,this would be my pick too.

Well done & congrats!

fernando

... I think you did good. 1st because you've listen to your heart, that's admirable when you see so many people consider other parameter like how it holds value, etc...
2nd, it ofther proves to be the right choice. Every time i've tried to reason into the matters of the heart, i've went the wrong way!

Wear it in good health, and by the way, your pics really catches the warmth and vintage feel of the gold

At least you tried ( and even more, as you owned them ) all these fantastic pieces, so you could make a judgement on them, and not only a superficial statement on a watch you only saw in pictures.

Who here can say that he never made a mistake?

As you said, you were on the one which pleased you the most, and you nicely explained it.

Nothing wrong.  A great lesson!

Happy for you.

Best,

Nicolas.

... but I am quite a novice in the watch world.

All 4 watches that I purchased I do still own and I hope to be in the financial situation also in the future not to sell

any of them for the sake of buying the next one.

 

We will see ...

 

Regards

Moritz

I appreciate the validation - especially coming fom a guy with such a great collection himself!  I got very lucky and didn't really lose money in all this trading, but the oft-repeated advice on this forum proved true:

"Go with what you love and you won't go wrong."

I do think there is an inherent difficulty in that, at least in my case, one has to live with a watch for a little while to know if it's infatuation or true love. For that I am grateful that there are buyers and sellers and many differing tastes!

Steve

Very interesting story about your 5970 acquisitions! Enjoy the 5970 and it's magnificent functions!

Very nice post about the controversy of deciding with the heart or brain!

Many thanks for that inside.

I would like to congratulate you on your choice as I believe the 5970 looks best in YG, followed by RG.

The P one is not really well legible, but that is also o.k. as one will stop for a while to enjoy the whole watch and not just to see what the time is in the first place.

Any PP, any watch of this caliber is a piece of jewellery in the first place for me and therefore it has to be in YG!

 

A very, very nice choise!

 

Regards

Moritz

Enjoy your courtship!

Stephen

glad that you tried and found one that really sings to you and nice to see it out of the plastic.

It looks awesome on your wrist.

Thanks for sharing,

Goh

congrats steve

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combination better than that of the platinum. 

Even though the platinum versions of everything Patek are supposedly rarer and more collectible, it doesn't mean that you have to like them better.

in one sentence what I grinded on for weeks, Whit!  I like the 5970P a lot, but I think I pressured myself to prefer it over the J just because that is the conventional wisdom.  When it came down to it, I liked the P but love the J.

I'm slowly learning by listening to all you wise Purists!

Steve

Hi Steve,

Admire not only your watch but the decision you had made.It's very difficult to make such a stern decision between the two.....as you know many collectors in this case are unable to come to an conclusion...between facts and passion.Admire your passion by listening to your heart.Congrats.

Cheers....

BHK9

when making a decision on such a large investment.  You did right to listen to your heart instead of all the hype about the "hot watch" of the day.  Congrats on a beautiful PP, and enjoy wearing it in good health.

Cheers,  Frederick

 

I think if you feel like this you have made the right choice....................I had the same dilemma with my head saying I needed to sell one of my 5970's but I fell deeply in love with my 5970Rg from first sight and then just had to have a 5970p.........I have tried but failed to decide between the two..........
The 5970j is a beautiful watch indeed......I hope you enjoy this masterpiece for many many years to come........
Your camera work is fantastic also.........
Kindest
Miles.

and your 5070 and 5970 pictures have haunted my dreams.  I don't think I'll ever swim in my 5970 though, I get nervous enough with the Nautilus. 

Thanks for the kind words,

Steve

many many congratulations

Best Imran

to keep the 5970J.... due to its rarity

for your kind words and well-wishes.  It's nice to be able to share a story like this with people who "get it"!

Best to all,

Steve

a very attractive PP! What a dilemma to have--happy to hear you resolved it!

J

I am now entertaining the idea of selling my 5070p and using the proceeds to buy a 5970J. The yellow gold looks spectacular in your pic.

YG case is perfect for this timeless watch...

Fr.Xavier

That is my husband's  Patek Philippe 1578GM

yes, recently i've been drawn to yg as well... currently all my watches are platinum or white gold or steel...

but the 5970j is classic. very nice choice and as you know the j was produced for the least amount of time (but of course no one really knows how many).