Patek Philippe

I am about to purchase my first real fine timepiece, thanks to my father who is going to gift me with a "head start" for my future collection and allows me to choose whichever brand I desire. I am young and in my early 20's, but still I appreciate true classics. correct me if I am wrong, after doing my research and looking through forums, personally i find myself choosing Patek Philippe will not go wrong but would like your opinions on this matter, as i am deciding between brands. I love the calatrava series, and prefer this timepiece i purchase would be a dress watch, leather strap and size from 36 - 40 mm.

I have chosen the following models, and would love to have your opinions on them or even better if you could kindly suggest any other choices.

5119G OR 5119J
5153G
5196P
5296R
a few other brand choices:
Lange 1 moonphase
Richard Lange
Lange 1815
breguet 5177
breguet 7337

And if there is any member in London, where is the best place for me to purchase my timepiece, and chances of asking for a discount?

Thank you for your time
Yuchen

It's always a difficult choices as there are so many different types of watches out there!

You do like classics but I think for your age it's better to start with slightly younger looking watches than, say a 5119.

Out of the Patek's you've chosen, the 5296 looks IMO most suited to your age, if it's a simple (ie, without complications) watch you're looking for.

Are you going to be wearing the watch all the time? What other watches do you have? These will also affect your choice.

In terms of Lange, the Richard Lange or 1815 are are nice options for you - classic looking, but have a bigger diameter that'll suit your younger outfits.

The Breguets might be a little too dressy IMO, especially for someone in their early 20s.

As for other models, an FP Journe Chronometer Souverain would be my suggestion, but since you're starting, you won't go wrong with having a main manufacture like Patek/Lange in the bag first.

Good luck!

thx alot!, finally i got time to reply to all your post. i wanted to be a watch i can wear when the right time comes, work or formal occasions, i ve tried on 5119 already, and surprisingly it suits me rather well, and i wont get the feeling that is too old for me. love the 5296r is well, but havnt seen the real watch just yet. as for breguet and F.P journe, i probably will save them for the future.
but still, many thanks for your time and advice, i will certainly go out to try them on again and make the decision which will suits me best, it is defiantly a hard thing as there are so many choices out there, i think i will eventually balance myself between patek or lange!

Take your time, go to the AD many times, try them on your wrist, go and read here and there about these models.

Enjoy taking your time, then you will know, as nobody can choose for you.

Best,

Nicolas;

Really important to take your time and be sure, before your purchase.

Happy Collecting,

--

Richard.

Candy for the eyes!

Best,

Nicolas.

Thanks alot for this pic, as i have not yet get the chance of trying on a actual Lange1MP , but this defiantly look stunning on your wrist!

But I think the important point is to try them out. what suits your wristsize and personality, might not suit mine. I think a pricipal decision for you to consider, is if you want an automatic or a manual winding. I assume, since this is your first, and you are quite young that it should be an all round watch that you can wear for many occasions/daily? Perhaps an automatic/date is nicer for a daily watch?
The brand is no guarentee of a great watch. Eg the patek 5296 is a superb simple automatic - it doesnt get much nicer than that! you get the whole package with a super movement, case, dial and finish. where as their manual 5196 is a nice looking case/dial/finish, but not a very interesting movement.Not to say that they are bad quality. But very small and the construction is perhaps a bit outdated compared to the contenders you propose. The lange watches are good quality, but I have yet to see a Lange watch that I like in real life. I think they look best in pictures but they leave me absolutely cold when I try them on. Again they are manual wind watches, which i like now, but it took me some years to get to that point. The breguet watches are nice watches, but I know less about them since they never captured my interest.

good luck in your search - take a long time to make a choice and enjoy the process - Youre a lucky guy

Christian

my choices.

but in what situation will you be wearing your watch?  a corporate setting, a less formal setting?  what watch or watches do yiu have now?

whatever the case, as nico said, take your time, strap the pieces on your wrist, and enjoy the time researching...

J

1) The watch stops: can happen to anhy mechanical watch, regardless the price paid for it.

Here the advice would be not to choose a too complicated one as the more parts the watch has got the more likely a malfunction can occur.

2) Being tired of the design:

here the advice is to buy ONLY the watch that moves you most, that looks unique next to any other.

 

Richard's Lange 1 moonphase, in any metal, would be a perfect choice if you feel about it as in 2) and

do not worry about 1).

 

BUT, if it should be a classic, elegant, discreet and very formal simple dress watch:

the 5119 in J can only be beaten by it's brother, the 5120 as an auto version.

These are PP best offerings and the benchmark in design and execution as a formal dresswatch!

 

But most of all: the watch must create a certain mood in you, have an "impact" on you wearing it.

 

Regards

 

Moritz

 

You'll have plenty of time to wear dressy watches. 

I'd say pick up a Nautilus or a Aquanat.  The new 5726 is awesome.  5711, 5712 - all great. 

I'd think you were wearing your grandpa's watch if I saw a 20 year old wearing a Hobnail Bezel calatrava.   Unless it speaks volumes about the kind of person you are, I'd wait on that watch. 

Also - at 20 something you are going to be dealing with the ladies.  I'd choose something more age appropriate and stylish with the inherent classicism that is Patek or Journe or Lange. 

Journe CS or CB is a great recomendation

Journe Octa RDM is another fine choice as is the Octa Automatic

Lange -kinda staid, but if you must - dont go for the regular Lange 1 - Get a Lange 1 moonphae.  Anyone who tells you the lumonious material isnt nice - they are wrong I love this watch and think its one of the most beautiful designs period. 

Patek - I dig the aquanat on a bracelet.  Dressy or sporty and its a patek.  For a 20 year old dude - this is a pretty nifty timepiece that will stand the test of time.  People in the internet might not like the aquanat becasue of one reason or another - but, if you break it down, its a Patek daily wear timepiece.  Strap or Bracelet - great options!

I'd also urge you to look at the AP Royal Oak 15300 - I just think the design is more youthful than a calatrava. 

You could do an AP 15300 and a Panerai which, if I were 20 something would have made me the happiest guy in the world! 

Good Luck and welcome!

Best,

asg

The nautilus and aquanat, how should i put it, i tried on 5712, 5711 and even 5980, love the design but i kind of feel them slightly overpriced and the aquanat is just not my cup of tea, i am also looking for a sports watch or a good daily beater along with a nice dress watch, have set my target on a rolex submariner ( 3 month waiting list) or a daytona ( 2years waiting list!!2years??!!). as for the suggestion of AP, i will certainly keep that in mind when i go out and try them on. but do let me thank you for your time to reply me, and some really good personal view and suggestion that give me alot more choices to look at!

Perhaps you should consider something more age appropiate like the Nautilus or Aquanaut, as you will appreciate something that will probably withstand the beating a little bit better, and will always be suitable to wear while having fun at the pool, bar hopping late at night, or at a formal evening.

To put it in a few words, consider a watch that will not get in your way of enjoying the many pleasantries the early 20's have to offer.

Just my advice, and spoken from my recent experience.

Congratulations on your purchase, and do please let us know what you decide.

All the best,

Alex

 

This message has been edited by AlexSunrise on 2011-05-26 11:19:25

I have a 5196 P & love it. Next on your list, I would opt for simple Lange. I personally prefer a small secs rather than a centre second hand.

I also think that one should not be too concerned about the "young person" image. I am currently wearing a Favre Leuba Sea King which I got at the age of 10. Another frequently worn watch is a Rolex Precision, my fathers’ watch. Both are hand wound simple classic designs, & worked for me when I was young & now (age 51). In fact a large part of their allure is the fact that they’ve been around with me for so many decades. Gives them a very distinct individuality. Even my new 5196 can’t match that.

 fnk

 

thanks for your opinion! would it be possible to trouble you for a 5196p wrist shot? at the moment i havnt got the chance to actually try on a 5196p, and would love to see it! but thank you again for your comment!

Hi Yuchen,

 

I’m not too good at pics. Nico had taken a set of completely stunning pics of the 5196P some time back, (? about a year. I think) & put in on the forum. I saw details in those pics which I hadn’t noticed on my own watch till then. Especially the way the light contrast changes the two tone dial. I’m sure they can be traced from the earlier archives of the forum.

 

And I repeat. Don’t worry about the adult vs young thing. A classic piece will remain timeless  a quarter of a  half century from now, while a more contemporary piece ( eg UN freak) may either became a design classic or become an anachronism.  

 

fnk

 

Automatic or Handwind watch?

If you look for an automatic one, Patek offer is interesting.

If you look for an handwind one, I find it quite weak and the competition like Lange proposes good alternatives IMHO.

Why do I think about this?

Because I'm still very disappointed to see year after year the 215 in the Patek watches: even with a 36mm watch, I find it too small for the case. It is obviously an excellent caliber btw but... a watch has to be considered as a whole.

So if you wish to stay within the Patek world, I much prefer the 5296 to the 5196 which has a solid caseback to hide the small size of the caliber.

Fx

As a beginner in the watch world, can i trouble you to tell me more about the 215 caliber? i have heard a lot from others on the problem that the 215 caliber is too small for the watch, but i dont really know what is the real disadvantage of it, sorry for the questions like this, but really hope i can be explained on this matter. Thanks foversta

It is reliable, accurate.

The trouble when you use a caliber too small for the case is the unbalanced lay-out of the dial. The small second sector seems to be too close to the center of the dial.

Of course, the designers work to to compensate for this trouble and many times, they manage to do it.

It looks ok in the 5119 (36mm watch), things are a bit more difficult in the 5196 (37mm).

So it is up to you, this story is after all only a matter of taste...

Fx

Hi Yuchen,

In your list my picks would be:

5119G OR 5119J: very nice but for older people certainly
5153G:  my choice for an automatic watch, for sure, and one of the most appealing simple PPs currently IMHO.
5196P: beautiful but I prefer the Richard Lange
5296R: get the 5196P

Lange 1 moonphase: a great watch but no longer a simple watch
Richard Lange: my favourite with the 5153G
Lange 1815: why don't get the Richard Lange?

So my choice is between the RL and the 5153G. Do you want a PP above all or not? Do you go hand wind or auto?

Cheers

Dje

of those the Richard Lange would be my choice or the Lange 1 MP, depending on your wrist size (the RL is quite a bit bigger). The Journe Chronometre Souverain or Chronometre Bleu would also merit a look. Each of those does not only have a great dial but also a really nice movement. Enjoy choosing

Best

Andreas

Speaking from a 26 years old point of view, I definitely would recommed you get the Nautilus series or the 5960. I know the size is bigger than what you are looking for but it has a much more modern look and much more suited for someone in their 20's.

I own a 5711 and 5980 and would definitely recommend you to get the 5711 or 5712 if you are looking to get a thin dress watch. Trust me you won't regret it.