My new Patek Philippe Complications Watch and my journey

[Primus]

Hi I recently purchased a Patek Philippe Complications 5146R (rose gold) and I would like to share with you some information and impression of this watch. I just want to say that I have absolutely no expert knowledge of this brand or watches in generally. I’m just a guy who fell in love with this brand and done a bit of research and when I bought the watch, I realised I have all this information I wished I had before I bought it, so I thought I just quickly jot down everything I discovered in my short journey to purchasing my humble watch. Hope you guys don’t mind my amateurish description. And once again I am a newbie in watch ownership and operations, so please excuse my inaccuracies if you so find any.  I also want to apologize for the quality of the photos as I have no idea how to operate a camera (and this is a DSLR!) and all the funny dials and buttons. Below i will give a quick review impression and some historical facts and rumours (some quite incredulous!) that i dug up on Patek Philippe during my journey. (special thanks to dpkong and other members who helpfully answered some of my newbie questions during the last months). My PP journey is finally complete.


After a very pleasant experience in the boutique and a very very burning hot credit card, i returned home with a very heavy brown bag.




Outer packing of my new watch




The beautiful solid wood box that comes with the watch




The watch and The full leather folder that contains the certificate of origin, manual, moon phase instruction, etc.


And, finally... the close up and wrist shots






Ladies and Gentleman, I present you, the Patek Philippe Complicatoins 5146R

This beautiful 5146R comes in Rose Gold with an elegant cream-coloured dial, which I find both classic and rich. The cream colored dial was one of the main reason for me choosing this particular model as I find it very pleasing on the eye, almost soothing.  On the dial, there is a combination of both gold batons and Arabic numeral markers.

Positioned below the “12” is a power reserve indicator with “+” indicating full power reserve and “-“ indicating low or zero power reserve. On the left and right of the “3” and “9”, respectively” is a Month and Day indicator. Right where the “6” should be, there is a date indicator and on top of that the Moon Phase indicator. The moon phase indicator disc, decorate with golden stars and two golden moons, is cut from a wafer of sapphire. The gold for the moons and stars is condensed on the disc by means of a vacuum process.





Adjustment of the complications is done via four small buttons on the four corners of the watch using a beautiful tool that comes with the watch as seen above. Each one of the four buttons controls the day, month, date and moon phase adjustment.




On the back of the case, we find the Patek Philippe Caliber 324 S IRM QA LU, with 355 parts with 36 jewels, beautifully decorated top by a Sapphire crystal back case. We can also see the unidirectional central winding rotor, made out of 21 karat gold and very excitingly to me, we can see our first sign of Patek Philippe’s famous Calatrava cross emblem. Absolutely beautiful.  We also see the Patek Philippe “PP” Seal, which since 2009, was a decision by the company to replace the Geneva Seal. What’s the difference?

I’ll let Patek Philippe say it for themselves:

“How and why, does the Patek Philippe Seal differ from the Geneva Seal? Firstly, the Patek Philippe Seal encompasses the entire watch that is being delivered to the customer as whole, not fractional pieces of the finished product. Of course all watches will continue to respect the exact standards of fit and finish that have always existed at Patek Philippe such as to meet a timing rate of -3/+2 seconds per day for watches with mechanical movements of more than 20 mm in diameter. This timing test is administered on the finished/complete watch in a dynamic manner that more accurately resembles real wearing conditions as compared to the current industry standard (COSC) that is carried out in static positions for the movement only. The reasoning here is simple, a customer purchases a watch, not only a movement, and expects his/her watch to keep accurate time. It is a well known fact that once a movement is fit into its case the overall accuracy will inevitably change, so guaranteeing the finished product accuracy is very important. The purpose of the Patek Philippe Seal was to create a new, world recognized benchmark for Patek Philippe watches that would incorporate all of the standards that have always made a Patek Philippe watch special. This decision was not made in an egotistical manner but rather was aimed at formalizing and communicating what stands behind the Patek Philippe quality, internally and outside the company, and to bring a stronger guarantee of excellence to their customers. The directives of the Patek Philippe Seal are very strict, stronger than any other benchmark from any other watch company and most importantly envelop the watch in its entirety. And so after more than 120 years, Patek Philippe has started to replace the long standing Geneva Seal with the Patek Philippe Seal beginning in mid 2009. This change over will take approximately 2 years to complete and like the Geneva Seal will only apply to mechanical watches.” (extracted from www.patek.com)

Sorry I did not take a picture of the crown but I’m glad to say the beautiful famous Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Cross is once again displayed on the crown in all its full rose gold glory.



The watch’s case diameter is 39mm and as a testament to the craft and skill of the makers, the watch is also very very thin. After wearing some big and heavy chronograph watches before this, I must say that wearing this watch is a big difference and quite jarring at first to my hand’s sense of weight. However this is not a bad thing and I’m sure in time I will get used to this.
(Any fans of the Friends sitcom can share abit of laughter with me with regards to the episode when Joey gave Chandler a heavy gold bracelet as a present and Chandler made a joke on how that affected his sex life, pure comedy gold (pun intended!) Anyway i digress). I feel this is purely a dress watch and for a dress watch sometimes I feel not exceeding 39mm or 40mm may be just right. Along with the cream colored dial and rose gold finish aiming for the classic look, I feel the size hits the nail on the head.





Another reason why I chose this model was because it came with the Calatrava Cross buckle. I simply adore the Calatrava cross, and while all models of Patek Philippe has the cross somewhere in the watch, the buckle for me was love at first sight. Made out of the same material as the case, rose gold the buckle is absolutely beautiful and in my personal opinion signifies the rich history of Patek Philippe. (Please see significance of Calatrava Cross to Patek Philippe in my brief research below)


I absolutely love the 5146, and I feel it’s the perfect dress watch. It’s suitable for a daily watch and yet suitable also when you only want to bring it somewhere special. Certain users may not get used to the watch at first, especially if they’re used to bigger case and sporty looks, but this watch just yells elegance and class. My collection is meager and small, almost non-existent but I know this watch will hold a special place in my heart for many a years and true to Patek Philippe’s motto, I don’t feel I own this watch entirely, I’m merely looking after it for my generations to come.

[Primus]

PART 2 of my brief review - My experience in buying my Patek:

Quote from Patek Philippe: “Ask the owner of a Patek Philippe to talk to you about their watch and you will hear a story of passion, love and tenderness. A Patek Philippe is far more than a means of telling the time; it is a unique, personal object steeped in precious memories. The purchase of a Patek Philippe is often related to a personal event - a professional success, a marriage or the birth of a child - and offering it as a gift is the most eloquent expression of love or affection.”

I just want to share with you guys some of my experiences in purchasing this watch as I found little information while browsing around. For experts and seasoned watch purchasers please ignore this as I’m merely trying to share with new watch purchasers some of my findings during my journey to this grail of a watch.

What I found generally it is not easy to find your particular model and outfit / type openly. As in I couldn’t walk into any store with the hope that the model would be there. Especially so that there are so little authorised dealers in Malaysia. My experience was when I went to Taiwan and went to the authorised dealer there,  they basically don’t have my watch there and politely informed me that if I ordered I would have to wait 6 or more months before they might get that particular model and type. In Taiwan the sales person also informed me that they already have increased the price twice for this year (2012).

My friend in Hong Kong helped asked for me and they also informed him that this model I’m looking for was not there but most probably will arrive when they get allocated the next stock which should be one to two month’s time, but they are not sure if my model will be allocated to them. My friend informed me that the sales person told him Patek Philippe watches has increased price three times already in 2012.

When calling all the authorised dealers in Singapore, they mentioned to me also that there is no stock for this model and the only one was on hold.
I was therefore very pleasantly surprise after calling all the ADs in Malaysia when one sales person called me back and informed me that she has the particular model and type I was looking for. I instantly booked it and set off to purchase it.

In my opinion the fact that the watch is not readily available and some hunting is required makes my whole watch purchase experience more pleasant and more special. I’m sure other high end brands will be the same. I guess this what these brands want when they limit their production, another form of exclusive marketing. In a recent interview with the presitdent of Patek Philippe (4th generation owner), he mentioned that Patek Philippe only produces between 30,000 to 40,000 watches per year for the world. If you divide that by the models (maybe 200?) they have and the number of countries you think will stock these watches, you will find the number shockingly low.

Quote from Patek Philippe company:  “Patek Philippe has always conceived its watches as exclusive creations. Over 200 models are in regular production, produced in small series of between ten and several hundred watches and fitted with a vast array of in-house movements. From design to mechanism, they earn their special place in the hearts of enthusiasts the world over.”

My advice is when you search for your true love Patek watch, don’t wait till you want to pull the trigger then search for your watch. I suggest you go hunting beforehand or you might have to experience pain while you wait few months for your watch to surface.

The price of the watch also increase substantially every year. In Malaysia alone, this year, I was told that the average price increase was 10%. If you think about the 6 figure value of the watch, a 10% raise is a 5 figure increase in price. True to word if you check the retail price in USD for the 5146 towards the end of 2010, it was retailing at USD32k++, right now it is retailing at USD44k++

And sadly to say, the price in USD does not exactly translate to Asian countries. I found that in Europe or America, the prices are slightly cheaper. If you do a direct translation, please feel free to add insert a higher exchange rate to get the Asian price range, so as not to be dissapointed.

Please purchase only from the boutiques or branches listed in the official Patek Philippe website. For e.g. if they state [AD name removed - Forum Mod]or [AD name removed - Forum Mod] or Patek Philippe boutique [AD name removed - Forum Mod], then you can only purchase from there. Another branch of hour glass or [AD name removed - Forum Mod] would not carry the watch or I feel would not be the authorised dealer.

Having said that, I’m glad to say that [AD name removed - Forum Mod] have opened an official Patek Philippe Boutique at KLCC ground floor, dedicated solely to Patek Philippe watches, opened just this year. About time!  We can’t lose out to our neighbours in Singapore!    Offcourse feel free to purchase from any of the listed authorised dealers. All the same.
 
Please be aware of exchange rates between countries when deciding to buy in South East Asia. Generally it is cheaper in a country that is an island (hint hint) but with the high exchange rate at 2.5 right now, it is quite simliar. Offcourse with Patek Philippe, in my experience it is not a matter of going around and comparing price, it is whether you can find the watch in the first place! So find it and buy it! Don’t shop too much or it’ll be gone. I know a business partner of mine whom is on a waiting list for 7 months already.

A AD also told me, as you purchase more Patek watches, the higher chance it is that you will get the more rare and expensive models in the future whilst waiting in the waiting list, this is as they record your ownership in their database. I find this bit of information both shocking and wonderful at the same time. Even if you had the money for the RM1 million over watch you might not be able to get it! You have to show your loyalty first  It just adds to the prestige of the brand's overall image.

You can get the retail price of all Patek watches in America for 2012 here:
http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=235776 (although keep in mind the price does increase often for these watches).

If you guys want to know the discounts I enquired you can feel free to PM me and I can try to answer you but generally its not much, and as you get more expensive the less discount there is.

[Primus]

Part 3 - My Calatrava Cross Love:

Sorry for the three post thread! Last one i promise

And now, the reason for my love of the Calatrava Cross and Patek Philippe in general. If you want pure facts and only facts please don't read any further. The following is what I’ve gathered from a few excellent websites and nothing is done by my own research, I merely wrote a simple conclusion. These are neither confirmations nor facts but simply what people are saying in other forums, websites or hear-say. Please do not attack me for any inaccurate accounts, I’m merely sharing what I read. If you're curious like me, join me down the rabbit hole.

While researching on my watch, I was very intrigued by the Calatrava cross and its implied meaning and why Patek Philippe chose to use this historical symbol on their watches. This was not easy to find out as the information is not readily provided by the company but after some research this is just a little of what I found out from a few websites. Another note, the below are just rumours and stories told about the brand and is no way being certified by me as 100% accurate.

The Calatrava Cross is not a company symbol or a marketing symbol created for or by Patek Philippe. Infact it has deep historical meaning and the cross was only adopted by Mr. Antoni Patek for his company. Sometime back around 1850, Mr. Patek told Mr. Adien Philippe that he wanted to adopt the Calatrava Cross as their company’s Coat of Arms. Mr. Antoni Patek, as it turns out is a very superstitious man and famously said “I’d rather be lucky then talented any day”. He adopted the Calatrava cross as he thought it would not only bring their company luck, but protect them and bring them success they desired, which was to create the greatest watch company in the world.

This intrigued me greatly and I’m curious, not only do these watches have great value and quality in making of the watch but apparently it has some form of spiritual implications as well. The watch you’re wearing has a symbol that has deeper meaning than what it seems in the surface.  Why did Mr. Patek feel that this cross will bring them luck? What is the symbolic meaning of the Calatrava Cross?

(Again this information is not readily available online however, I did call a friend who is a history buff, and back when I was studying high school with him under the british system, which teaches all this wonderful periods of history in relation to the crusades he kinda got addicted to the wonderful mysterious facts and stories of the past. Anyway, he told me that to get further details of the Calatrava cross, a trip to the libraries would be needed as not many people are interested in these kind of information these days. Perhaps one day I will make that trip as my curiosity is very much triggered by what little I have read so far)

To keep things brief, towards the end of the First Crusade (around year 1118) the Knights Templers were officially formed to protect pilgrims from bandits to and from Jerusalem. The organization grew to a organized powerful group throughout the years, even being officially sanctioned by the Church.  In 1147, the King of Castile, had taken a castle from the Moors (medieval muslims from northwest Africa), the castle was named, Calatrava (in Arabic: Qal'at Rabah: 'fortress of Rabah'). The King asked the Knights Templers to assist in helping defend the castle against the Moors from retaking it. When it was discovered that they couldn’t hold the castle with just the Knights Templers, they found a simple monk who is a retired knight, who then offered his help in training other brother monks (who were also shepherds) in warfare to defend Calatrava. The group was officially recognized by Pope Alexander III in 1164 and In 1187, Pope Gregory VIII, officialy sanctioned this group of war fighting monks and took the name of the castle (Calatrava) and placed it on four fluer-de-lis like anchors that is united in the center thus creating the Order of the Calatrava. (I believe at that time, to be the second only group officially sanctioned by the church, after the knights templers)




According to some historian stories, in the battle when defending against the Moors, The pope  told the monks and templers that the Calatrava Cross will bring them victory in battle even though they were outnumbered. History showed that they won the battle (the castle was eventually retaken by the Moors however and then retaken again by the order). The order than move on to become very rich and powerful owning many lands and by the 15th century, they had 200,000 members, operating under different illustrious grand masters.

Crazy Stories I've come across (may or may not be true!):

After Antoni Patek passed away, it is rumoured that he left behind a journal, and in that journal was his explanation of the power of the Calatrava Cross. Supposedly, its origin dates back to 2560 B.C., and over the millennia its secret came into the hands of the Pope and then passed on from one Pope to the next. Patek apparently believed that if he harnessed the power of the Four Triads (Calatrava Cross) he would find success in life, and immortality for his soul.

The four traids are:

1)   The Traid of Time
2)   The Traid of Life
3)   The Traid of Awareness
4)   The Traid of Creation

Some pictures of Heirloom coins with the Calatrava logos on it:

 

Further deals of these symbols or their meaning or spiritual meaning can be found at this website http://www.diamondcuttersintl.com/the-secret-of-the-four-triads/
(I can’t stress enough, all this information is just for pleasure reading and I’m not saying I believe in it nor saying that these are accurate. I’m merely sharing some interesting articles I found online. The dates and historical facts have not been verified and checked by me yet and I merely again took them from online sources I’ve come across, I’m sure some of the dates are inaccurate)

The Calatrava cross has since been adopted by some of the most powerful Christian families in history. At this point of my reading, I wondered to myself if our wealthy Muslim friends around the world who owned many Patek Philippe watches, know that every time to put on a PP watch, they are wearing a powerful Christian cross around with them.  However, at today’s age I’m sure we can take the cross for its meaning as a brand and not for its religious pasts or implications.

I, however, fell in love instantly when finding out all this, as suddenly the watch I bought is not only a piece of art but has deep historical symbols and meaning to it. I have subsequently read up on quite a number of people relating wearing a Patek to having success in life and wealth. There are even stories dating back years where people claimed that their business are suffering or feeling unwell generally and after wearing the Calatrava Cross (via a Patek watch offcourse), their general wealth and health took a better turn. Off course it could also mean only successful or wealthy people owned these watches in the first place lol. Quite a catch 22!  I personally find it quite novel, while i don't necessarily subscribe to the above beliefs, isn’t this a fun information to know! haha How exciting.

But its these little details that makes me fall in love with this brand and watch even more, whether you may be liken wearing a PP watch as wearing a little bit of luck or charm with you or It’s a little piece of history you can wear on your arm everyday or the mystery that comes with the watch or simply admire its design and craftsmanship or the fact that in todays commercial world, the brand is still owned by a family owned business where the father (owner) still passes down his Patek Philippe to his son when they turn 20. I believe its a combination of everything

And that to me, ladies and gentlemen, is why i feel Patek Philippe is a brand and watch worth buying. Thank you for reading.

(The family that owns Patek passes down their watch to each generation when they turn 20, claiming their own sons don't deserve the Patek before that age, which i think fits beautifully with their motto of passing down generations. Although i feel 20 is a tad too young for a Patek, maybe 25 to 30 would have been better  )


Anyway I won’t bore you guys anymore but here are some other pictures of the other models I seriously considered before making my mind on the 5146 (some taken in Taiwan) to feast the eyes on. Thank you once again for reading and as this is my first watch review ever! Please go easy on me, no flaming or personal attack. I, offcourse, welcome constructive criticism.






I had a bit of an internal struggle in choosing the 5146R or the 5396R seen below:



But after a long consideration and seeing both in action on my wrist, i decided on the 5146R. While the 5396 looks more clean i believe the 5146 has a more classic image, especially with the cream dial. But i think you can't go wrong with either. Its a very close call.


Beautiful ladies PP watch:

[rusminag]

Cool... Hope to get my Nautilus in near future...

[hanz079]

Wow... a very detailed post there.
Thanks for sharing.
I learn alot by your one post than surfing aimlessly for info. 

[Godzillaz]

Congratulation on one of the "value" PP 

Regard
Tyler

[takashi78]

Congrats on a beautiful watch.
One of the evergreen Pateks i would say.

So do you have it on winder when you rotate with your other watches?

[tonykpk]

Congrats on your new elegant complete calender PP. regards tony..

[jacky8888]

Congrats on your beautiful PP.....
very thorough explanation on the history of Calatrava....
Learned something today....

cheers and wear it well....

[David_cheong]

A beautiful good read......its really warm up to read such a post.

Thanks for sharing.

Please share, how do one do the fine adjustment on the moon phase.....is it adjusted according to the 'chinese calender full moon', ie, 1st & 15th day...

If one were to adjust on the spot, like the day you took delivery of your grail. How do the salesperson knows where to 'place exactly' the moon phase....Is there a timetable / chart for indication.



dc

[Spider boy]

congrats with you new patek  , had a good read on you calatrava bit, patek has always been my favourite brand ,not that i own alot of them though lol... but with this story it has managed to drug me more into them ! anything below 40mm simply is the best size for a dress watch, ( my preception la ) .. its very classy , A timeless piece and a league of its own !

[chrisyen]

this one look like the one rejected by our ex MB of Selangor !!!

[meoramri]

Well done!

[nayo]

Definitely  2 thumbs up material.      . Amateurish?  As it is, its such a delightful read. Can't wait till you are a pro. Cheers.

[bryankwc]

Congrats!
Beautiful watch and I love the Calatrava Cross clasp.
Thanks for the write up and very interesting trivia about the cross.
Wear & enjoy your PP in good health.
...sigh...me still dreaming......
Take care, Ciao! 

[dcpillai]

Oh no!!! The poison!!! It is strong .... I feel it sweeping through my veins ....

But seriously, great tale  . Thanks for sharing, and may your son be appreciative (when the time comes) 

[dpkong]

This has got to be one of the BEST posts on MWF in my opinion. A very passionate write-up of a likewise journey. Somehow, in your earlier posts, I had imagined you would be getting a Patek.

If you're from KL, I would love to meet up and have a longer chat with you about this acquisition. I am personally drawn to the 5396R.

Wear it in good health!

[Primus]

A beautiful good read......its really warm up to read such a post.

Thanks for sharing.

Please share, how do one do the fine adjustment on the moon phase.....is it adjusted according to the 'chinese calender full moon', ie, 1st & 15th day...

If one were to adjust on the spot, like the day you took delivery of your grail. How do the salesperson knows where to 'place exactly' the moon phase....Is there a timetable / chart for indication.



dc

Thanks for everyone kind wishes. I really appreciate it


With regards to David_cheong's question about the moon phase, the watch comes with a booklet from Patek Philippe which shows all the dates with full moons up to the year 2026. For years after that you can go to their website and they will provide you the information. As a Patek owner you will also be eligible to register to Patek's website Members only area.

So everytime my watch power reserves run out or when i collect the watch the first time and i need to set the watch again, the first thing i will do is set my watch to 7am. (I'm told its safer to move the moon phase movement when the time is set at 7am) I will then use the tool that comes with my watch and click the respective button that controls the moon phase indicator to shift the moon to the middle of the dial (hence indicating full moon). Once i've done that i will check for today's date. For e.g. if today's date is 19th November 2012, and compare it to the booklet i have and check when was the last full moon according to the booklet before the date i'm setting the watch. For e.g. if the booklet says the last fullmoon was the 26th October 2012, and since my watch's moon is already set at full moon, i merely have to click the button (thus shifting the moon to the right) 23 times, as it has been 23 days since the 26th October 2012 to 19th November 2012. 

I'm not sure if the Patek Philippe's booklet or information on website is according to chinese calander but i assume in astronomy terms they are all the same thus all accurate.

Hope this helps

[Primus]

Congrats on a beautiful watch.
One of the evergreen Pateks i would say.

So do you have it on winder when you rotate with your other watches?

Takashi, thanks for your kind wishes.

On relation to the winder, I'm more inclined to be in the camp where i like to play with my watch, especially having spent some money on it. The sound the watch makes when winding it up is exquisite and gives me an impression that i'm winding something very special. The feeling on using the tool to switch the dates and month and changing the time also gives me a calm pleasure. I must sound like a sadistic person now lol.  Also after speaking to various Authorised Dealers (i sure hope they are expert on this) they told me it makes no real difference. Therefore i have made a personal choice on not putting my patek on a winder.

I've done some reading on this matter and i can safely say wherever you ask, out of 10 replies, there will be 5 that will swear on the winder and 5 that will say there is no need.

I guess we have to choose our own path on this matter.

[takashi78]

I think for annual cal watches to be on winder is just to save the hassle of setting the dates again when the watch stops.

Some might have more than a few watch that they rotate to wear hence there is a big chance that the watch will stop.

So how long does it take you to fully set everything after the watch has stopped?

Or it hasnt stop since you bought the watch hehe

[Primus]

This has got to be one of the BEST posts on MWF in my opinion. A very passionate write-up of a likewise journey. Somehow, in your earlier posts, I had imagined you would be getting a Patek.

If you're from KL, I would love to meet up and have a longer chat with you about this acquisition. I am personally drawn to the 5396R.

Wear it in good health!

Thanks for your kind words too dpkong. You sure helped me out during my journey

Sure would love to meet other watch heroes lol But i'm going to America for a month to work but would sure to meet you guys up. I hope i don't go there and find a big price difference

The 5396R is a beautiful watch and i can certainly understand your attraction to that watch.

I regret not taking some wrist shots as in the end when i was choosing between my current watch and i have rejected the other,  i was left with only 5396 and 5146 on the table and actually have to stand up close and stand up far, take a walk round the shop and return to the table to make a decision. It was quite comical, but as i was the only person in the boutique, luckily noone was there to laugh at me.

The 5396 is actually 38mm as opposed to my 5146 at 39mm however, when you see the watch in person, the 5396 actually looks bigger. This is because the 5396 has a flat bezel as opposed to the 5146 which has a 2 tier bezel, hence the flat surface creates an illusion of bigger space. In terms of bezel this is where i find the 5396 actually looks better. However the complications placing and cream coloured dial in the end tipped me over the edge to choose the 5146.

I did not add this information but i hope people who are also considering purchasing the 5146 reads this:

I always wondered why the 5146 is slightly cheaper than the 5396 despite both using the same complication and both pretty much very simliar. The only reason i could find was that two years ago, the 5146 was actually still using the 315 calibre movement which oscillates at 21,600 beats as opposed to the 5396 which uses the 324 calibre movement which oscillatres at 28,800 beats (this is from my research, i don't really know how to make a watch! lol blind leading the blind here sorry chaps). Therefore this could be one of the main reason why the 5396 is slightly more expensive. If you would have asked me, at that price i would be dissapointed to find a Patek watchat 315 calibre movement. Thankfully, during the last two years, Patek Philippe have phased out the 315 movement from the 5146 models and put in the 324 movement. However, if you happen to look for a 5146 model and if you find one that has been sitting in the AD shop for very long, please ensure it is not using the old movement. Just a little tip i researched!

Therefore, to me, despite the mechanical upgrade, Patek have not yet upgraded the price for the 5146 model yet! This was fantastic news to me! This was also another reason why i purchased the 5146 lol as compared to the 5396. However the price increase in terms of Patek pricing, is not much (less than 20k) and at that price range it really depends on people personal choice on which of the two models to choose.

Both are such wonderful watches.

[Primus]

I think for annual cal watches to be on winder is just to save the hassle of setting the dates again when the watch stops.

Some might have more than a few watch that they rotate to wear hence there is a big chance that the watch will stop.

So how long does it take you to fully set everything after the watch has stopped?

Or it hasnt stop since you bought the watch hehe

I agree, although i have read some people saing its good to let the watch move consistently therefore putting on winders. There are also some people that says putting on winders moving the parts consistently will wear them out more. But i'm thinking, I'm sure these watch makers, created the watches for people to use everyday! Surely they won't wear out just because you're wearing it daily..

I have only set the watch once at the shop and that took a long time because, while pressing the buttons with the tools, the AD sales person kept shouting "SLOWLY!! Do not rush it! you must do it slowly, one click rest, one click rest, on click" lol I love it!

So with 30 or 31 days in a month, you can imagine how many clicks i have to press and rest, the moon phase also involves 30 days. Thankfuly the month and day is less. All in all roughly 15 minutes in my first try but i can forsee just 5 - 10 mins for the future, and that includes time taking to wind and admire the watch

Oh did i mention, when you wind the watch you can see the power indicator moving from the "-" to "+". That with the sound of the winding is so entertaining lol  I'm sure if i told non-watch lovers that i find watching a dial move from left to right while winding a watch they will think i'm crazy.


PS: One more thing, when i bought my PP, i thought i take this opportunity and walk into all the high end shops in klcc with my PP bag, so i went to Mont Blanc to look at that watch another forum member posted a few days ago, Tiffany and co, Rolex, Cartier, Prada, and i've never seen such good service before. In rolex the sales girl kept insisting i try all the watch and even took out the new yachtmaster II and rose gold brown dial daytona and ask me to try without me asking. Before this they wouldn't give me the time of the day. Next time u guys buy one, make sure you take advantage of it.

[dpkong]

For someone who claims to have little knowledge of watches, you have provided a lot of informative tips on Patek indeed! I do agree that the watch need not be kept on a winder when not in use. After paying a princely sum for it, you should make time to interact with the watch when it has stopped. I too would be more than happy to spend half an hour to "set it up" when it has stopped. And no, I do not think it sadistic at all and can relate to the "calm pleasure" you quoted.

P/s. while I don't think I would be buying a PP anytime soon, can you lend me the PP bag when I go watch-hunting in KLCC?? 

[darrencw]

this is definitely one of my favorite threads of all time. so much of love oozing out from a fellow enthusiast. the review was definitely written with love and passion. there is so much warmth in it ... if only 1 day ...

[David_cheong]

Again, thanks for sharing.

Amazing, as the fine adjustment on moon phase is indicated in the booklet.
Other forum, I read do advise the owner to look out at the moon  at night...indicating all is not right at the point of purchasing.

Googling did not help either.

Well, its a learning process everyday.

dc