Messages: 6909 Location: New York City
Registered: November 2003
The rumors were true: the watch we did not dare believe could exist, is here !
Tue, 13 September 2011 22:04
While the rest of the World is getting obsessed over the ONLY WATCH 2011 Patek Steel 3939 and the Auction record price it might achieve next week, obsessive Patek collectors such as us are dying to get their dirty hands on another steel watch; the 5004/A. The rumors were true, Patek Philippe has made the unthinkable and is introducing a split chronograph perpetual calendar in steel to celebrate the discontinuation of one of its most cultish reference ever.
There were already incredible whispers at the Basel fair this year and it was difficult to know truth from fiction. But we all knew one thing; if a 5004A was to be introduced, whatever the number, there will never be enough for everybody and the Happy Fews who would get one should avoid parading around us their very special acquisition.
The Patek reference 5004 was introduced in 1996, it was the first production Pepetual Chronograph wristwatch fitted with a split chronograph, because the watch was so much more expensive than its little brother ref 3970 and so much more complicated to make (the split chronograph is notoriously difficult to implement on the Lemania based 27-70) that Patek reduced its production to a dozen pieces per year starting in 2000, then stop production for a while before introducing a better designed split function in 2004. the 5004 became the darling of most collectors with is substantial yet very discreet split co-axial button. The waiting lists at dealers became huge and the wait very long. Patek has finally decided to retire that watch after 15 short years of production.
The 5004 A is a Geneva Boutique exclusive and is limited to 50 pieces. They are already sold out for the mere price of CHF 270,000.
W.
Find something you love and make it kill you [Bukowski]
Le mauvais goût mène au crime. [Stendhal]
..NO doubt! The lucky few are indeed fortunate.
If the production run was 15 years with a just a dozen a year, that comes to appr. 180 watches. If the 5004At is limited to 50 pieces, it seems it will be the least rare, as it already exist in P, R, G, J. - all my speculation, of course.
At 240K CHF, one must really be enamored with the concept of grande complication Patek in steel.
Re: The rumors were true: the watch we did not dare believe could exist, is here !
Wed, 14 September 2011 22:37
Very cool watch and they were on top of their game to make a 5004 with a steel case. The markers look the same as on the new 5270g. What is the dial color?
but, frankly, ridiculous price. Two/three years ago the platinum version was CHF 210.000, so even if exchange rates are out of the equation the increase is steep.
On the other hand, Patek appears to focus more and more on a clientele for whom money is no issue, simply not relevant. If this works, and it apparently does work, 270.000 for 5004A makes perfect sense. One even wonders why they didn't ask 400.000+.
Messages: 2631 Location: San Jose, CA
Registered: August 2010
Re: The rumors were true: the watch we did not dare believe could exist, is here !
Thu, 15 September 2011 13:45
The market value of platinum or WG in a piece like this instead of steel is a very small fraction of the MSRP anyway, a rounding error almost. I think it's pretty special to have a Patek complicated piece in SS. Just like the Lange 1 in SS. So call me crazy, but I think this in SS is worth more than the original in precious metal.
