Patek Philippe Gondolo 5200 (8days) or Rolex Day-Date Platinum Baguette dial

[mahefa]

Hello members of most excellent forum.

I am in a starting point to acquire one ultimate watch to my collection and these two resemble it to me. These two represent little bit different areas in chronoworld as Patek is manually wound and is not at all that rugged as Rolex. Day-Date is an icon and baquette diamonds in dial are only way i consider i can have diamonds in my watch, i just like diamonds in a certain way and hiding them as hour markers is that certain way for me. They both have Day and Date and have certain lifetime karma which i like.

Rolex gets points for being a lot less worry free than Patek Philippe. In Patek instruction manual there are like dozen warnings how you can break the watch in different ways. Almost none of these exist with Rolex. Warranty is 5 years with Rolex and 2 years with Patek.

I have Explorer II, Deepsea Blue and soon SS Skydweller blue dial. I am just thinking would this be decent view of Rolexes and also something from almost all parts of Rolex world. As i will limit my watch collection to 6, so there would still be room for 2 more after this. ( And will cheat myself later to cross the limit by 'giving' watches to my underage children )

I like Patek achievements and culture and it would be interesting to join that too and experience it. Manually wound watch with over a week of energy reserve is easy to handle. Gondolo movement is not perpetual so 5 adjustments per year is needed with Patek stylus.

[1William]

I prefer the Platinum DD.

[MrInternational]

Those are two beautiful watches! Congratulations on this difficult decision. I also admire Patek and think their style is second to none. Also having some brand diversity seems like a good idea (although that's hard to quantify). Having said that, the DD is gorgeous too and very sturdy in every respect. The DD is different from your other models so that's not a problem. I'd go with the Platinum Day-Date. As you said, it's more worry free. Who wants to worry or if not worry then potentially feel the pain of a watch that needs service potentially more frequently than every 5-10 years. All that said you can't go wrong, I'm splitting hairs here! Congrats on this achievement. I look forward to seeing your choice!


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[Zakalwe]

Do you think you'd tire of a rectangular watch? If not the Patek offers variety in style and brand to your collection.

I don't recall seeing a DD that I liked until now, that one is utterly stunning. In a straight choice between the two, notwithstanding other pieces in the collection, I'd choose the Rolex all day long.

[KenNethcole]

I'm not a fan of the Gondolo rectangular case. The dd with glacier dial,with diamonds would be my choice. I'm with you in wanting diamonds but discreet as hour markers.

[mahefa]

Thank you for your feedback, it certainly helps. I am in the beginning of making this decision and it might take months to decide of course. It is also possible that i buy Gondolo and 1 kilogram of Platinum, MSRP prices with DD Platinum baquette dial are about the same :D

Patek service prices are not that high by the way:

http://www.patek.com/en/client-service/service-costs

[mahefa]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

Do you think you'd tire of a rectangular watch? If not the Patek offers variety in style and brand to your collection.

I don't recall seeing a DD that I liked until now, that one is utterly stunning. In a straight choice between the two, notwithstanding other pieces in the collection, I'd choose the Rolex all day long.

Rectangular would make the 'ultimate piece' in my collection stand out more clearly i think. I like the aficianado style the manual wound watch has, but also the "full package" style of this particular Platinum DD. It really really makes me think that there are no more things i could ask from my watch. It ticks a lot of boxes

I have already made this as my shortlist and used some time to get info and feelings about these two. But things can always change of course

These are just too nice...

[enjoythemusic]

Have had many Pateks over the decades. Imho the Rolex if you plan to wear it often and are more active in lifestyle. As you know, durability of the Rolex is far better as is the warranty. Fully understand wanting to be in that 'mythical' Patek zone. All you're missing is fragility and long service wait times. Sure the movement is nice, yet be very careful wearing a Patek. My Everose DD 40 has never worried me during wear, the Patek 3970er was a different matter entirely. The Patek Aqua was better, yet lume fell out and the bezel scratches too easily.

Admire Pateks, as they are nice, yet be realistic about how you plan to wear it, durability, etc. Rolex is solid and have earned their loyal customers. Fast service turnaround times too.

PS makes sure you try the Patek on, as felt the Patek Stingray would be great yet it wasn't on my wrist. The lopsided weight was also awkward. Looks great in pics tho!

[Coffes4closers]

Gondolos are nice, but I feel that some circular cases pateks are far more beautiful, and timeless. I know it sounds ignorant, but from a distance it just looks like a reverso to me

[mahefa]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Have had many Pateks over the decades. Imho the Rolex if you plan to wear it often and are more active in lifestyle. As you know, durability of the Rolex is far better as is the warranty. Fully understand wanting to be in that 'mythical' Patek zone. All you're missing is fragility and long service wait times. Sure the movement is nice, yet be very careful wearing a Patek. My Everose DD 40 has never worried me during wear, the Patek 3970er was a different matter entirely. The Patek Aqua was better, yet lume fell out and the bezel scratches too easily.

Admire Pateks, as they are nice, yet be realistic about how you plan to wear it, durability, etc. Rolex is solid and have earned their loyal customers. Fast service turnaround times too.

PS makes sure you try the Patek on, as felt the Patek Stingray would be great yet it wasn't on my wrist. The lopsided weight was also awkward. Looks great in pics tho!

Thank you for wise words.

Originally Posted by Coffes4closers

Gondolos are nice, but I feel that some circular cases pateks are far more beautiful, and timeless. I know it sounds ignorant, but from a distance it just looks like a reverso to me

Thank you for this as well.


I think i am 60% DD 40% Patek at the moment.

[HogwldFLTR]

Bracelet and durability are the key for me. I'd go DD.

[AK797]

I prefer the DD, but as you have 3 Rolexes, I would get a Patek, 5205 or Nautilus.

[tomchicago]

The Rollie is cleaner. That Patek I can't even tell what the watch is trying to do.

[Chewbacca]

Love PP (no jokes) but not square or tank styles.

Gotta go DD.

[breitlings]

Can I vote for platona?

[mahefa]

Originally Posted by breitlings

Can I vote for platona?

Of course I have had so many chronographs from other brands than Rolex, so after deep thinking few months ago i did not want to even longlist it. Althought i got one good offer of Platona with diamond dial, it is gorgeus watch

[tkerrmd]

the Rolex platinum bracelet and glacier blue dial is best of the best!

[Flstfirider]

Day Date...as nice as the PP is, the rectangular shape does not work for me.

[BNA/LION]

Rolex Day-Date 40 Platinum baguette diamond dial.

[Tridor]

The platinum DD is my grail. A PP is VERY nice, but it is a fragile watch with long turn around times for repair ... I mostly think that PPs are made as pieces of art rather than for wearing.

[DramaTurtle]

DD not even close.

[ras47]

I'm all about the Rolex. I personally do not like square or rectangular watches, and I've never cared for PP. the Rolex DD is superb.

[dddl]

Both are phenomenal watches, but for me it would be an easy decision... the DD.

[WatchinMD]

DD is classy and classic. The Gondolo is much more of a specialized taste

[Joemck]

European watch co in Boston has the Gondolo available. They are a reputable second hand dealer. I like the rectangular style but went with the reverso myself(sun/moon). Nice complication for a reasonable price. As to the day date, it is absolutely stunning.
Good luck with your search!

[jon_jon]

Since you live in Switzerland, I hope you can try on both watches before making the decision.

I have not seen the DD40 Platinum with baguette hour markers in person, but if you like baguette diamonds, then I would say go for it.

As for the Patek 5200G, it is not a popular watch for being a one and only Patek, although it is a fabulous watch. The 8-day power reserve is quite special, even for a Patek watch. I own the Patek 5100G with the 10-day power reserve and it is an elegant dress watch, worn on special occasions. If you are looking to add a Patek dress watch that you will wear occasionally, then a Gondolo is a nice watch.

I wouldn't worry too much about others stating that the cost and time wait to service a Patek is going to be too great. If you live in Switzerland and send the watch to be serviced in Geneva, the wait shouldn't be too long. Most of the wait concerns are for American owners. And if you only wear the watch at most once a week, you may not even need to service it for 5-10+ years.

There is nothing inherently bad about having an all Rolex watch collection and having a platinum DD40 or a platinum Daytona would be the pinnacle of a Rolex collection as far as modern pieces are concerned.

However many people with several Rolex watches look at Patek for a reason. Patek stands out in a different way, especially when it comes to their complicated dress watches. If you are looking for understated elegance, Patek fits the bill quite nicely. Very rarely will someone recognize that I am wearing a Patek, which is often a good thing if you want to wear a nice watch without receiving the unwarranted attention.

[fskywalker]

Day Date


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[toucan]

Dd

[904VT]

The Platinum Day Date would be my choice, it's an amazing all around watch. I'm a big Patek fan as well, but would chose the 5146 G or P if looking to Patek.

[Scholar]

Is there a particular reason you're looking at that Patek?

Something like the 5146p might be a better pick, in the same price range: