Always wanted a 5164A - but are they tool watches

[GJ-PGMTII]

I’m on wait list for one.

But is it a a very expensive tool watch or a museum piece?

Can it take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’?

Thanks.

[helloworldies]

Yesterday I washed two cars by hand, emptied a grease trap, cut the grass
and cleaned some gutters all wearing a 5164 and there's not a mark on it!

They have a low profile on the wrists so tend not to get in the way.

Hope this helps!

[MCMartiny]

The 5164A is as close to a tough watch as you can get from Patek but at the end of the day it is still a high-end luxury watch and not a "tool" per se. That said, I have used mine as a daily wearer during both weekdays and weekends without a problem. Case is as water resistant as any non-diver in the Rolex range and the rubber strap is really practical and comfortable. However, the cal. 324 movement inside is probably a bit more delicate than what is inside your typical Rolexes and Omegas, so I would try to avoid extreme shocks.

The one drawback to using the Aquanaut as a "tough watch" is that it will get scratched around the bezel (and that a bit more easily than other metal bezel watches due to the finely polished / brushed nature of the bezel). However, whether this is a "show stopper" is a personal choice. In the end the marks you leave on the watch makes it yours and part of your life story. And if you ever want to refresh it that can be done (at a cost) during service (just make sure you only ask an authorised PP service centre since doing a proper polish will require specific skill and know-how).

In any case, the 5164A is a sublime watch. You can't go wrong with it.

[ct.matt]

It depends! The bezel is easily scratched, nicked, and dinged. The crown stem and thread are a joke when compared to a Rolex, and the pushers on the side are wobbly. The deployant does not give you the same confidence as a Rolex clasp, not by long shot. And despite 120m WR, I never got mine wet because I didn’t trust the pushers.
So at the end of the day I think it depends on how rich you are and how little of AF you can give about potentially banging it up or ruining it. Or how well your insurance covers damage. Or what your lifestyle is and what your definition of a lickin is.

[ap1]

Originally Posted by ct.matt

It depends! The bezel is easily scratched, nicked, and dinged. The crown stem and thread are a joke when compared to a Rolex, and the pushers on the side are wobbly. The deployant does not give you the same confidence as a Rolex clasp, not by long shot. And despite 120m WR, I never got mine wet because I didn’t trust the pushers.
So at the end of the day I think it depends on how rich you are and how little of AF you can give about potentially banging it up or ruining it. Or how well your insurance covers damage. Or what your lifestyle is and what your definition of a lickin is.

Do you even like your watch
Seriously, I get it

[V25V]

Still one of my favorites! I wear it often and the complication is useful but not sure I would ever call it a "tool watch".




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[raclaims]

It used to be the watch I wore while racing cars (now I use a digital watch that tracks lap times etc) however it took a beating like a champ and still looks brand new.

I wouldn't sweat it for a second

[RoscoPico]

Originally Posted by helloworldies

Yesterday I washed two cars by hand, emptied a grease trap, cut the grass
and cleaned some gutters all wearing a 5164 and there's not a mark on it!

They have a low profile on the wrists so tend not to get in the way.

Hope this helps!

brave man you are, i am such a scaredy cat when it comes to my watches.

i still remember watching a guy change his brakes with a DD36 on and thinking he is absolutely bonkers.

i guess it comes down to how often one wants to have a watch on the wrist.

[RoscoPico]

Originally Posted by GJ-PGMTII

I’m on wait list for one.

But is it a a very expensive tool watch or a museum piece?

Can it take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’?

Thanks.

i can't answer for the 5164 specifically, and am hardly experienced in this arena in general, but i would guess PP is not typically considered to be in the tool watch category

that being said, tool watch takes on a different meaning for different people.

for example, i see a lot of older guys in the trades wearing beater watches, BUT, they are usually fitters and electricians. i have never ever seen a sheet metal worker, like myself, wearing a watch because our work is of course much more adverse

[jon_jon]

5164 is a great all around watch. It is more useful if you travel across time zones frequently. However as with all Patek sports watches (Aquanaut and Nautilus), they are not as durable or "shock proof" like the Rolex professional series watches.

[KBM]

It can take normal wear and tear, no doubt. As to being a tool watch in the purest sense...

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should''.

[Mr. Miami]

It is a great looking watch and I like it. However, I am not as lucky as you to be on a waitlist. If I could get it at retail I’d do it. But gray market it just to high for me to be comfortable spending $50-60k. My second favorite is 5167a. Both are under the radar watches and can go from “board room to beach” any day.

[csx7034]

I was waking boarding with mine in Tahoe, then it hit me. If the clasp breaks for any reason it will be down around 1000 feet. Decided to take off after the first run. Wear it all the time.

[ct.matt]

Originally Posted by ap1

Do you even like your watch
Seriously, I get it

Ha! I recently sold it, albeit with a heavy heart. I liked the watch but I hated how it made me feel that I had to be extra careful when it was on my wrist. I owned it for two years and, to be perfectly honest, I think I kept it for that long for bragging rights at watch meetups and social peacocking (not that anyone actually gives a damn), i.e. for all the wrong reasons. Because I was too chicken to actually knock it around, it never brought me joy. One of the main reasons why parting with it was so difficult was knowing full well that I may not get to own it again because of how hard it is to obtain at a reasonable cost. Talk about endowment effect!!
I know a lot of users here tend to rationalize the flaws and shortcomings in Patek’s products but there’s a veritable mountain of questionable design decisions that make you scratch your head.. some of which I mentioned above. I’m not gonna knock it any further but those were genuine dealbreakers for me.

In closing, I genuinely believe that Patek’s real differentiation is in dressier and precious metal pieces. The finish on those is just astonishingly beautiful. Unfortunately they’re not super in Vogue these days.

[endo]

Mine gets worn and it shows it, even dropped it once.

It’s Wearable for 95% of tasks bar sports where it will be subjected to shock, using a hammer drill or shooting clays.
(Had to service a rolex after a day of 12gauges, so i doubt a PP would survive).

Probably bear in mind I think its a two piece case, so if you mangle the bezel its not as cheap to replace as say a Nautilus or a Royal oak.

[SL BRABUS]

Nice.....^^^......

[MCMartiny]

Originally Posted by endo

Mine gets worn and it shows it, even dropped it once.

It’s Wearable for 95% of tasks bar sports where it will be subjected to shock, using a hammer drill or shooting clays.
(Had to service a rolex after a day of 12gauges, so i doubt a PP would survive).

Probably bear in mind I think its a two piece case, so if you mangle the bezel its not as cheap to replace as say a Nautilus or a Royal oak.

What happened to your lugs? Looks like they got quite an extra bit of chamfering.

[endo]

Originally Posted by MCMartiny

What happened to your lugs? Looks like they got quite an extra bit of chamfering.

I was a little confused myself when I took the pics and thought well that wont be cheap to repair and carried on making the collage.


Turns out it was a bit of crud or something that looked like a massive gash on the lug.... showed it to my OH just she ran her finger over it and it came off.
*phew, 4 o’clock lug isnt dented.

[MCMartiny]

Originally Posted by endo

I was a little confused myself when I took the pics and thought well that wont be cheap to repair and carried on making the collage.


Turns out it was a bit of crud or something that looked like a massive gash on the lug.... showed it to my OH just she ran her finger over it and it came off.
*phew, 4 o’clock lug isnt dented.

That's great Glad you watch is only well-loved and not over-polished.

[BigAppleBill]

It’s a very comfortable watch to wear. Sometimes I almost forget it’s there. Years ago I fell in love with the Aquanaut look and decided (because I used to travel a lot, pre-pandemic) that the Travel Time was the one for me. That feature is so easy an intuitive. I have absolutely no regrets about this watch. It’s just incredibly wearable and under-the-radar. I’ve worn this watch a lot of places I wouldn’t wear a much lower value Rolex because most people have no clue what it is. I’ve been swimming with it with no concerns. Do I take it easy on this watch? Yes, generally I treat all of my watches well and try to avoid knocking into doorknobs and things like that. It’s not built like a tank like most Rolex models, but it’s held up well. I hope you have one on your wrist soon!

[bob101]

Originally Posted by endo

Mine gets worn and it shows it, even dropped it once.

It’s Wearable for 95% of tasks bar sports where it will be subjected to shock, using a hammer drill or shooting clays.
(Had to service a rolex after a day of 12gauges, so i doubt a PP would survive).

Probably bear in mind I think its a two piece case, so if you mangle the bezel its not as cheap to replace as say a Nautilus or a Royal oak.

This looks great! I saw a photo of a guy driving classic cars on hodinkee with a 5712 bit beaten up and well loved and it looked awesome. Nice to see people enjoying them daily. When service time comes around valet and like new again.

[guanxi]

Absolutely love my 5164A however when I want/need to wear a real tool watch only five letters come to mind : R O L E X

[endo]

Originally Posted by bob101

This looks great! I saw a photo of a guy driving classic cars on hodinkee with a 5712 bit beaten up and well loved and it looked awesome. Nice to see people enjoying them daily. When service time comes around valet and like new again.

That’s pretty much the way I see any watch, they need to be enjoyed, and fufilling the purpose they were designed for

The 5164 not some piece of fragile piece of hologerie, it’s a mass produced “base” 324 with a dual time module, housed in a steel case.
Sounds like a i’m knocking it, but i’m not!
What Patek have designed is a very functional and practical casual daily/travel watch, with a robust low profile case housing a prooven movement (and modular for ease of servicing).

A G-shock or Rolex might be a more “sacrificial” watch, but it’s not always practical to swap mid task! As long as you’re mindful to not subject the watch to extreme shock or vibration, it should serve the owner well.

At the end of the day anything can happen, a pile of boxed pristine “commodities” isnt going to do anyone any good when stood at the pearly gates.

[Plebs]

Expensive tool watch but love it. I’d still be careful what activity I was doing wearing this.


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[UmichNJ]

Originally Posted by GJ-PGMTII

I’m on wait list for one.

But is it a a very expensive tool watch or a museum piece?

Can it take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’?

Thanks.

I’d be a little careful. I’ve detached the spring bar by accident twice. Once, I had just woken up as I was landing in Tokyo. I somehow got the watch snagged on something as I was putting the seat into landing position. The watch head flew off and I spent a panicked ten minutes looking for it. Granted, the watch was a little loose given that it doesn’t have any adjustability. From now on, when I need a beater travel watch, I use a Rolex GMT or Explorer II.


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[GreenLantern]

I love, love, love, my Patek sport watches.

But truthfully, they aren't tool watches (even though sometimes I use them as such).

If you want a tool watch, stick to Rolex.

[0xalate]

Just like what others have mentioned, if you want a "true" tool watch, stick with Rolex. Their movements are hardy. That said, I have never ran into issues with the PP 324 movements. I wouldn't do any heavy duty work with any of my watches though.

[ts3]

Two words: certainly not!

[AK797]

It's a luxury sports watch with functionality, perfect for me.

And yes it is stunning, great pic.

Originally Posted by V25V

Still one of my favorites! I wear it often and the complication is useful but not sure I would ever call it a "tool watch".




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[GB-man]

Sure but they are a tool for jet setting not cave diving!