Patek Philippe Ref. 5205R: Review, pictures and commentary for all!

[thomaspp]

I am coming up on two months of ownership of Ref. 5205R and decided that while waiting in between one airport and another on various business trips, I would cobble up a little review.

Hope you enjoy, and of course please let me know if you like/hate my review or agree/disagree with anything stated below.

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What is it?

Key features of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5205 include: (i) annual calendar with day, date and month in apertures at the top of the dial, (ii) a moon phase and 24-hour dial at the bottom center of the dial, (iii) sweep seconds hands with a applied gold markers on a track that surrounds the dial and large batons for the hour markers, (iv) a 40 mm case that wears somewhat smaller than its stated size as described below and (v) water resistant to 30 m.

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The layout of the dial, with apertures at the top of the day, date and month was one of the biggest attractions to me as I have tended to not be a fan of the more traditional hands displays found in all other Patek calendar references (although I suppose I could live with it in the case of the 5970 and 5270 grand complications! ).

Another plus for me when looking at calendar watches in this price range was the moon phase. Yes, a “useless complication,” but a classic complication inspired in the origins of “telling time” itself, popular on pocket-watches of the late 19th century and one that is more about the watchmaker’s (and the one who wears it) connection to time and space.

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I want to briefly talk about the 24 hour display at the bottom of the dial as many criticize this complication in the 5205. The 24 hour display is complication that is found on several of Patek’s most iconic calendar watches, including the 5396 and 5726. Aside from the visual interest and depth it adds to the dial, it is a useful complication when setting the time and date on this watch (i.e. knowing if you have properly set the watch for night or day).

The case and dial?

The 5205 was first released in white gold and in two dial variants, both of which are two-tone (either a rhodium and silvery grey or matte black and slate grey). In 2013, Patek released the 5205 in a gorgeous soft/understated rose gold case and again in two dial variants, both dial options single color this time, either opaline white or lacquered black.

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The case is unique for Patek and a very modern interpretation of classic complications. The case features a concave bezel with a highly interesting visual appeal from all angles and particularly when seen straight from the stop looking down at the dial. The case also is unique due to its pierced torpedo style lugs. In my view, the case is innovative and fresh (a breath of fresh air really when looking at the more traditional case shapes across various brands), and on its own, one of the great attributes of this reference.
Although I was initially attracted to the 5205G with the black and grey dial and considered acquiring one in 2012 before the rose gold versions were released, I feared legibility of that particular dial configuration would not be the best. As you can see from my pictures, I obviously chose the rose gold case with the lacquered black dial. This particular metal and dial combination sealed the deal for me, and was simply one I could not resist.

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Although it may be pure speculation, I have heard from various sources that the black lacquered dial may be more time consuming for Patek to produce and Patek may be slower in releasing the black dialed variants as a result. From what I can tell, when I was in the market for this particular reference, the 5205R with the black dial seemed to be the more difficult to locate. This watch is nevertheless a very popular reference and presumably Patek will be manufacturing many of these in years to come.

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I find the watch and dial on my 5205R to be very legible and have not had issues in this respect whatsoever. The watch is intended to be a dressier watch and hence there is no lume on the hands or dial (another big plus from my perspective). Another favorable aspect of this case and dial combination is that the seconds hands is matching rose gold. I found it odd that the seconds hand on the white gold versions of the 5205 is white (Patek does this with a number of other white gold and platinum watches (including the grail worthy 5070P and black dialed 5170), and it just doesn’t appeal to me).

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On the wrist and wearability?

I find the 5205 to be extremely comfortable and wearable on a daily basis. The 40 mm size is perfect for me. Due to the unique concave design of the case, the dial/case wears slightly smaller than the stated 40 mm size, a good thing for this type of watch in my view. The 5205 is not heavy or bulky and fits under my sleeve. Some have commented that the 5205 is a little “thick,” and I suppose that compared to the 5146 and 5396 (the 5205 is considerably thicker than the 5146 and only slightly more so than the 5396), it is due to its unique concave bezel and case design. However, I do not find this to be an issue.

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Although I spend most days in a suit or in long sleeve shirts, in the office and conference rooms, the 5205 also has a sporty versatility to it that makes it go well in jeans and even shorts! I don’t think the same can be said for any other watches in the same class/complication and price range.

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In fact, the issue of “thickness” mentioned above in the preceding paragraph adds to the 5205’s versatility and sportier look in my humble opinion.

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Strap?

The 5205R with black dial comes fitted with a shiny black hand-stitched alligator strap with rectangular scales. The 5205R with white opaline dial comes with a brown strap.

My only real complaint of the 5205 is the stock strap. I do not care for the shiny and “harsh” looking strap that came with it. I recently acquired a new custom made black round-scaled alligator strap from Camille Fournet and think the look and feel fit the watch so much better.

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The strap comes with a18k rose gold Patek Philippe stamped prong buckle. Patek seems to be reserving the traditional calatrava cross deployant buckles for its more complicated references. Although one could purchase a deployant separately, I am quite pleased with the buckle on this watch and think it fits the personality of a dressier watch more than the deployant. I suppose the two downsides of a buckle versus a deployant are: (i) not having the added security (i.e. risk of dropping the watch) that a deployant buckle offers and (ii) not being welcomed by the warm visual of the calatrva cross looking back at you when you turn over your wrist. On the other hand, many (myself included) find the prong buckle to be more comfortable frankly, but only time will tell as I might decide to put a deployant on this one as there is something unexplainable/cool about the calatrava cross deployant!!

Movement?

The heart of the 5205 beats to the tune of Caliber 324 S QA LU 24H/206 (a self-winding movement). The base Caliber 324 is Patek’s “work horse” movement and found in a good number of popular references, including the 5711. Key features of this movement include: (i) Vibrations/hour: 28 800 (4 Hz), (ii) power reserve: Min. 35 hours - max. 45 hours, (iii) 34 Jewels, (iv) 10 Bridges, (v) 356 Parts and (vi) stamped with the Patek Philippe Seal (instead of the Geneva Seal, a pro or a con depending on who you ask!).

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After two months of ownership, all I can say is that the movement appears to be extremely reliable and accurate. Setting the time and changing the date and moon phase are a breeze with Patek’s pushers built-into the sides of the case.

The one aspect that could be improved is the power reserve. I have found the power reserve on my 5205 to be approximately 38-39 hours, which is more less in the middle of the estimated power reserve published by Patek, and about average for other watches in this category. Although I suppose this watch is meant to be worn daily or at least during the 5 days of the working week, the truth is that I like collecting / owning a number of watches and rotating my watches daily (except when I travel) or every few days. As a result, I find myself having to wind this automatic watch almost every time I go to wear it.

How does it compare?

I have become extremely picky in this hobby and am belaboring over each new watch I acquire (more so than ever before). My search for a calendar watch started a few years ago, and I considered a number of other brands and other Patek references. Serious contenders included the JLC Master Ultra-Thin Perpetual (which I still dream about form time to time!), the FP Journe Octa Calendrier, the Lange Saxonia Annual Calendar and Patek Refs. 5960P, 5146, 5396 and 3940.

As I said above, this particular case material and dial really drew me in. The versatility of the 5205 was also a huge selling point as I found it to be a modern interpretation of traditional complications in an elegant (but yet sportier looking) case.

I believe that the 5205R is an extremely attractive looking and elegant watch that is well suited for daily wear. For me it has the perfect balance between “sex appeal” and practicality, something that had actually been quite difficult for me to find when considering calendar watches generally. Lastly, I’ll also be the first one to admit that the fact that the 5205 obviously took some inspiration from the heavy-hitting Patek 5207R minute repeater tourbillon, didn’t hurt either!

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And that’s about all I have to say (for now). Have a good one!

[jjnd08]

Well done; and very thorough!

[lmcgbaj]

Fantastic review Thomas. Bravo.

[Gmt9]

Nice review, love the 5205

[travisb]

Nicely done, Thomas!

[incontrol]

Nice review, Thomas, of a beautiful watch. It reminds me a lot of my 5960R black dial. There are some similarities between the two with some major differences.

Enjoy your 5205, looks great no matter what it is worn with.

[el1125]

Beautiful watch and fantastic review

[nick c]

Awesome review and great collection Thomas

[RussW]

Nice write up and photos.

Is it a goyard watch box or wallet in one of the photos? If the former what do you think? I was looking at them yesterday - very nice they are, but the box for 4 watches does not fasten securely, and the one for 6 fastens using a strap and buckle.

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by jjnd08

Well done; and very thorough!

Originally Posted by lmcgbaj

Fantastic review Thomas. Bravo.

Originally Posted by Gmt9

Nice review, love the 5205

Originally Posted by travisb

Nicely done, Thomas!

Originally Posted by el1125

Beautiful watch and fantastic review

Originally Posted by nick c

Awesome review and great collection Thomas

Thank you gentlemen. Appreciate the feedback. Have a great day.

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by incontrol

Nice review, Thomas, of a beautiful watch. It reminds me a lot of my 5960R black dial. There are some similarities between the two with some major differences.

Enjoy your 5205, looks great no matter what it is worn with.

Thank you my friend. Indeed the 5960R with black dial has a similar feel and the 5205 may have had some inspiration from it as well, in particular looking at the newly released 5905 which clearly draws on both the 5205 and 5960.

Enjoy that beast of a 5960!

Originally Posted by RussW

Nice write up and photos.

Is it a goyard watch box or wallet in one of the photos? If the former what do you think? I was looking at them yesterday - very nice they are, but the box for 4 watches does not fasten securely, and the one for 6 fastens using a strap and buckle.

Thanks Russ. No, I just have a Goyard wallet. I have an LV 3 watch travel roll which I quite like and a few other standard watch boxes from here and there. I've been using the Oakley watch cases more and more when storing stuff in the safe and elsewhere as of late to be quite frank. The Goyard cigar travel case might be next for me though!

[jd57]

Superb review and great photos! My opaline dial 5205R says hello from its' watchbox.

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by jd57

Superb review and great photos! My opaline dial 5205R says hello from its' watchbox.

Thank you and it looks great (in between a Lange? And a Rolex!)... Rolf. Best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jd57]

Originally Posted by thomaspp

Thank you and it looks great (in between a Lange? And a Rolex!)... Rolf. Best.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes - good eye. 118205 day-date on the left and 1815 Chrono on the right.

[simbal]

great review, thank you!

[lapince]

Very nice review Thomas, for me the 5205R is one of the best dress watches in that price range, great bang for your buck IMO, great complications and great looks, one thing would have made it awesome is if they had made all the date windows like the ones on the 5960-1A, that would have been really great but even like this it looks top

[VacherObsessive]

Beautiful watch and great review. Only concern is I'm surprised this does not come stock with a deployment clasp as many pieces in lesser categories in patek do

[Jack Cassidy]

Great review! As an owner myself I 100% agree on the versatility of the watch. It is so easy to use for Galla, business, business causal and smart casual.

[texex91]

Very nice review indeed Thomas

[nyc2la]

Excellent review. Thanks for posting!

[AK797]

Great review, and good way to pass the time at airports, might do the same in a couple of weeks.

[SpunkyQ8]

Great write up Thomas

[nyc2la]

Originally Posted by AK797

Great review, and good way to pass the time at airports, might do the same in a couple of weeks.

For a 5711/1r???

[Mauiguy]

Thanks for taking the time to post this fantastic writeup. Great pix too. The 5205R is definitely one of my favorite ac's!

[benlee]

Great review Thomas. I believe the 5205R sits in the unique position among the current range of Patek's classical-looking watches as being the the watch which delivers the most bang for the buck and is at the optimum price point. There simply isn't a better watch IMHO at this price point and class. The apertures for day/date/month is the best display and I much prefer it over dials and indexes. I just hope PP release a Perpetual calendar using the same design.

The black dial version is more versatile and can be dressed down. The opaline white version is more dressy and even when paired with a black strap to make it looks more sporty, I still prefer to only wear with long sleeve shirts. Still love mine even though I don't wear it that frequently.

[kneedeep]

Superbly done! Thanks for posting.

[Vipes]

Excellent review! Really enjoyed it!

[Racerdj]

You're ready for prime time! Excellent review! I want one too.

[SohAIS]

Excellent Thomas. Mine says hi

[thomaspp]

Originally Posted by jd57

Yes - good eye. 118205 day-date on the left and 1815 Chrono on the right.

Haha... Very cool!

Originally Posted by simbal

great review, thank you!

thanks much!

Originally Posted by lapince

Very nice review Thomas, for me the 5205R is one of the best dress watches in that price range, great bang for your buck IMO, great complications and great looks, one thing would have made it awesome is if they had made all the date windows like the ones on the 5960-1A, that would have been really great but even like this it looks top

Thanks my friend. I think that full date windows on the date and month might have made the dial too cluttered. The 5960 1a is a bigger watch and hence more space on the dial. Have a good one.

Originally Posted by VacherObsessive

Beautiful watch and great review. Only concern is I'm surprised this does not come stock with a deployment clasp as many pieces in lesser categories in patek do

Thank you! Yes, I suppose. It seems to be a trend for Patek though - some speculate for good reason, others for bad. It's a simple fix if you really want the deployant though.

Originally Posted by Jack Cassidy

Great review! As an owner myself I 100% agree on the versatility of the watch. It is so easy to use for Galla, business, business causal and smart casual.

Thanks! And could not agree more. Enjoy yours!

Originally Posted by texex91

Very nice review indeed Thomas

Thanks buddy!

Originally Posted by nyc2la

Excellent review. Thanks for posting!

Cheers!

Originally Posted by AK797

Great review, and good way to pass the time at airports, might do the same in a couple of weeks.

Looking forward to it my friend!

Originally Posted by SpunkyQ8

Great write up Thomas

thanks!

Originally Posted by Mauiguy

Thanks for taking the time to post this fantastic writeup. Great pix too. The 5205R is definitely one of my favorite ac's!

Thank you!

Originally Posted by benlee

Great review Thomas. I believe the 5205R sits in the unique position among the current range of Patek's classical-looking watches as being the the watch which delivers the most bang for the buck and is at the optimum price point. There simply isn't a better watch IMHO at this price point and class. The apertures for day/date/month is the best display and I much prefer it over dials and indexes. I just hope PP release a Perpetual calendar using the same design.

The black dial version is more versatile and can be dressed down. The opaline white version is more dressy and even when paired with a black strap to make it looks more sporty, I still prefer to only wear with long sleeve shirts. Still love mine even though I don't wear it that frequently.

I agree Ben! There is some talk of Patek discontinuing the 5270 so maybe they will re-work the entire thing. I'm sure that will get the fans up in arms!

Originally Posted by kneedeep

Superbly done! Thanks for posting.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Vipes

Excellent review! Really enjoyed it!

Cheers my man!

Originally Posted by Racerdj

You're ready for prime time! Excellent review! I want one too.

Hahaha... thanks brother!

Originally Posted by sohail

Excellent Thomas. Mine says hi

Cheers Sohail! I remember you writing about your wanting to get one. Glad to see it and great dial choice!