Watch Review
All my watch reviews
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The Patek Philippe 5230R World Time – Cherishing the art of Universal Timers
Hello everyone, A few years ago, the Patek Philippe 5230 World Time was launched in two versions, rose and white gold, with updated time zones, together with the 5930G World Time Chronograph. It was a very exciting event considering this complication is a famous icon not only in the brand’s history but also within the watchmaking world. It is a must-have in a collection, not only for real travellers but also for those whose imagination brings them in a journey through the places marked on the dial. With the Perpetual Calendar and Minute-repeaters, it is their third “signature” complication. Indeed, when involved in a World Timers discussion, Patek Philippe automatically…
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The Patek Philippe 5327G Perpetual Calendar – A traditional QP desire
Hello everyone, The Patek Philippe 5327 Perpetual Calendar is the latest interpretation of the classical and more traditional QP-only family. Not only it is the recent generation but it conveys Patek Philippe’s dedication and history regarding this grande complication they endeavoured since 1925 for wristwatches and even earlier for pocket watches. It is available in rose, yellow or white gold and it is this latter version I wish to talk about here. The previous generation reference 5140 had been in the catalogue for 10 years and is one of the very fine examples of what Patek classics means: a thin and smooth case, an elegant dial in spite of the…
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The Patek Philippe 5227R Calatrava – Almost 10 years of this marvel
Hi everyone, I still remember the day I was presented the Patek Philippe 5227R Calatrava. I was at a Patek Salon to have a look at more complicated models when the salesperson kindly brought this 2013 novelty. The model was replacing the 5127 generation. It wasn’t the kind of model I focus on, not complicated enough, hence I didn’t spend much time looking at the first pictures available on the net when it was released. In fact, though I aesthetically like some Calatravas, I’m more interested by complicated watches as mechanism is an important reason why I like watchmaking. Hence, my first thought was that I wasn’t very tempted by…
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The Patek Philippe 4978-400G Ladies Calatrava – Welcome in Wonderland
Hi everyone, This is party time. This time I would like to approach a very different kind of watches from the ones I usually enjoy. Even though I tend to discuss about what I could wear myself, I tried on, really “for the fun”, this special Calatrava during a press event and, well… I found that it looked surprisingly appealing! The size balance, the overall colors combination but more importantly the way all these diamonds are assembled and placed in a way it offers a terrific show in the end. I learned diamond settings are nice to look at. Hence, for ladies (or for men feeling like it), though this…
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The Patek Philippe 5930G World Time Chronograph – A stunning 1950’s proportions reminiscence
Hi everyone, Back in 2016, the new model Patek Philippe 5930G World Time Chronograph was launched together with the World Time only 5230 (the 5130’s successor). It was taking after the older and unique-made 1415-1 piece ordered in 1940 for the Doctor P. Schmidt (picture below – not the doctor, the watch). It was the first and only Patek with the World Time and Chronograph complications assembled together. The watch is now visible at the Patek Philippe Museum and remains quite famous from many catalogue covers and Patek Philippe’s documentations. Surprisingly, this one-shot wasn’t followed by a dedicated line-up. Indeed, the 1940-1970’s era was a time when complicated watches weren’t…
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The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R – A refinement singularity
Hi everyone, Well, it isn’t excessive to say that the Golden Ellipse family from Patek Philippe’s catalogue looks like no other. In that sense, many collectors feel it has a flavor no other has and, once we have seen one in the metal, it delivers quite unique an experience. In 2018, the brand has proudly taken the opportunity to shine a light on this peculiar bird in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Golden Ellipse (1968-2018). Indeed, they launched the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 5738R together with a special 100pcs-limited model, the 5738/50P-01 (Rare Handcrafts). It was a perfect opportunity to reshape the offer considering our present times,…
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The Richard Mille RM39-01 Aviation E6-B – A Fighter cockpit on the wrist
Hello everyone, I wished to have a view on another Richard Mille. This time, it is a king-size model that reflects quite well the “machine” moto. The Richard Mille RM39-01 Aviation E6-B reference finds its origin in the RM039 Tourbillon Aviation E6-B that was first presented in 2012. Back then, it represented a nightmare in terms of development because of its complexity (hence a few years delay). The 30 pieces RM039 was a very difficult mechanism to finalize (nearly 1000 parts). Indeed, not only is it special for its Tourbillon but, as a “watch for pilot”, it brings much more instruments than any other. It is one of the most…
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The Patek Philippe 5024G Gondolo – Art Deco elegance with a Salmon dial
Hi everyone, A little pleasure I wanted to post today about this gorgeous Patek Philippe 5024G Gondolo Salmon dial I could handle a while ago thanks to a friend owner of this version. This is a very different shape from the ones we usually experience as it is a Gondolo case showing its appealing Art-Deco style. Its beauty has also a lot to do with the simplicity of a 3-hander and of course its magnificent dial layout. There are watches that were withdrawn from the catalogue many years ago and that we might never have heard of. Especially true if we got interested in watches quite recently. In the present…
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The long awaited Nautilus – The Patek Philippe 5740G Perpetual Calendar
Hello everyone, For quite some time before its launch, the Patek Philippe 5740G Nautilus Perpetual Calendar was a kind of dream for many in the sport-chic line of the brand. The reason was it would embed one of the finest functions of watchmaking, the “perpetual” date indication (also called “Quantième Perpetuel”), requiring no setting during the year as it even takes into account leap years (hence February’s 28th or 29th uniqueness). At last, in 2018, we’ve been provided with the complication echoing the Nautilus’ “chic” side. Indeed, whereas the complication was historically observed in traditional references only, the thinness of the 5711/5712 models contained already the seeds of an extraordinary…
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The Richard Mille RM67-01 Extra Flat in rose gold – The contemporary “dressy”?
Hi everyone, I was able to try on, a couple of times, the Richard Mille RM67-01 Extra Flat which was presented in 2015. At the time, it was quite a new offer from the brand, due to its thinner case. In fact, these RMs are maybe one of the most beautiful modern watches I know. It may have looked as a mere detail back then but compared to the previous models the brand launched, it represented quite a new line-up. Visible below, you may know the square models, the RM17 (Tourbillon) and RM16, that were already thinner (resp. 8.7 and 8.25mm) and considered to be pieces you would choose to…