GWIS
1211
5712
Hello,
Three weeks ago I picked up a 5712/1A and, while I know that it is not exactly groundbreaking, in the interests of making a contribution to the forum I wanted to offer some observations now that the first flush of ownership has passed.
To start at the beginning....
The Box
It's been 4 years since I last bought a Patek (a 5035) and since then, as many of you will be well aware, the boxes have been upgraded and supersized and I have to say that the new box is gorgeous. The combination of the dark wood and the extremely solid feel of the box make it a winner. It really feels like Christmas as a kid each time you open it up!
Initial Impressions
When I unwrapped the Nautilus from its transport packaging, my first impression was that it was not just another steel watch. For all the great pictures I have seen of the watch, the photos just don't capture how it really "glows" and the feeling of quality it exudes. I think that same is true of the Royal Oaks; from the photos you can't fully appreciate the different types of matt, brushed and polished surfaces. In particular, with the polished centre links of the bracelet, the Nautilus really shines and as a result it seems to make more of an initial impact than the Royal Oak but the down-side is that it attracts marks and finger prints more easily.
The Case and Bracelet
As I say, I hadn't fully appreciated from the pictures I had seen the various types of surface finish and in particular the way the finishes alternate across the case, so that the bezel is brushed, the edges of the bezel are polished, the hinge "ears" are brushed and then area around the crown is polished (even the holes in the hinge ears, into which the screws are inserted, are polished). In addition to this, the back of the case has a fine sand blasted appearance.
I know some people just don't like the shape of case and I can fully sympathise with that view but the longer I have had the watch the more interesting I find it. All the different lines, curves and angles come together and work much better in the metal than in photos, to the extent that the Nautilus somehow makes my round watches seem boring by comparison.
On the wrist
I don't have any watches bigger than 42mm but the Nautilus wears quite large given its thinness and the extension of the hinge ears. To me the watch feels substantial but if you are coming from steel ROOs or Panerais I imagine it will feel lightweight by comparison and therefore if you have a bigger wrist you may be better off with the slightly larger but substantially thicker 5980. I had the choice of a 5980 or the 5712 and I went for the 5712 partly because I thought it would fit my smaller wrist better and it would slide under my shirt cuffs with greater ease. That has proved to be the case but having tried Allen's 5980 for 30 minutes at the recent JLC event in London, I have to say that the 5980 fits very well too.
The Patek catalogue and the Nautilus brochure mention that, in producing the 2006 range of Nautilus watches, changes were made to make the bracelets more comfortable and supple. While I don't have any experience with earlier Nautilus watches, the 5712 is extremely comfortable on the wrist. To me it has sufficient weight to have a presence and the excellent bracelent means that it feels nicely balanced. Most importantly the bracelet hasn't yet ripped any hairs from my forearm unlike some of my other watches!
I love the asymmetric arrangement of the complications and a combination of the cut out moon-phase, the undulating surface and the applied hour markers give the dial a real depth. Whilst the dial is supposed to be blue/black in colour, in most lights it appears grey.
Movement
Being almost completely ignorant of technical matters I wouldn't presume to comment on the calibre 240. However one of the frequent comments I have seen is that it does not wind very efficiently. For me that has not proved to be the case. I am an office worker, not an aerobics instructor, and the 5712 seems to wind just fine!! In any event given that the 5712 has a power reserve it is obviously very easy to determine when the watch needs to be manually wound.
Conclusion
As you would expect from Patek, the 5712 is a beautifully finished watch and, whilst it will not appeal to all, I have found it to be an interestingly designed watch which is very comfortable to wear. Before I picked up the watch I was concerned that it might not live up to the hype but for me that fear has proved unfounded and it is deserving of its reputation (but perhaps not some of the inflated prices I have seen).
Best wishes
Jon
This message has been edited by GWIS on 2008-08-25 12:47:19
5712
great report
Fantastic report.
I love my 5712/1A also
