Patek Philippe, IWC, & Complicated Watches For Watch Buyers: From The Vault
Tim Mosso and Brian Govberg return from a coronavirus-induced sabbatical for a socially distanced comeback episode of “From the Vault!” Today’s show theme is “Complicated Watches,” and we have eight of them on the table. Luxury watch buyers receive a curated showcase of the best watch brands on “From the Vault.”
Brian has four watches to share: three from the vault, and one from his wrist.
The Patek Philippe 5216P is a monster of a grand complication from a watch brand famous for the type. With a tourbillon regulator, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date, the 5216P is 39.5mm of grail watch. Despite its extraordinary price, this Patek – once available exclusively upon application to Thierry Stern – is a sweetly sized daily driver that offers few external clues as to the extravagance beneath its sapphire caseback.
Fans of complicated chronographs will thrill to the inclusion of a red gold Patek Philippe 5204/1R-001 perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph. A 40.2mm rattrapante with a calendar mechanically programmed until the year 2100, the 5204/1R is a full-bracelet variant of the opulent successor to the legendary 5004.
Form watches rarely get top billing unless Richard Mille is mentioned, but the Patek Philippe 5101P Gondolo tourbillon 10-days is a rare standout among non-round timepieces. Launched in 2003, this salmon dial beauty is a legend of modern watchmaking and an aristocratic icon for well-heeled watch hobby insiders. With a magnificent sized and shaped movement and a COSC chronometer to pair beauty with precision, the Patek 5101P is the flagship of the Gondolo line.
Brian’s first-generation Breitling Aerospace analog-digital pilot’s watch sits on standby to remind watch enthusiasts that mortal budgets can still afford high-flying fun.
Tim’s selections focus on value from Jaeger LeCoultre, Ulysse Nardin, Roger Dubuis, and IWC.
IWC’s stunning Tribute to Pallweber in stainless steel is a half-price alternative to a used A Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk. Launched in 800 pieces for the 150th anniversary of IWC, the 2018 Tribute to Pallweber features jumping digital time displays that recall IWC’s 19th century Josef Pallweber-designed pocket watches. The lustrous blue lacquer dial on this example is an exclusive feature of the stainless-steel model.
Jaeger LeCoultre’s Master Compressor Extreme Lab 2 is the best Richard Mille never sold. As a GMT, power reserve, digital minutes chronograph, shock-resistant and 100-meter water resistant sports watch supreme, the Extreme Lab 2 is makes an RM-011 look like a Datejust. Additional features include a multifunction crown, quick release lugs, hacking lever, and a micro-adjusting pin buckle that might be the most elaborate such component ever sold.
Roger Dubuis’ modern watches rarely garner respect from watch snobs – they’re all about the 1990s – but the 2011 Roger Dubuis Pulsion chronograph should be an exception. This 44mm titanium and sapphire chronograph is feature-dense. Its manufacture caliber RD680 is both a COSC Swiss chronometer and blessed with the Geneva Hallmark. Add 100-meter water resistance, and this is the ultimate sub-$13,000 value in haut-de-gamme watchmaking.
Minute repeaters remain the last class of complications to defy mass production. This 38.5mm red gold Ulysse Nardin Repetition Minutes is a rare opportunity to buy an enamel dial minute repeater for – much – less than $100,000. A grand feu enamel dial in white cloaks the complexity of UN’s caliber 71, and the pedigree of this movement is impressive: Dominque Renaud, Giulio Papi, and Christophe Claret’s short-lived joint venture was responsible for the design.
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