Two Omegas, One Patek. What would you have done?

Larry S

No one can really answer this. You need to ask yourself “What will I really wear?” ... That PP can be dressed down with a more rustic strap, but if your world is business casual ... wrong watch. Personally the speedy is one modern model that actually looks good in gold. (Good = Understated, can be worn with a polo and jeans, doesn’t make you look like a Russian oligarch. )

steelfish

Dream watch. Like you say this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Having missed several opportunities myself, I have learned that lesson the hard way.

jpjsavage

I've thought long and hard about this today. Thanks for all the advice. I've spoken to the Omega AD and to the Patek AD. I'm going for the full gold speedmaster. This has been my original plan for a long time (years) and the Omega AD has worked very hard to secure this piece for me. It will go with my 1969 speedmaster, making a lovely pair, and will also be a fitting way to mark my 50th birthday. I am going to wait and see about the stainless steel 50th anniversary model but I'm erring on the side of not purchasing this (I take the point made by someone made elsewhere that it is probably not needed from a collector's point of view given that this anniversary is covered by the other watch).

I'd like to honour my commitment to buy this piece from the Omega AD too. He has been brilliant at helping me secure a range of hard to get Rolex watches over the past few years and I don't think we'll be seeing many of the gold Speedmasters here in the UK either. He has shared with me in confidence some of the background to the acquisition of this watch from Omega and it was not at all straightforward. I am confident that in the medium to long term this watch will prove to be a good investment too.

Whilst I love the Patek 5205R, I think there will be a time to make significant changes to my small collection and get a complicated Patek. Just not now.

Thanks for all the advice. It has been greatly appreciated. I know many of you would have gone a different way with this nice problem and thanks to you all for sharing your reasoning here.

stevec14

Awesome. FWIW I would have gone the 2 omegas personally. That gold one looks absolutely stunning. Looking forward to the pics once you have them!

If you can fulfil the patek dream later, then picking these up now makes sense.

jpjsavage

I 100% get that. However, I'm not wedded to the 5205R specifically, just the idea of a complicated Patek as an end-game watch. To that end, I'm sure I will regret not buying this but I can't afford all the watches that I'd like to have. Having had a 5711 in the past, I appreciate the quality and heritage of Patek (I've also read all of this book which is amazing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patek-Philippe-Nicholas-Foulkes/dp/1848094620) and I hope that other opportunities will come along in the future to make that move.

If I didn't buy the Speedmaster now, I think I'd regret that more. And I'm pretty sure that it is a once in a lifetime offer (perhaps an exaggeration) but you know what I mean. It is time-limited given the anniversary and associated demand.

Flintlock

Interesting pricing on that book. It's £175.00 on UK site but only $157.99 on US site.

Flintlock

Is the small hours set independently? The look is to love. The lunar and the month, day, date just come together so well.

jpjsavage

I've thought long and hard about this today. Thanks for all the advice. I've spoken to the Omega AD and to the Patek AD. I'm going for the full gold speedmaster. This has been my original plan for a long time (years) and the Omega AD has worked very hard to secure this piece for me. It will go with my 1969 speedmaster, making a lovely pair, and will also be a fitting way to mark my 50th birthday. I am going to wait and see about the stainless steel 50th anniversary model but I'm erring on the side of not purchasing this (I take the point made by someone made elsewhere that it is probably not needed from a collector's point of view given that this anniversary is covered by the other watch).

I'd like to honour my commitment to buy this piece from the Omega AD too. He has been brilliant at helping me secure a range of hard to get Rolex watches over the past few years and I don't think we'll be seeing many of the gold Speedmasters here in the UK either. He has shared with me in confidence some of the background to the acquisition of this watch from Omega and it was not at all straightforward. I am confident that in the medium to long term this watch will prove to be a good investment too.

Whilst I love the Patek 5205R, I think there will be a time to make significant changes to my small collection and get a complicated Patek. Just not now.

Thanks for all the advice. It has been greatly appreciated. I know many of you would have gone a different way with this nice problem and thanks to you all for sharing your reasoning here.

jpjsavage

I've thought long and hard about this today. Thanks for all the advice. I've spoken to the Omega AD and to the Patek AD. I'm going for the full gold speedmaster. This has been my original plan for a long time (years) and the Omega AD has worked very hard to secure this piece for me. It will go with my 1969 speedmaster, making a lovely pair, and will also be a fitting way to mark my 50th birthday. I am going to wait and see about the stainless steel 50th anniversary model but I'm erring on the side of not purchasing this (I take the point made by someone made elsewhere that it is probably not needed from a collector's point of view given that this anniversary is covered by the other watch).

I'd like to honour my commitment to buy this piece from the Omega AD too. He has been brilliant at helping me secure a range of hard to get Rolex watches over the past few years and I don't think we'll be seeing many of the gold Speedmasters here in the UK either. He has shared with me in confidence some of the background to the acquisition of this watch from Omega and it was not at all straightforward. I am confident that in the medium to long term this watch will prove to be a good investment too.

Whilst I love the Patek 5205R, I think there will be a time to make significant changes to my small collection and get a complicated Patek. Just not now.

Thanks for all the advice. It has been greatly appreciated. I know many of you would have gone a different way with this nice problem and thanks to you all for sharing your reasoning here.

F FlyingSnoopy

I didn’t see the post before you decided...
However I think that you made the right choice.
The gold 50th will be a collectors piece and if you had chosen the pp and changed your mind you would have not find it easily or would have paid a premium.
The omega is more versatile and, in my opinion, a better complication that would also need less maintenance costs...
Besides, a 50th anniversary for your 50th birthday is quite sweet....
Enjoy it when it comes (I am looking forward to mine too!)
Cheers

Nobel Prize

Curious, How is the Omega a better complication? It seems pretty straight forward compared to a perpetual calendar.

F FlyingSnoopy

“In my opinion”...
I think that a chronograph (and especially a manual one) is a more attractive and useful complication than an annual calendar.
Of course there is no right or wrong. Personally I do not like perpetual or annual calendars and I regard them quite sensitive.
Cheers

F FlyingSnoopy

I didn’t see the post before you decided...
However I think that you made the right choice.
The gold 50th will be a collectors piece and if you had chosen the pp and changed your mind you would have not find it easily or would have paid a premium.
The omega is more versatile and, in my opinion, a better complication that would also need less maintenance costs...
Besides, a 50th anniversary for your 50th birthday is quite sweet....
Enjoy it when it comes (I am looking forward to mine too!)
Cheers