Any source for high quality Patek dress watch?

[p550racer]

Ladies and Gents,

Does any one know of a source for High Quality Patek dress watches? I have been looking for years and coming up empty. Surely with such a simple watch as a hand wind or auto Calatrava, some body would make a High Quality and accurate rep. If the movement engraving is too complicated than a solid case back with no engraving (like the older Pateks) will do the trick. Another option is the SWISS ETA movoment with silver movement and gold rotor as in the high quality Aquanaut will work too.

Quite perplexed with this one.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks & regards,

Sam

[p550racer]

Well gents, any body has any input on this

[txcollector]

no good Calatrava available. Apparently not a whole lot of demand.

The best ones are the Aquanaut and the Nautilus Jumbo. Here's mine.

[p550racer]

You are absolutely right. I too have both the best versions of the Nautilus and Aquanaut, which are both sports watches. But I still cannot understand there is no demand for the ultimate dress watch, that is a basic Patek calatrava. There are a couple of basic/classic, good quality ones, with saphire crystals and Swiss ETA movements, but there is always some very obvious, glaring flaw. It seems that they do not want to go the extra step to make it perfect. For example the Swiss ETA with the silver movement and correct style gold rotor they put in the ultimate Nautilus is "very close to correct look" for any dispaly back simple/classic Patek. They use the same Swiss ETA movement is some of the high end simple/calssic Pateks, but with a wrong style silver rotor. Another example is that they will have the correct case, but wrong dial, or correct dial with wrong case etc. So it does not make sense

[KB]

I think your best bet is to give up on the Patek and try a nice Vacheron.

Ken

[p550racer]

Hi Ken,

Vacherons are very nice and classy. Unfortunately I do not know much about them. I would think that the classic simple ones would have the same basic rep issues as the Pateks. But maybe I am wrong. Is there a simple/classic "spot on" one out there that you can guide me to.

Thanks & regards,

Sam

[KB]

Hi Sam,

Gen Vacheron Constantin Malte...

My rep, which I should point out is at least 7 years old...

I'm no expert on Vacheron but I would guess some of the more recent models would be even closer.

Ken

[sul]

There is no Patek Philippe good replica but this model is very ok fantasy watch( this watch does not exist in real life). If you can live with that.

Silver raiser relief dial with superb dial markers printing. Silver dial, dark grey hand set, black hour marke`s = very nice combination.

Sapphire glass front and back. One of the best quality rep hand set and dial quality.

There is( was) also available cream and white dial version but these are not so nice.

I will write some better review maybe later, it is quite nice classic 40mm dress watch to be honest.

I choose fantasy model because all other 40mm replicas with copy Venus movement will have sub dial spacing and size very wrong. Instant give away. I better will wear very nice 100% fantasy model than bad replica. Cheap 21J/23J dress watch models will always have synthetic sapphire, so visibility is not good. Don`t look these. And cheap 21J/23J movement watches will have also usually lower dial-and hand set quality.

This watch dial and hand set quality is VERY good. Of course gen PP did not ever use Venus movement, so, as I mention this watch is 100% fantasy watch in every way. But very nice fantasy watch for my eye`s

Pictures don`t justify, I have good camera but no macro lens.

These pictures are taken with old small digi camera.

[chronos666]

I like the fantasy pp. Is that the strap it came with?

[sul]

I like the fantasy pp. Is that the strap it came with?

No, rep. strap is no good. You definitely need new stap. On picture watch is with not so well known German manufacturer strap. Dark brown, black or darker purple(darke red) are suitable I think for silver dial dress watch. No light brown or lighter color.

[mbjoer]

Agree with all that is said above.

A few more points though.

You are looking for a watch in the very top end of the market. For that to work you will need to pay attention to the detailing on the watch and not the apparant accuracy of the replication. Also on the back of the watch.

Both of the watches above are convincing with a couple of modifications. The most important one being the strap as mentioned already. But you should also give them an AR treatment so that the dial becomes noticeable. I have them both and it has made a really big difference.

As to the movement it is visually very good looking and to the 99.99999% of mankind who know nothing about movements it gives the feel of a really expensive one. It is also known to be reliable.

With the modifications mentioned you will add a couple of hundered $$ to the initial price, but you will get a watch which could convincingly cost 25 times more.

[sul]

Yes Venus copy movement is know as quite reliable. But, this PP fantasy is 2006 model, so it was sitting probably on some dealer drawer 4-5 years, movement will need probabaly a service asap.

My watch was working a week without problems,-1 min during 2-3 days, It`s normal.

Now after week movement is running to fast around 10-15 min in one day. So - time for service. I could ask from dealer replace a watch, bu I won`t do that. I am not sure will be next one better or maybe next one have some cosmetic problems on dial etc. So, time for service, i did not expect that it will happen so soon, but I do understand that this watch is from 2006 release. How much is Venus movement service, anybody know`s? Instead AR I have to do service now.

[StormTooper4]

Calatrava minimalistic beauty

ST4

[Corgi]

[calatrava]

I posted some photos of my Patek Calatrava replicas in the following post:

Patek Calatrava Replicas

Of these, the 3520D replica is perhaps the most accurate, with a simple plain solid caseback. It is a quartz movement, as opposed to an automatic, but since it only has two hands (no second hand), the quartz movement isn't too much of a giveaway.

Edited December 24, 2010 by calatrava