Patek Philippe Entry Level Cinderellas  

Hi Ketan, it's Golden Ellipse. (It sounds like Eclipse with a lisp...) Cheers, Bill

Love the Golden Ratio (phi)... Michel Parmigiani uses it a good deal too. Take care, Bill

Hi Frantisek, I guess designers and architects are familiar. For me, the challenge is to find the golden section. Get a good picture of a Parmigiani and compare the length of the hour hand and the minute hand. You should find a golden section there! (Put another way; minute hand divided by hour hand = phi.) Cheers, Bill

An ellipse of the tongue Tim. Take care, Bill

@@watchartsci well played!

@@watchartsciTotal Ellipse of the Heart.

Yes Zzeuss, that was the mollusk that slipped my mind...chambered nautilus. Thanks, Bill

How do you like it Young? Take care, Bill

Hey RP! Nicely put! I like the new big Ellipses, but it's never been a favorite. The 5085 was dropped around 2008 or so. If they had lowered the price to a tad under $10k, made it steel only, used sail-cloth straps, they would still be in sky high demand. Cheers, Bill

Hi Michael, I'm vaguely familiar with the name Piet Hein and his general reputation in Danish modern furniture. And you're right, the design of the Golden Ellipse is reminiscent of Hein's. Kindest regards, Bill

I agree Benny ... the Golden Ellipse is an interesting watch, but I'd rather have an AC as well. Take care, Bill

Hi Lawrence! Some of the GE's are pretty small ... even the men's. However if you find one at a low, low price...it might just be worth the investment. Kindest regards, Bill

Hey 24K ArabiaFelix, yes! Parmigiani Fleurier! One of my favorite brands!!! Phi is used in all kinds of designs; the challenge is to find where the 'golden section' is! Cheers, Bill

Hi Lakewooder99, hmmmm... must have missed that. There was an article a few years back indicating Trump wore a self-signed watch with a quartz movement that turned out to be a commercial flop, but he's rich, and he can afford to wear whatever he wants. Here's the article: www.ablogtowatch.com/watches-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-2016-us-presidential-election/ By the way... I don't put much stock in what watches celebrities or politicians wear. What do they know about horology? Cheers, Bill

www.thewatchindex.com/Most-Popular-Watches/Presidential-Watches-Donald-Trumps-Watch-Collection The above article is where I read it that he had a golden ellipse.

Hey Proripp! I'm not genius at all; so what's PMSL? Quizzically, Bill

My pleasure Luis. As for my disposed of Patek magazines, they're stacked up for future references. Here's a deal for you for an Ellipse: www.therealreal.com/products/watches/strap/patek-philippe-x-gubelin-golden-ellipse-watch-7c698?position=19 The "Golden Ellipse" refers to the "Golden ratio" ... If you get an Ellipse, you'll get a life-time subscription to the Patek magazine. Take care and be safe, Bill😷

@@watchartsci it was precisely the one I was considering Bill. That patina😍 And I strive to get on that subscription soon. I'm really glad you are not throwing them away.

Mountainhobo, did you ever look into the math behind the 'Golden' part of the Golden Ellipse? It's from the "Golden Ratio" and the fibonacci progression. It might be fun for you. Take care and be safe, Bill😷

@@watchartsci Yes, that makes it even more attractive. 🤓

Hey Doc! Thanks man! Cheers, Bill

Hi MrRea! Thanks man! I was surprised how few Golden Ellipses were for sale on Chrono 24 (only a couple dozen in the U.S.), and given its general lack popularity, most were pretty pricey. Some older, smaller ones were around $5k world-wide but I didn't see much below that. Who knows? They might drop or gain in value after this 50th Anniversary hoopla, Patek is putting on. Cheers, Bill

WatchArtSci I’ve always equated Golden Ellipses with Patek’s long before the Nautilus came along and in the Seventies, but they seemed to outsell the Calatrava - I may be wrong. I guess Patek only made around 3-4,000 watches per year back then so numbers are relative. It may also explain why the larger older ones command a higher price - too few of them around. Anyway your videos often share very unique and interesting information which makes them a joy to watch - in addition to your unique (and charming!) pronunciation of French!😂

Hi Hero, any watch (or anything else) is overpriced if it does not sell. However, purchase is too often based not on the quality of the product but one the image-as they say in advertising "It's the sizzle; not the stake." Take care, Bill

WatchArtSci Ok got you. So you are saying it is overpriced and maybe should be USD5000 but certainly not US 30-4OK

No Hero, I did not say that. It is helpful to get away of "over" or "under" pricing and focus on the quality. If you do that, you can find quality in more places than the collector who focuses on price, only. Learn about watches, movements and watchmakers, and you can find more watches of both excellence and that will fit your pocketbook than following a crowd. Take care, Bill

@@watchartsci Understood, but ultimately, if we first focus on the quality and we like it we will eventually have to face the music and look to attain that piece in the collection then one is smacked in the face for US$30K. Then we mumble to ourselves that our desire to attain it may not be worth it afterall because our bank balance does not allow it. Hence the reason why I have some many Timex type equivalent movement watches in my collection;)

Hero, if you want to equate price with quality; be my guest. However, lest you become the collector "...who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing..." let me see if I can help you with your financials. If you find the quality of a watch based on the watchmaker, the quality of the craftsmanship and the materials used-before the herd-the price will be much lower. When that discovery becomes more widely known, the price goes up ... but this is not about the price per se, but rather the quality of the timepiece and what can you afford. So tell me is it better to do the homework to find a quality watch at an affordable price or do a quick check of Chrono24 and the AD prices to determine a good watch knowing little or nothing about the quality of the watch? Take care, Bill

Hey Bill, I trust Patek Philippe to try and figure out what people want design and watch-wise, but whether they get it right or wrong, the process, materials and everything else that goes into the watch has Patek quality. Sometimes they get it wrong, as does every other watch company, and then we can pick them up for a decent price. The good news is that once the price has dropped , it usually doesn't drop any further, and if we buy and sell at bargain prices, we can get back what we paid. (For flipper purposes!) Some commercial flops are such because of an over-the-top and creative style. I see that in the Rolex Cellini Prince; a watch that strayed from the conventional styles associated with Rolex. But they're pretty cool in their own right as well. Others that are decidedly different, like the Vacheron Constantin Historiques American 1921, are huge successes ... who knows why? As for the Golden Ellipse and Neptune; there's someone out there who'll love them and get a good buy in the process. Cheers, Bill

¡Muchas gracias! Bienvenido a WatchArtSci Cheers, Bill

Yes, Reza, I wish I had several! Cheers, Bill

Hi Beowulf. If the Patek says it's not original, it's probably not. The earliest Golden Ellipse wg mesh was for a woman's watch in 1970 and for a man's in 1974. So, if the wg bracelet is from 1972 is the real thing, it's probably from the ladies version of the GE and also explains why it doesn't fit. What are the dimensions of your watch, and I'll look it up. Kindest regards, Bill

Thanks for that it has calatrava clasp but I accept their verdict. I should like to wear it but the bracelet is too small. It has no lugs so leather is out. I don't know what to do.

WatchArtSci hi Bill, I didn't see the last part until just now. I will check my record, as it is with Patek for servicing at present.

I should add it's a beautiful watch on the wrist and feels like a million dollars.

Hi Bill, it's 18.9 cm.

Thanks for the info, Har G! Take care, Bill