4947/1A Landed

[mathurss]

I’ve been living in the rabbit hole that is Patek Philippe for some time now. Immersing myself in the brand’s history, researching different references and learning about the savoire faire.

Got the call a couple of weeks after going in to talk to my local AD. I had my eye on a 5212A but my SA was very upfront that it would likely be a long wait.

She brought up the 4947/1A and I really wasn’t sure based on the renderings but I liked the practicality of the annual calendar and the moonphase is probably the complication that drew me into horology years ago (and somehow wasn’t represented in my collection). I told her I would love to see it in the metal.

You know how the story ends. Obviously I pulled the trigger but if I’m being honest with all of you, I still had lingering doubts walking out of the store. Clearly the 4947/1A was appealing and it was my first Patek, so I wanted my name on the paperwork, but this wasn’t initially on my radar and that gave me slight trepidation.

Well I’m happy to report that two weeks in I’m over the moon (pun intended) for this watch. Absolutely love it! It fits my wrist perfectly (the bracelet is a dream; light weight and well articulating). I love the complexity of the dial—light plays with the Shantung motif differently depending on the angle and strength of illumination (I tried but don’t think my photography did it justice). The white Patek Philippe text contrasts so well against the dial when light is off angle or dim.

It’s a very whimsical piece. The Breguet white gold numerals lend a warmth to the dial, which reminds me of a night sky encircled by the charming railroad minute track. It seems like a perfect setting for a moonphase and one where they chose to also include stars outside the rotating moon disk, not just within it.

I’m not sure how this model escaped my notice but it’s definitely worth looking into for those of you that like an annual calendar in stainless steel, a more traditionally sized watch and a road a little less traveled (or at least talked about).





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk