A Patek dilemma

[Fiery]

I've been an active member of this great forum for quite some time now, but this is the first topic I've opened about a non-Rolex watch. I'm sorry about the very long post.

I've gone through numerous watch brands and several sub-$5000 watches in the past few years. My modest collection currently includes a Breitling Colt II Quartz ("the beater"), a SS Sub-C LN ("the everyday wear"), an Omega Speedmaster MoonWatch from 1969 ("the vintage watch"), and last but certainly not least an AP Royal Oak 15300ST ("the one for special occasions"). I want to extend my collection slowly, by only getting one watch per year. I'm also determined to get only one watch per each brand I find interesting, and make sure not to add multiple similar watches to my collection. I also don't want to trade in any of my current watches to fund a next purchase, so one can consider all my current watches "keepers".

As you can see, my collection so far is geared towards sporty models. That is because despite being in my 30's and "guiding my own ship", I almost never have to wear a suit. In most cases I dress in t-shirt and jeans/shorts, just like any teenagers would But lately I've thought about "updating my style" and dressing more dressy -- I hope you know what I mean. And that opened my sights to such watches that before I didn't feel appropriate to be worn with t-shirts and training shoes...

When picking the AP Royal Oak this summer, I was torn between this watch and the Patek 5711, but went for the AP on the basis that it felt a much sportier watch, better suited to my clothing and lifestyle. Now that the 5711 may be an option for my "new me", I'm afraid it feels a bit redundant to get a 5711 and keep my Royal Oak as well. So I've started browsing the web and various forums, and educated myself on such Patek watches that before didn't really interest me. Such watches like the Annual Calendar 5146 and 5396, and the Manual Chronograph 5170. I know they aren't necesserily in the same price bracket, and I'm also not entirely sure which one would suit me best.

I love the Annual Calendars, because they would bring a very useful and interesting complication to my watch collection, and would be perfect for dressy ocassions. I especially love the 5146 in white gold with slate dial, since it is somehow closer to the sporty watches "norm" I got accustomed to. It is probably more suitable for someone like me, although I never had a chance to try one on (unfortunately we don't have a Patek AD here in Hungary).

My concern about the 5170 is that it's only available in yellow gold, and in some ways it's a bit similar to my manual chronograph (Speedmaster). And it seems a bit expensive, of course. But it also has a beautifully decorated movement that one can never get with an automatic watch I guess the 5170 would be perfect with a three-piece, but I'm not sure how would it wear with a bit more formal wear, e.g. a casual shirt.

Apart from the usual recommendation of "visit an AD and try them all on", what would you recommend to a "Patek rookie" guy like me? What would you feel would suit me best? Are there any other watches I should consider from the Patek lineup? Please bear in mind that I'm cursed with a skinny wrist (6.3 inches), hence even a 41mm DJ II feels a bit too large on me when it comes to dressy watches...

Also, some practical questions about a potential Patek watch purchase:

1) In a Patek AD, is it possible to exchange the default watch strap to the S or XS size variant free of charge, in case the strap was never worn? If not (which I'm afraid would be the case), then how much an alligator strap with a gold deployant clasp would cost? My guess would be somewhere in the $300-$500 range.

2) Which one of the above mentioned models are readily available in most Patek ADs? My guess would be the 5146 and 5396, while the 5170 is only for pre-orders with a waiting list.

3) Is there any difference between a Patek AD and Patek Boutique when it comes to finding the above mentioned models? Am I better off visiting a Boutique in a hope that they would carry more variants of those models? It would be amazing being able to try on both the YG and WG variants of the Annual Calendars, with different faces as well...

4) [[[ I hope this is not an inappropriate question here: ]]] About the steel Nautilus 5711 and 5980 there's not much chance to get a deal at an AD, but what about the gold Annual Calendars? Is there a room for negotiations? Is there a difference between how an AD and a Boutique handles such situations? Is there a policy in Boutiques about firm MSRP, absolutely no room for negotiations? If there's no room about the price, is it possible to get a free strap for example?

5) Probably the least important thing in my life, but would be interesting to discuss: is there a particular Annual Calendar model in the current Patek lineup that is more collectible than the others? Is there a chance one of them would be discontinued soon, after just a few years production, and so it would become a collectors item in the future?

Thank you for taking the time to read all my ramblings above