It's a "manjewel"

[gingi310]

When I start talking about my 5402 with folks - even watch guys (I've never actually met anyone in the flesh who could appreciate it) - I see a lot of smirks, a lot of eye rolling and a lot of impatient looks as I struggle for words.

I usually end up somewhere between,

"It changes to way you look at watches,"

to,

"it completely recalibrates your conception of aesthetics."

It's because the 5402 goes so far beyond what I knew a watch, indeed any tangible object, save one*, was capable of. What's the exception? I'll get there in a second...

The complexity and detail of the case design. The richness of the dial. The perfection of the execution of the finish. You can keep throwing words out there, and they help, certainly, but they don't suffice. Indeed, even the best photographs - and I have seen some incredible ones - help one tremendously to understand the 5402 but even they don't quite suffice. The beauty of the 5402 cannot quite be captured in a photograph.

Only when you hold it in your hands, strap it to your wrist, and contemplate it in person does the true nature of the 5402 come out. In this way, it is like a jewel. A manjewel.

Like a jewel, the manjewel relies a lot on precision reflection, absorption and diffusing of light to project its wonder. One example that I noticed:



Neat, huh?

For me, it's this and twelve dozen other things that separate a mere watch from..............

THE MANJEWEL!!!

[mikeceee]

What's the exception?

[GB-man]

love your 5402 but you have to understand most people could care less about watches let alone vintage AP!

Best to keep the love story on here where you have like minded collectors

Btw that graduated bevel you point out has always been one of my favorite details of my RO.

[Rashid.bk]

Bro! I feel you, I completely agree....but 90% of the population would think you're obsessed and when they hear how much you spent, it'll get worse.

[bayerische]

Only place I can talk watches properly is here on TRF and VRF.

[B. Doggy]

Man, we are really geeks!!

[lapince]

Originally Posted by bayerische

Only place I can talk watches properly is here on TRF and VRF.

Same for me, only 2 of my friends know I had a few pieces, they knew about 3-4 of them, but I never told anyone apart from here what pieces I had, 9 but I just cut down to 3, don't know why but I don't like to talk about watches with people I know because even if the 2 like watches and know what Ap, PP and a few others are, they would never understand how I could put 25K in euros for my 5712, or a few other pieces that I had which were between 6K and 23K...

[Hairdude1]

Gotta love this place!!

[Andad]

"it completely recalibrates your conception of aesthetics."

Wot u talkin' 'bout Willis?

[AK797]

A birth year 5402 always appeals to me.

[VICI]

A watch is really the only acceptable 'jewelry' a man can wear.

I read somewhere that the average man looks at his timepiece 30 times per day and not to know the time =)

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by VICI

A watch is really the only acceptable 'jewelry' a man can wear.

I read somewhere that the average man looks at his timepiece 30 times per day and not to know the time =)

If that is the case then we are all 3 std deviations above the mean

[subtona]

Have to agree It is an exceptionally remarkable case and design




Proper water resistance would have been appreciated, since they were putting so much effort into design already. Doesn't take a thing away from the beauty.

[sea-dweller]

Very nice!