THE DC REVIEW: Patek 5070r, it's here and it's loooong!!

[_DC_ 218]

Within most watch brands there is a model or reference that has reached cult icon status. Like a cult film, it might not be the best, nor the highest selling, it may even have been a flop when first released, but it commands a following of loyal fans for whom it occupies a pedestal above all others. For Patek, that cult icon is the reference 5070.

 

It may not be as complicated as a Perpetual Calendar Chronograph, nor as game changing as a Nautilus, and it's certainly not as pretty as a Calatrava, but Patek purists spend hours arguing that this bi-compax two pusher chronograph, which doesn't even have an in house movement, is better than almost anything that preceded or superseded it! So let's start with the real thing, and go from there...

 

The Gen

 

The year was 1998, and it had been almost 40 years since Patek had produced a basic manually-wound chronograph, the reference 1463, which ceased production circa 1960. It's hard to believe now, as the manual chronograph has become something of a staple in the Patek line-up, but I guess they were busy trying not to be swallowed up by the quartz crisis!

 

Inspiration for the 5070 came directly from an extremely rare, possibly unique, aviator split-second chronograph produced around 1950, which can now be seen in the Patek museum.

 

(Patek ref 2512 - Aviator split-second chronograph)

 

As you can see, the design of the 5070 is practically lifted directly from this reference 2512, with its stepped lugs and bezel, Arabic numerals and close set subdials with tachymeter scale and seconds track. This reference actually measures 46mm which is massive even by modern standards, but at the time it was simply enormous to improve legibility for pilots. As a result the 5070 also ended up being larger than usual, and was Patek's largest serially produced reference to date at the time, at 42mm.

 

The first 5070 was released at Baselworld in 1998 and in further tribute to the ref 2512 it was produced only in yellow gold and with a gilt black dial. Over its four year run around 1,000 ref 5070j were produced.

 

(Patek ref 5070j)

 

In 2002 the second iteration was released, this time in white gold with silver dial and blackened gold applied markers and hands, and again a four year run would see around 1,000 ref 5070g produced.

 

(Patek ref 5070g)

 

A rose gold reference with silver-grey dial was released two years later, same four year run and same 1,000 pieces produced.

 

(Patek ref 5070r)

 

Then finally in 2008, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the 5070, a special edition was released in a platinum case with blue dial. This would only run for around 6 months into 2009, with somewhere between 100-175 pieces produced, and only sold to customers who Patek deemed worthy of ownership, making it the rarest iteration of the reference.

 

(Patek ref 5070p)

 

To some the 5070 was just too large, and certainly it was too big for the lemania based 27-70 movement which it housed, as evidenced by the oversized stepped case back with comparatively small exhibition back. But personally I think the balance of the case back is a thing of beauty. Either way, here are all four references side by side for comparison.

 

 

From here on in, I will focus on the 5070r, as that was the model I chose when buying the rep. Partly this was due to the fact that I own several white metal Pateks already so didn't feel I needed another, but also this version just spoke to me more than the others somehow. It wasn't instant, initially I was drawn to the white gold with its blackened hands and markers, but eventually the rose gold seduced me, being slightly dressier in appearance whilst still having an air of sportiness to it. So let's have a good look at the rose gold gen before moving on to the rep.

 

 

 

There's that oversized case back, I think it's a thing of beauty, as it guards the crowning glory that is the 27-70...

 

 

 

 

The gen appears quite slender, although it measures almost 13mm in thickness, thanks to the proportion relative to its case diameter!

 

 

And of course, that dial...

 

 

The specs are as follows (we'll judge the rep on these later):

 

Case diameter: 42mm

Case thickness: 12.75mm

Lug width: 21mm

Buckle width: 16mm

Buckle style: Single fold over deployant

Movement: Manual wound lemania based ref 27-70 beating at 18,000 bph

Jewels: 24

 

So that's the gen. Now, it's time for the main event ..

 

The Rep

 

Where to start with the rep? Well, I'll start at the beginning, with first impressions. I've ceased commenting on rep straps as it really is a waste of time, and no sooner had I unwrapped my new toy than I had attached a custom Camille Fournet dark chocolate brown alligator strap to it, so the fun could begin!

 

 

The first thing one notices about this rep is the weight. Due in no small part to the ST19 movement as well as the size of this watch, it is weighty, and when it's a rep of a rose gold watch you really want that. I must confess to being slightly disappointed that the 5370 rep I acquired earlier this year had an A7750 movement, not only is it far less pretty than a manual horizontal clutch column wheel movement, it also doesn't have that weight to it, and feels somehow hollow, will fairly unpleasant chronograph actuation. No such problems here though, flipping the 5070r rep over one is instantly enthralled by the sight of all those gold wheels and shiny levers, and the whole thing feels (and looks) expensive.

 

 

 

So it's time to stop looking and start playing, Now this is where ST19 movements can go one of two ways. To explain what I mean, take my A. Lange & Sohne Datograph for example. When winding my Datograph there is an unpleasant resistance, it's a feeling like the crown is always twisting back on you, and it is harder than it should be to turn. I liken it to stirring Christmas Cake mix when I was a child. If you are from the UK and a certain age, you'll remember that it was considered good luck for everyone in the family to have a go at stirring the Christmas Cake mix, and you will know how it feels. You knew how to stir, you'd stirred things before, but usually those things were liquid... Christmas Cake mix is NOT liquid, it's virtually solid, and it ends up being more of a Christmas Cake spoon wiggle than a proper mix. Well the Datograph crown feels something like that to wind!!

 

Then there's the pushers, again my Datograph suffers here. The first push of the chronograph start pusher is fine, an initial squeezing sensation followed by a satisfying "snick" and away it goes. Then you push it again to stop the chronograph and instead of the same smooth feeling your finger is met with a loose actuation that contains within it several clicks, none of them particularly satisfying of pleasant. This is NOT how an A. Lange & Sohne should feel and it does somewhat ruin the experience.

 

So what of the 5070? Well, bear in mind that all ST19s were not created equal, and yours may not be like mine, but mine is SUBLIME!!

 

The crown winding has a slight resistance that tells you it is actually doing something, but not so much that you think you're breaking it, no Christmas Cake mix here folks, and it has a loud and deeply pleasing click to it, as a manual wind should. The pushers meanwhile, both start and stop have a squeeze and snick sensation, no double clicking or loose feeling, and the reset doesn't fly back as soon as you so much as look at it like a startled cat, (or a Datograph rep) you have to press it for the hand to return to zero, just the way it should be!!

 

 

 

This also happens to be a particularly clean ST19. Many I've owned have had dark smudges and nasty looking burrs on the wheels and bridges, but this one is, for the most part, very clean.

 

 

 

So once I had stopped playing with the chronograph and the crown was fully wound from all my antics, I could take a moment to look at the watch again, turning it back to the dial side. The dial is, undoubtedly, one of the defining features of the 5070 gen, and it's worth addressing the elephant in the room right now by discussing this reps most obvious flaw. The subdial layout.

 

If you scroll back up to the gen pics you will see the big bug eyed subdials, which almost appear cross-eyed they are that close together, and they sit entirely in-board of the seconds track and tachymeter scale. This design is undoubtedly owed to the disproportionate size of the case relative to the movement, and unfortunately the spacing of the ST19 movement doesn't allow for this, so we have instead a noticeably wider spacing, meaning that to avoid the subdials taking over the tachymeter scale entirely they also have to be a fair amount smaller than the gen. This is, of course, unfortunate yet unavoidable. The alternative being simply to not bother repping this watch at all, which is presumably what has been happening the last God knows how many years, but finally they took the right decision to do it anyway and make as good a go of it as they could!

 

 

Everything else about the dial is excellently executed and screams 5070. It bears the same vertical linear brushed finish as the gen, giving it a dark appearance from certain angles and in certain lights, just like the gen. Have a look at the wrist shots towards the end of this review and you'll see what I mean. The Arabic markers are immaculate and well applied, and the dial print is solid and very neat.

 

 

 

 

The only other negative is that the feuille hands lack the rounded dimensional appearance of the gen, but they are nicely shaped and very clean.

 

 

You can't look at this watches dial without noticing it's case, it certainly doesn't hide its light under a bushel and let the dial do all the talking, it's right there in front of stage. The rep does a great job of recreating the wide stepped bezel, which I'm sure will be a scratch magnet, but I don't care. From here the case has a square stance and yet the edges are gently curved which softens the look and helps thin the overall appearance, just as with the gen. The lugs are nicely stepped too, as per the gen, and are sharply turned downward, meaning that despite its size the watch wears nicely on a smaller wrist (which is good news for old spaghetti wrists here!!).

 

 

 

 

 

The finish here is superb, I've long wanted a Patek rep which offered the quality of finish found on the Datograph rep, which anyone who has owned one will know is outstanding. The 5170 reps never hit the mark, but this 5070 if anything goes beyond the level of finish of the Datograph, and with the quality feel to match. Even up close the case doesn't disappoint!!

 

 

 

 

 

It's hot stuff, no?!

 

One area about which I have had mixed feelings is the deployant clasp. In terms of its mechanics and operation this new Patek deployant is the closest the rep makers have come to the real thing, it's elegant and well put together. So well put together, in fact, that I had real difficulty removing it from the rep strap as the grub screw which holds the retainer bar in place simply wouldn't unscrew, even after a drop of WD40. I ended up having to force the retainer bar out which inevitably damaged the fixing, leaving me with a wobbly, though perfectly secure, clasp. This could just be an isolated problem of course. The only other gripe I have is the Calatrava cross itself has a flat appearance to it, rather than the nice rounded look of my other Patek deployants. This part can be swapped out for an older style cross, which would make the deployant damn near perfect, but in light of my breakage I've got an older style rose gold deployant on its way from Watch Finder as we speak.

 

 

 

As I said earlier the strap was predictably throw away, so I did, and if anyone is buying one of these and has the spare funds to splash on a real top quality strap I'd be happy to share the specs for this custom Camille Fournet strap. It suits the watch perfectly in my opinion, and in black it would work for the other rep variations available too. This is by far the best one I've had from them so far (I'm around $1,200 into my Camille Fournet addiction already)!

 

 

 

 

All in all, having wanted a high quality Patek chronograph rep with a manual wound movement for a very very very long time now, I must say that I'm not disappointed (as I was with the 5170), and it was certainly worth the wait. I mentioned that the gen had reached cult icon status, and this rep could very well do the same. It is easily one of my top two reps, though I haven't known it long enough to place it number one just yet (that honour is still reserved for my 5970 despite its inaccuracies, it is such a great size and goes with everything), but this 5070 is pretty close and it's "special occasions" feel might well endear it to me even more!

 

The only thing we haven't done yet is put it on the wrist. So let's do that!!

 

 

Bear in mind that my wrists are circa six and a half inches, and I've sold many a watch, including two Datographs, because at 42mm they were just too big for me. This watch is also 42mm, but it honestly wears like a 40mm watch. The deep bezel makes the dial appear smaller, tricking the eye into thinking it's a smaller watch, and the lugs, though substantial, are turned sharply downward to hug the wrist so the strap doesn't sit proud of the side of the wrist. It's very comfortable despite its size, and also sits very low on the wrist despite its thickness (13mm so just a hairs width thicker than the gen)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The deployant sits nicely on my wrist but this is chiefly thanks to the Camille Fournet strap which is sized very short on the buckle end so that the deployant sits squarely on the inside of my wrist and not round the back of it, one of many many reasons to buy one, as you can specify the length of both ends as well as the lug and buckle widths!!

 

 

And finally, I gave the specs of the gen and so it's only fair to do the same for the rep and see where it lands. I said I would and people are bound to ask

 

Case diameter: 42mm (spot on)

Case thickness: 13mm (as near as damn it)

Lug width: 22mm (1mm out, close but no cigar, we won't be using gen straps I'm afraid)

Buckle width: 18mm (yep definitely no gen straps, 2mm out at this end)

Buckle style: Single fold over deployant (it's no gen but the gen clasp alone is $3000)

Movement: Manual wound ST19 also beating at 18,000 bph

Jewels: 21 (3 less but who's counting)

 

So there you have it. Is it perfect? No of course it isn't! Do I give a shit? Not even a little bit! Should you buy one? Well you tell me!!!

 

To finish I've taken a few fun shots with my 5970g, for no other reason than because I can

 

 

 

 

(Kinda looks like they're holding hands :P)

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this review, it got kinda long right?! Let me know what you think as always!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

DC

[_DC_ 218]

A last shot of the two from the back (because I had posted too many pics in the OP hahaha)

 

 

DC

[Baz1872 29]

Now that's a review!

 

Watch looks amazing, enjoy it mate!

[Mr. Genesis 0]

Excellent review as always DC! The history, the pictures of the gen and then A LOT of pictures of the rep. It's just perfect. Enjoy your beautiful watch

[Genius 281]

Amazing review of an amazing looking watch! Thanks for putting the effort in, really a pleasure to read!

 

I just wish one of the decent Chinese movement makers would pull their fingers out of their arse and clone a lemania then we could have Patek and omegas with the right dial spacing

[Phantomtech 4]

You outdid yourself with this one, what an amazing watch! A definite must have! I think you will be buying the SS version soon, I know you want it!

[Phantomtech 4]

I ordered this watch just from your initial photos, I cannot stop looking at them! That CF strap is a perfect match!

 

By the way, will a 21mm gen strap look way off with the 0.5mm spacing on each side? I have a new one sitting around from an unused project and was hoping to make use out of it..

[Dendo 93]

Excellent

 

Great review - thanks!!

[Kwt 11]

Insane review - well done DC.

After that long review, take a chill pill and enjoy your watch man!

[Piccolo 722]

Great review, thanks for the time and effort!

[2hot2trot 4]

The Patek King has spoken......

 

and my coffee has gone cold :coffee2: :coffee2: :coffee2: :coffee2:

 

Awesome review mate! Enjoy!

[GenTLe 1,542]

Great Job mate. And gorgeous watch!

[Godfathar 1]

Loved it.. and don't feel bad. I'm 900 euros deep in my Camille Fournet addiction.

 

Great job buddy.

[Stewart 0]

Wow terrific review...thanks!

[Newbie17 44]

Bang up job, as always DC. I've begun my own Camille Fournet addiction thanks to you...well done...as if there weren't already enough ways to spend money in this hobby

Thanks again for a stellar review.

[_DC_ 218]

I ordered this watch just from your initial photos, I cannot stop looking at them! That CF strap is a perfect match!

 

By the way, will a 21mm gen strap look way off with the 0.5mm spacing on each side? I have a new one sitting around from an unused project and was hoping to make use out of it..

 

Nah it won't look right, I've got a 21mm strap on my Datograph (it's one I had on my 5970 before the CF addiction started) and it just flops about and looks silly!!

 

DC

[insert-here 0]

Great Job _DC_ pleasure to read.

[wizzzard 9]

Christmas Cake Mix!!

 

Great review - thanks DC!

[Robin195959 2]

Fab review and photos. A lovely watch in its own right despite the minor differences to gen.

[jmshen 0]

Goddamm I feel like I need a cigarette after reading that. Amazing write-up; amazing pics. Do you frequently organize your straps so that the tail comes towards you or is it dependent on the deployant?

[_DC_ 218]

Goddamm I feel like I need a cigarette after reading that. Amazing write-up; amazing pics. Do you frequently organize your straps so that the tail comes towards you or is it dependent on the deployant?

 

That is just how they are on Pateks, never thought to ask why!

 

DC

[FunnyStarSystem 7,540]

Fantastic, I'm a museum/gallery lover and this was like a trip into a remarkably curated collection!

[Gazzla 26]

Great pics mate!

[baxter 6]

[splke 4,798]

wow what a review and glad I took the time to read it in full (bit of a pictures kinda guy)

the dial is stunning for a rep but what a shame with the sub dials do they look whiter too ?

 

all in all beautiful watch and an eye opener to Pateks for me I was intrigued by the one gazzla sold a few months back with the hinged case back, I may pick one up next time there is one on offer

 

 

thanks for taking the time and love the history at the beginning

 

 

cheers bud