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Pic Review: Patek 5396 RG Annual Calendar

majwilliams0308

Reptime Mod
Certified
11/7/16
2,448
2,427
113
I picked up this bad boy recently, and I am quite enjoying it.

Specs of the gen:
Solid Rose gold case
In-house caliber 324 movement @ 28800bph
Annual calendar, day, date, month
Moonphase and 24h display
45 hr power reserve
38.5mm x 11.2mm
Lug width: 21mm x 16mm
$47,970

Specs of the rep:
Stainless steel, rose gold plated
Miyota 9015 with decoration plate like Patek cal.324 @28800bph
Functions: Day, date, month
24hr moonphase (not 29.5 days) and 24 display @ 6
40 hr power reserve
40mm x 12.7mm
Lug width: 21mm x 16mm
~$388

The Patek 5396 has been around since 2006, with some newer models released last year in 2016. There's something so refined and elegant about this Patek despite the number of complications. I guess, that's what's to be expected when it comes to Patek - owning something special.

The rep has a great presence on the wrist, despite the flaws. It feels like a true dress watch, has a reliable movement that also shows the day, date and month, and has an understated feel on the wrist at 40mm and ~12.5mm thick. It tapers wonderfully because the crystal is curved.

Major flaws are the movement and size. The date window is sunken in and the font is WAY off on all complications. I believe this is a copy/paste movement that's in quite a few other watches with similar complications. The sunken date window has two issues - it doesn't 'click' into place at full center as easily as it should, and you have to play with it so that it settles in the middle. But once it's lined up it's okay. It's difficult to do though because it's so deep, so it's hard to get centered. The first pic I forgot to center it (the date is at 13 ugh).


Here's a pic of the gen on my wrist:
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And here's the rep:

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And here's a photoshoot:

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My opinion?

Overall this is a great dress watch. Feels good on the wrist and has all working parts except the moonphase is only a 24 hr indicator. 7 or 8/10.

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_DC_

I'm Pretty Popular
3/1/13
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London UK
These pics have given me the horn and now I gotta have one.

Who'd you get this from buddy? And is the deployant clasp really 16mm?!? I thought it looked smaller than the 18mm ones that I've got on all my Pateks!!

DC
 

_DC_

I'm Pretty Popular
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PS: Superb and thorough review mate, and great photography skills!

DC
 

majwilliams0308

Reptime Mod
Certified
11/7/16
2,448
2,427
113
These pics have given me the horn and now I gotta have one.

Who'd you get this from buddy? And is the deployant clasp really 16mm?!? I thought it looked smaller than the 18mm ones that I've got on all my Pateks!!

DC

Thanks buddy!

I got it from Watchoutlet. Same guys as Puretime.

The clasp really is 16mm, but the little part that holds onto the strap has broken off in no time. I've ordered a replacement regular clasp because I haven't found a 16mm Patek deployment clasp online besides the gen ones!


Sent from the RWI mobile app
 

Nivka

Respected Member
10/4/15
5,200
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113
Australia
Great pics and review! If only the date alignment wasn't such a common issue =(
 

Godfathar

I'm Pretty Popular
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I'm on vacation right now.. and this one should be waiting for me back home, mine is the white gold version with grey dial.. I can't wait to get it on my wrist. @Nivka it's true.. the alignment issue is a disaster.. after going through 2 TDs and literally 10 pieces or reps.. I managed to find one that is straight enough. So I pulled the trigger finally.

Thank you for a great review.. lovely pics indeed. Will add my review here if you don't mind when I manage to get mine soon.
 

majwilliams0308

Reptime Mod
Certified
11/7/16
2,448
2,427
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I'm on vacation right now.. and this one should be waiting for me back home, mine is the white gold version with grey dial.. I can't wait to get it on my wrist. @Nivka it's true.. the alignment issue is a disaster.. after going through 2 TDs and literally 10 pieces or reps.. I managed to find one that is straight enough. So I pulled the trigger finally.

Thank you for a great review.. lovely pics indeed. Will add my review here if you don't mind when I manage to get mine soon.
Thanks! Yeah I can't wait to see yours I love the Breguet numerals. I am tempted to get the one you ordered too haha. Please do post your review here - makes it easier and more consolidated too!
@majwilliams0308 Is that the strap it comes with or did you buy a different one?
This is the strap it came with. It looks beautiful, but it's very thin where you insert the buckle and is already showing signs of use.

EDIT: I'm thinking of sending this off to a modder to make the seconds hand taper off to a point (or at least as pointy as the gen). It bugs me just enough to make me want to pay the extra $$ haha.
 

SmartyPants

Active Member
18/5/17
419
132
43
Looks good, I really like it.

But one thing that's always bothering me: the manufacturers spend so much time on creating an accurate case, accurate dial and what not. Yet often they completely neglect the date (and in this case more importantly the day and month) font. What a headache. With accurate (I mean they don't have to be perfect) fonts this watch could have been much more appealing. What a headache.

Steve-Carell-Facepalm.gif
 

adamhes06

Getting To Know The Place
29/12/15
78
1
0
Some recent cheap 5726 reps have better fonts on the calendar wheels, hopefully an indication that they are working on this for the 5396
5726.jpg
 

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Godfathar

I'm Pretty Popular
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And it's finally here.. I picked it up this morning.. the rep is glamorous in person, the flaws mentioned on the first post do not actually show on the wrist, the wrong font or the uncentered date, they are too small to spot on the wrist..

I do not have so much more things to say about the rep, as @majwilliams0308 pretty much covered everything.. I too give it an 7-8/10.. that's pretty high in my books. the few things I would add, is that the rep strap is really bad, and looks and feels cheap. I am in the process of ordering a new strap for it. in the mean time, I'll wear the rep strap until I get the new CF strap.

One very last thing I also want to add, you need to switch the strap around, it is installed the wrong way, the buckle should be fitted at 6:00

on with the pictures:


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And since we are at it, why not give some measurement pics a shot..

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40mm size


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12.3mm thickness including the crystals back and front


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10.5mm without the crystals


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Spot on 21mm lug


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and a perfect 16mm buckle.
 

Godfathar

I'm Pretty Popular
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Thanks buddy!

I got it from Watchoutlet. Same guys as Puretime.

The clasp really is 16mm, but the little part that holds onto the strap has broken off in no time. I've ordered a replacement regular clasp because I haven't found a 16mm Patek deployment clasp online besides the gen ones!


Sent from the RWI mobile app

this just happened to me as well.. broke off after 5 hours on my wrist.. damn!!
 

majwilliams0308

Reptime Mod
Certified
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2,427
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this just happened to me as well.. broke off after 5 hours on my wrist.. damn!!

That's a shame, I was more excited about the 16mm deployant than the watch itself, lol!

DC

Yeah I bought a 16mm standard Patek buckle but I love the quick deploys, so I caved and bought a 21mm/18mm strap and used the 18mm Patek quick deploy that's available on Ali and DH.

That said, I love the Breguet numerals and the dial. They just need to update the darn date fonts! I hope they make a rose gold w Breguet numerals.
 

Godfathar

I'm Pretty Popular
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Yeah I bought a 16mm standard Patek buckle but I love the quick deploys, so I caved and bought a 21mm/18mm strap and used the 18mm Patek quick deploy that's available on Ali and DH.

That said, I love the Breguet numerals and the dial. They just need to update the darn date fonts! I hope they make a rose gold w Breguet numerals.

I was in the process of buying a Camille Forunet strap anyway, I guess I'll make it 21/18 and get a buckle from the TD that is 18.. those 16mms are not great quality. I'm so sad to look at the rep and can't wear it
 

jeevanpillai

Active Member
10/9/16
313
0
16
Thanks buddy!

I got it from Watchoutlet. Same guys as Puretime.

The clasp really is 16mm, but the little part that holds onto the strap has broken off in no time. I've ordered a replacement regular clasp because I haven't found a 16mm Patek deployment clasp online besides the gen ones!


Sent from the RWI mobile app
Why are their prices so different? Like certain models are up to 50USD cheaper in Watchoutlet

Sent from the RWI App