I perhaps represent the new generation of collector, so I donāt have the same emotional affinity with the 5970 as many more longstanding collectors may do. However I see the appeal, itās a handsome, symmetrical and beautifully finished timepiece, which does deserve the admiration it receives.
One observation I wish to humbly point out, which is a recurring theme on this forum in such debates is the emphasise on the dial with little reference to the movement. The heavily modified Lemania movement of the 5970 was a much loved and beautifully finished movement, however it doesnāt hold a candle to the internally developed and built movement found in the 5270. Shouldnāt this really take priority? Isnāt this a game changer or am I missing something?
I also personally feel the 41mm case makes the dial more proportional, but I agree with your platinum hands comment and would go so far as to say that I prefer the salmon colour of the 5970.
On to Patek as a modern day brand. Itās hard to critique a business that has spent decades investing in its brand and sacrificing profit at times for the sake of preserving its prestige and loyal core base. Anyone who has recently visited the factory can appreciate the amount of investment TS is sinking into the business. They clearly feel it is time to capitalise on their efforts and so they should as long as their product remains in keeping with their image as the leader of haute horology.
Hereās the rub, I donāt feel Patek can entirely justify its position any longer, there is no doubt something very special about the brand, almost cultish, but some of the products produced are frankly lazy.
On the flip side, there are models like the 5531, 5370, 5170, 5078, 5208 etc that are mind blowing! They truly represent what haute horology is all about and go a long way to providing me with confidence that Patek still have the magic touch.
My conclusion is Patek has adapted to an ever changing and challenging market, it needed to attract a younger audience and invest heavily to keep up with competition at the cost of upsetting some long standing collectors. Had it not, they may have never been able to release magnificent modern masterpieces. I cant say I totally like the direction that Patek is taking, but catering to a wider spectrum of tastes is a good thing for horology as a whole donāt you think?.....