The Patek Philippe 5111: relatively unknown watch of the Gondolo collection
The Patek Philippe 5111, which is part of the Gondolo collection, is a watch that is not commonly seen with collectors, but it should be. It is one of the largest time-only watches from the era, was produced in modest quantities, and was created with great care, showcasing Patek Philippe’s in-house case-making expertise.
The Gondolo History
While the majority of watches in Patek‘s history, such as the Calatrava and the Nautilus, do not require a further introduction, there are some lesser-known models that might benefit from some study. The Patek Philippe Gondola Collection is the perfect example and is most certainly deserving of closer examination.
The gondola line essentially reimagines the brand’s traditional heritage pieces with a modern spin. its bold lines and geometric simplicity are what set it apart. The gondola collection is noted for its more unconventional shapes, such as square and rectangular, and is inspired by the original chronometric gondola wristwatches from the 1920s. It is for individuals who appreciate precious metals and enjoy looking through a range of options. There appears to be something for everyone in this line.
What is the origin of the Gondolo?
The renowned Rio de Janeiro store Gondolo & Labouriau, with whom Patek Philippe had a productive business partnership between 1872 and 1927, is where the Gondolo collection gets its name.
Due to their relationship, the “Chronometro Gondolo” watches were created specifically for the Brazilian store. Before the first wristwatches debuted in the 1920s, the collection at first exclusively included pocket watches.
Patek Philippe 5111 Specs
The Patek Philippe 5111 has a tank-shaped design and it was only produced from 2004 to 2007, it was available in 18K yellow, rose, and white gold as well as platinum and rose gold. This 18K gold piece is in fantastic condition and is ready to wear. Interestingly, the case marks seen inside the ref. 5111 case show that Patek Philippe did make these cases. These cases can only be regarded as statement pieces because they are produced with such attention to detail and traditional craftsmanship.
The case for the ref 5111 r (R stands for Rose-gold) is an 18K rose gold rectangular case that measures 47.5 mm x 35.5 mm.
The ref.5111 r has a silver dial with raised baton hour markers and Arabic numeral at 12 o’clock, rose gold dauphine hands, and a secondary seconds dial with guilloche design at 6 o’clock. It features Scratch resistant sapphire crystal. The watch comes with a Brown leather strap with an 18K rose gold tang buckle.
The watch features a manual movement using the in-house Caliber 215 PS which has 18 jewels and vibrates at 28,800 BPH when it is fully wound it has a power reserve of 44 hours.
Since the Patek Philippe 5111 r was discontinued, you can only find it on the preowned market for a reasonable price of about $15,000.
