Split Decision: Patek Philippe Reference 5370P vs. A. Lange

If there were a watch enthusiasts' encyclopedia in which the term "Embarrassment of riches" appeared, the accompanying image might just be a side-by-side shot of two of contemporary watchmaking's great complicated pieces: the "Mighty" A Lange & Söhne Double Split and Patek Philippe's Reference 5370P split-second chronograph I've written here before about why I bought the Lange Double Split and the Patek Philippe Reference 5370, and I won't repeat all of the virtues of each watch here, but there are a few shared elements of their appeal.

As a test, imagine swapping the Double Split's dauphine hands with the leaf hands of the Reference 5370, or swapping the deep relief engraving on the Double Split's case back with the unadorned rear bezel of the Patek Philippe piece For me, each of these watches is completely representative of the brand personality of its distinguished maker: the A Lange & Söhne with its busy, almost cluttered dial, straight-sided case, and mechanical wizardry in the form of a deeply three-dimensional movement, and the Patek Philippe with its elegant profile, fine case and dial craftsmanship, and subtle but useful mechanical refinements incorporated into a classically styled movement.

For me there's also something appealing about the simplicity of Reference 5370 relative not only to the Double Split but to other watches in the Patek line, including the Reference 5204 split-seconds perpetual calendar, a watch that is considerably more complicated but less attractive to me overall The 5370P has the Patek Philippe name going for it as well as low production volume and broad acclaim as one of the most important Patek Philippe watches of recent times On the latter test, however - I need to raise funds for a house, car, medical expenses, or even other incoming watches and have to choose between one of these to sell - it's the Patek Philippe that stays and the Double Split that goes to another happy home as there's nothing else in my collection that captures my imagination with its beauty and refinement quite the way that the 5370P does. Source