Patek Philippe 42 mm automatic strap: what to check on a used piece

Patek Philippe 42 mm automatic strap is the subject of this note. Inspect the crown and the case flank as a pair. The crown should sit centered between the guards, and the guards should be the same height. A guard that is shorter has been filed or knocked. The tube around the crown should not show a pale ring of bare metal unless the whole flank is brushed the same way. Run a fingernail along the lug top. Sharp edges that suddenly go round are a polish job. Polishing is common on a used case and it changes the shape, so describe it instead of ignoring it. Open the clasp and read any numbers stamped inside. They will not always match a serial you hoped to see. Write what is there. Look at the end links for a gap at the case and for screws that are chewed. A chewed screw means the bracelet was removed with the wrong tool. That is a useful fact about the life of the piece. It is not a reason to invent a story about the rest of the watch.

How it differs

The size written down for this record is 42 mm. Measure across the bezel and from lug to lug before you accept that number. The seconds hand should sweep. That is the check for an automatic watch. Wind the crown and listen for the rotor only if the case back lets you. The strap or bracelet is a fit part. Check the lug width, the spring bars, and whether the clasp fold is worn through. People change the crystal, the clasp, and the strap more often than they change the case. Write which part looks newer.

What to check on a used piece

Read whatever engraving is on the case. Measure the width. Watch the seconds hand for a minute. Look at the end links or the strap holes. There is no price in this note, and the note does not grade the watch.

Common mods

Common changes are a new strap, a shortened bracelet, a replaced crystal, and a polished lug. Describe those changes next to the size and the movement type. The case you measured is the watch you have, even when a listing used a different width.

What people change

On the Patek Philippe 42 mm automatic strap, people change the bracelet, the case, or the movement.