Patek Philippe 38 mm automatic strap: what to check on a used piece

Patek Philippe 38 mm automatic strap is the subject of this note. Treat the papers and the box as a separate object from the watch. The card should repeat the reference you can read on the case. If it does not, believe the case until you have a reason in writing, and record the mismatch. Count the links or look at the strap holes. Extra holes, a shortened bracelet, or a strap that is not the width of the lug gap are changes people make so a watch fits. They are worth writing down because the next owner needs the same fit. Look at the spring bars. Bent tips and rust at the lug hole tell you the strap has been wet or forced. The crystal, the insert, and the hands are the other parts people replace when they want the watch to look newer than the case. Compare the finish of those parts with the finish of the lugs. Same wear, same age. Different wear, a later part. That comparison is the whole of a used-watch note.

How it differs

The size written down for this record is 38 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 38 mm automatic strap, people change the bracelet, the case, or the movement.