New IWC BP 5009 vs pre-owned transitional 5002 - what would you do?

I'm in love with the BP. To be honest, I view the 5009 as (marginally) technically superior to the transitional 5002, but think I (marginally) prefer the aesthetics of the 5002 primarily because it wears a bit smaller due to more indented numerals and smaller font. I also like the "9".

I have located a transitional 5002 in great condition, and have also located a new 5009. The ~10 year old 5002 is more expensive, and so am struggling a bit with the justification. The price differential grows when I consider I'd have to buy a new strap for the 5002 (can't bear the though of someone's used leather strap on my wrist). It grows further still if I have to turn the 5002 in for a service, which I might have to do.

Am curious for your perspectives. I won't get into price specifics of course, but am curious as to whether the general consensus is that a great condition transitional 5002 is worth paying a premium for vs a new 5009. I'm not into either of these for investment purposes - this is for wearing on the weekends. I do marginally prefer the aesthetics of the old dial, but can't help but think I'd be crazy for paying more for a 10 year old watch vs a new one!

Any and all thoughts would be appreciated. Per forum rules, I won't share specific price points but I do believe both are priced reasonably (on a supply/demand basis) and in-line with the market.

Mine is a transitional. Given the choice of a 9 costing 10% more than a non-nine, I would choose the 9 every time.

I don't know why IWC doesn't reintroduce the 5002 dial with their 'new'generation BP. I think that there would be enough interested buyers. But in your case,the extra significant costs involved in a full service,because you wouldn't want anything less,and could include replacement of numerous internal parts of the watch,doesn't make it a viable financial prospect.Also,there's no new watch warranty.
Sentimentality isn't always a good way to seal a watch purchase.
Kenneth.

I would take the 5009, as I like the dial better, and prefer the newer technology of its movement. And I prefer a new watch over a second hand one.

Kind regards,
Paul

+1

Thanks for the thoughts, chaps. I am truly torn. I think logic and rational thinking may prevail and "force" me to buy a new watch. I do marginally prefer the look of the transitional and would enjoy knowing it's somewhat special and rare, but I have trouble buying a pre-owned watch... Just never know how it lived in a previous life. And I worry that I would always question its authenticity. It's also 20pct higher priced.

My wife keeps telling me it's an easy decision: she much prefers the more modern and clean look of the 5009, coupled with the fact that it's new.

Anyway - thanks again!

A few months ago, I was very much in the same position when facing a choice between the 2 models.

I think the 5002 looks great and very classy and something that'll always grab my attention, but for me the 5009 has a achieved a good balance of aesthetic. As a designer myself, it is something I'm proud to wear, and a constant reminder of what good design should be. It just speaks to me more.

[](s691.photobucket.com/user/sidestreaker/media/Timepiece/500901/IMAG9040_1_zpsu5bpyvma.jpg.html)

I can understand that its a very personal choice between the 2 models on what really speaks to you compared to what makes logical sense. Personally, I think you can't go wrong with either one.

Most importantly, remember to post a wrist shot here!

Id go for the new 5009. Why ... latest technology, 2 years warranty, new strap, no potential servicing required and theres nothing nicer than taking delivery of a brand new watch.
Price really wouldn't be a big decider for me but if it`s cheaper than the 5002 , well that's a bonus.
Cheers
Neil.

I personally prefer the 5002 because the dial of the 5009 doesn't sing to me enough. And if you say you "have to buy" the 5009 it seems it doesn't convince you either. A watch in that price range should convince you 100%.

Why is the used 5002 more expensive than a new 5009? That doesn't seem right to me. The 5002 is offered on the web quite often mostly for very reasonable prices which allow you to do a full service and a new strap and then compare the price to a new one. And with a complete Schaffhausen service and a new strap you have in fact a completely new watch.
Probably you should watch out for a better serious offer for the 5002. Convince yourself that the watch and first of all the seller is serious and real, send it to Schaffhausen for a complete overhaul including the original strap and in the end you have what you dreamt of and something very special and nice where you will have a life long of pleasure.

This same arduous decision has plagued many people before - myself included. I too was rather torn - but if you take my example you'll see that the decision isn't which 'one to get' but rather which one to 'get first'! Sounds to me like you will end up with more than one BP so just do the best deal you can do now.

In my specific case I went for the 5002 first and went for a full service (which gave me a new warranty) and new strap. The magicians at IWC did a fantastic job and upgraded numerous internal parts. My wife too incidentally preferred the 5004/5009, but not until the 5002 arrived did she understand and appreciate the 'purity' of the 5002.

But I digress... the point of the matter is you'll end up with both so you just won't go wrong =)

Good luck and keep us posted!
Thang

[](s1164.photobucket.com/user/teeveetee9/media/bigpilot50022.jpg.html)

Absolutely! +1!

As far as the cost issue, with reasonable shopping you should be able to find a preloved 5002, even a Transitional model (which I once owned but sold), for far less than a new 5009. The difference should be more than enough to cover a service, new strap, etc. If the Transitional you found costs 20% more than a new 5009, you should look for a different Transitional!

Unless you are a real movement freak, the differences between the two movements are rather subtle in the big picture. Either will give you a lifetime of great service as long as they receive proper maintenance.

Aesthetic difference is more pronounced and of course is a matter of personal taste.

I think the most important thing is to take your time to reach the decision that is right for you, and commit to buying the one you REALLY want. If you settle for second choice for whatever reason (price, availability, etc) you will never be fully satisfied

+1

Gents,

Thanks again for the opinions.

I went to the AD today to take another look at the 5009 and decided this is the model for me. I do like the clean look of the new dial, but also like the idea of the absolute latest/most advanced movement and winding mechanism. The new 5009 had a couple of very, very minor imperfections in the case (presumably due to people trying it on with bracelets, other watches etc.), so I decided to place an order for a brand new (untouched) one. This reinforced the fact that I don't think I'd be happy with a pre-owned watch and someone else's scratches - as incredibly minor as the ones on the AD's showroom piece were! I don't mind scratches at all - I think they add character, in fact - but I want them to be mine.

It'll take a month or so for the new 5009 to arrive, apparently, but I can wait! I also ordered a brown alligator strap to go with it.

Thanks again!

Congrats mate! Look forward to some pics when you get it. And there really wasn't a wrong decision.

do come back with posts of your new 5009. congratulations in advance.

regards,
thang

Phew! Tough decision. Now that's over,all you have to do is wait. The watch will look good with the brown strap.I think the BP suits this better than the standard black one,as all early pilot watches had a brown strap,it makes the watch look more traditional. One thing about receiving a new watch however: is with the aid of a loupe,check very carefully the whole watch for any marks/scratches.When you are satisfied that all is well,then you can get really excited,ha!ha! I had a similar experience when buying a new pilot watch from an IWC boutique that came with a few dings.
Good luck.
Kenneth.

To those who have said there really isn't a wrong decision to be made, I agree. Those that love the old look should get it, and those that want the new look/newer movement should get the newer model.

Also, this experience has reinforced that magnified side-by-side and macro photos of a watch don't really convey the "real" look of a watch. Side-by-side, in an an enlarged photo, the larger font size of the '09 is readily apparent, for example, as are the shorter hour/minute markers. So much so that the watch "looks big" and certainly "bigger" than an '02. While this does apply in the flesh, it's to a much, much lesser extent than photos would suggest. A photo taken of a 46mm watch blown up on a large screen makes every nuance apparent, and of course makes the larger font size etc. very noticeable. In reality, these nuances are much more subtle. For example, where the font size differential may be the difference between a size 10 and 11 in real life, when magnified on a big screen it looks more like the difference between a font size 16 and 20.

I noticed the same about a Panerai 233 I own. Years ago, before making the decision as to whether to go for the newer "am/pm" dial or the "dot" dial, I was leaning towards the "dot" even though I knew it was a less mechanically sound mechanism. I just thought the "am/pm" font/writing looked out of place and too large, when admiring the watch on the web. In-person it was a completely different story, as the "am/pm" is/was almost imperceptively small.

Moral of the story: a watch has to be seen in-person. What may seem like stark differences when a photo is magnified, may in fact be close-to-imperceptible when admired in the flesh. This makes small aesthetic differentials harder to discern in practice - at least in my opinion. I still marginally prefer the look of the '02, but am confident I made the right decision. To each his own, of course!

Congratulations on your new and new BP!

I do have one question though: if the 5002 and the 5009 were both the same price and same first-hand condition for you to scratch and write your history on the piece, which model would you have gone with. Would it have been a difficult decision?

I had similar experience but both were two first=hand IWCs I liked (who am I kidding, there were/are many IWCs I liked) at the time. One that I liked a lot but probably only wanted to buy because the other models weren't available and one that I randomly thought of after a year of putting it in the back of my mind. Long story short, I bit the bullet and paid more for the one that I really really liked and fit me in about every way possible but have never regretted it. I was traveling at the time, first trip to Europe, so I only had a limited time to do it, but got lucky it's a purchase I don't regret.

Please let us know if you go insane in the next month waiting for your BP and how friendly you've become with the postman!

Queue "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes!

If both were brand new, it'd be a tough decision: I marginally prefer the aesthetics of the '02, but prefer the newer internals of the '09 (even vs the transitional). If the price was identical, I might have given a slight nod to the '02, but it'd very, very close.

I do know, for sure, I won't regret the '09. I draw on my experience with the PAM 233 am/pm dial. I marginally preferred the aesthetics of the dot dial, but have never once regretted the am/pm dial with the newer mechanism. In fact, with hindsight, I think I actually prefer knowing that I have a more robust set of internals!