patek philippe

Patek Philippe 5951 Watch, Boring at Baselworld?

While to an extent it is true that "Patek Philippe can do no harm," it is also true that they can bore you to sleep. New, less than exciting watches for 2010 feel aimed square at collectors and do nothing to make newbies interested in the brand. In fact, with mostly Asian buyers seeking out the brand, the tiny new calibers and "same as before" looks show unflattering hesitation in the brand to do anything that isn't going to appeal to people who are just buying their watches as investment. The sad thing, is that Patek Philippe really is good at making nice designs - they just hold back most of the time. And yes, the watches are still mechanically good. Nothing new there, but no new technical innovations as far as I am concerned.

For 2010 there was no Patek star at Baselworld. Though this new model might be claimed as one give that the rest are less than 'descript' - it is the Ref. 5951 in platinum. It looks smaller than it is with a effeminate cushion shaped in the precious metal. Though the red and black colors prove it is a man's watch. It has a good look, in a "dandy" sort of way. Is that really the look you are going for Patek? Inside the watch is the new manually wound CHR 27-525 PS Q caliber, with a bunch of complications. There is the time, monopusher split-second (rattrapante) chronograph, perpetual calendar, day/night indicator window, and moonphase. The watch also comes with a hot injection of Patek snobbery no doubt.

Patek Philippe has made a nice watch, in the wrong case. And I don't understand the sporty colors at all. These odd elements really take away from the cool movement, and symmetrical (though cluttered) dial design. Patek should really stop sitting around thinking about what their core customers want to buy, and start making watches that they themselves want to make, once again. At least that is my view. No doubt, the watches will sell as Patek Philippe can't do wrong...

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2010, 5951, basel, Baselworld 2010, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, platinum, watch

Grieb & Benzinger Platinum Minute Repeater Watch With Vintage Patek Philippe Movement

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

My favorite German watch engraver Jochen Benzinger (aka company Grieb & Benzinger) has a new creation. While Benzinger doesn't always do watches themselves, they sometimes have special items such as this. A lot of the time their special talents are called upon by others who want their watches to have the awesome styles of traditional guilloche engraving that only they can seemingly accomplish.

Here is a new creation from them that is like a sophisticated Frankenstein. The watch case is in all platinum and a larger 49mm wide (heavy at 130 grams, which is good). I like the tradition style engraving on the bezel. The shape of the case is very classic, and looks pretty interesting with the blue reptile strap.

Inside the watch is a very cool item. A vintage manually wound movement made by Patek Philippe in 1887 for Tiffany & Co. Very cool to see Benzinger restore and finish a pocket watch movement that is over 120 years old and put it into this wrist watch. The movement has been modified so that it displays the time in a regulator style format. Plus, the real draw is the minute repeater function of the movement that is operated by the slide level on the left side of the case.

Benzinger created a beautiful skeletonized dial (in their typical style) over the movement. It created a fully operational set of makers, but also allows for a good view into the movement. Such a view is good, given the extensive finishing and polishing of the movement. There is also a healthy use of blued steel all over the watch and movement. So much, that it was wise to compliment the deep blue tones with the colored strap. Overall it is a very cool watch with a mix of personalities from Benzinger, Patek Philippe, and Tiffany & Co. Not sure about the exact price, but Grieb & Benzinger minute repeater watches are between 175,000 - 250,000 euros. Not sure how many of these watches are available, or if it is a one of a kind piece.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Grieb & Benzinger Platinum Minute Repeater Watch

Tags: engraving, Greib Benzinger, GreibBenzinger, minute repeater, MinuteRepeater, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, platinum, watch

The Brands That Chinese Millionaires Love

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

If you are driving a Bentley, rest your left hand gently on the rearview mirror just out the window -- this is how other drivers will notice your stunning Patek Philippe watch. At least, this is how you should roll if you're a millionaire in China.

According to a survey by Hurun magazine, China's wealthy love watches by Cartier and Patek Philippe and like to slip behind the wheel of Bentleys. Vacations in the United States are also favored. But, for cigarettes and first-class flights, Chinese millionaires like to keep it local. Air China tops the list for luxury flights, and Chunghwa is the favorite tobacco, according to Hurun, with Chinese who have at least $1.46 million in wealth. Unlike cigarettes, though, the favorite cigar brand, Davidoff, is from abroad.

The average respondent to the Hurun survey takes 15 days off a year, on average, has three cars and owns five watches that cost at least $10,000 each.

According to Rupert Hoogewerf, chief researcher and founder of Hurun, the Chinese "have a greater awareness of brands." He continued to Bloomberg News, "They are also more international-minded and keener to give their children a foreign education." Four out of five are planning to send their kids to school abroad for high school and beyond, with the United States the preferred destination.

Being wealthy doesn't mean this community is finished coveting. Now that they are taking more time off, 50 percent want to buy a yacht, and 15 percent would love a private jet.

Source

Tags: bentley, brands, cartier, china, cigar, cigarettes, cigars, davidoff, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, private jet, PrivateJet, tobacco, yacht, yachts

Readers' Choice Award Nominees for Best in Accessories

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags, Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Best Jewelry Line
Each of the Readers' Choice nominees for Best Jewelry Line is a leader in the industry. One is not only known for its signature jewelry, but also for the blue box that it comes in. Another is known for its handcrafted pieces, but it is also known for its many innovations. Another nominee is a newer designer on the scene who is inspired by Florentine jewelry-making, but also astronomy, celestial, mythological and astrological influences. Another nominee is synonymous with glamour and fame and has ties to some of the world's most famous jewels. Finally, there's a nominee known for the panache of its founder, as well as its vast collection of the world's finest diamonds.
Graff Diamonds
Harry Winston
Temple St. Clair
Tiffany & Co.
Van Cleef & Arpels

Best Watch Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Watch Line nominees include a perennially favored brand among the watch-loving elite that is known for making the most complex wrist watch in the world. Another nominee is known for its functionally-themed luxury sport watches. The third nominee, while an historic brand with almost 200 years of heritage, is known for being a forward focused luxury watch maker of the future. A fourth nominee is perhaps the best-known luxury watch brand in the world, with a stellar reputation to match. Lastly, there's a watchmaker that epitomizes Swiss haute horology with its modern classics and technical innovation.
Audemars Piguet
IWC
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Patek Philippe
Rolex

Best Leathergoods Line
The Readers' Choice for the Best Leathergoods Line for a Luxist Award include award-winning brands from France, Italy and London. One started out making equestrian equipment in 1837, and still makes its goods by hand; some of its handbags are so coveted, there's a two-year long wait list to buy one. Another was started in London by a former fashion editor who partnered with a couture shoe maker to create a company now synonymous with the "red carpet". The third nominee is known for its clean lines and simple classic color palettes while the fourth is a global force of tradition and innovation. And finally, the last nominee epitomizes luxury with its delectable designer bags and vaunted luggage--some of which command five figure prices.
Bottega Veneta
Gucci
Hermes
Jimmy Choo
Louis Vuitton

Best Department Store/Boutique
Nominees for Readers' Choice for Best Department Store/Boutique include one based in London that has no fewer than 330 different departments, a staff of 5,000 from 50 different countries and is visited by as many as 300,000 people on a single day. Another, with roots in Texas, is known for its superior customer service, in addition to its luxury merchandise, including some of the world's most extravagant items. One New York-based store has a shoe department that is so large, it was given its own zip code. Another Manhattan-based store specializes in hard-to-find international designers, many of which it will help launch into fame. Lastly, there's an upstart from London that is so cutting-edge and up-to-date, it launches 300 new styles on a weekly basis.
Barneys New York
Harrods
Neiman Marcus
Saks Fifth Avenue
Top Shop

Best Clothing Designer
Readers' Choice nominees for Best Clothing Designer are award-winning fashion designers from Italy, England, France and the United States. One was started by a wunderkind who was named chief designer of one of the most respected fashion houses when he was still in his 20's. Another has been one of the leading names in fashion for nearly 100 years. A third nominee, known for its timeless style, has outfitted First Ladies on both sides of the aisle for decades while the fourth is famed for its understated elegance. The final nominee is synonymous with high fashion though its roots are in luggage and leather goods.
Alexander McQueen
Chanel
Gucci
Oscar de la Renta
Prada

Tags: accessories-award, alexander mcqueen, AlexanderMcqueen, audemars piguet, AudemarsPiguet, awards-main, barneys, barneys new york, BarneysNewYork, bottega veneta, BottegaVeneta, chanel, graff diamonds, GraffDiamonds, gucci, harrods, harry winston, HarryWinston, hermes, iwc, jaeger lecoultre, jaegerlecoultre, jimmy choo, JimmyChoo, louis vuitton, LouisVuitton, luxist-awards, neiman marcus, NeimanMarcus, oscar de la renta, OscarDeLaRenta, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, prada, rolex, saks fifth avenue, SaksFifthAvenue, temple st. clair, TempleSt.Clair, tiffany Co., TiffanyCo., top shop, TopShop, van cleef and arpels, van cleef arpels, VanCleefAndArpels, VanCleefArpels, winners-accessories

Patek Philippe: The Timeless Innovator

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

If high collectible value were the only criteria for the best luxury watch brand, the Patek Philippe, nominated for a Luxist Award, would beat the rest hands down. Even in recession stricken economies, Patek Philippe watches are able to achieve record values at auction. The brand almost epitomizes Swiss haute horology. All Swiss made and designed, Patek Philippe sits as a benchmark of modern classic watch style as well as technical innovation. Not afraid of progress, some of their most traditional looking timepieces contain space-age parts.

Patek Philippe is so well-regarded and trusted, that they even developed their own movement certification system, that they only use to rate their own watches. Such a degree of self governance would only be allowed from a brand such as Patek Philippe.

Their timepieces styles are conservative and timeless. Though unlike Rolex, Patek Philippe revels in the frequent release of highly complex, though always still useful mechanical wonders. Their manufacture is responsible for creating the most complex timepiece in the world, a pocket watch produced back in 1989 – which has yet to be trumped. Considered the best watches in the world by many, it would be hard to dispute this statement in a room full of fanatic (and wealthy) Patek Philippe fans and collectors.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Tags: accessories-award, awards-main, luxist-awards, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, watches

Record Amount For Patek Philippe Ref. 3974 At Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

Another Antiquorum auction and another world record amount for the sale of a specific Patek Philippe watch. Just recently a Black on black Patek Philippe Ref. 3974 perpetual calendar watch in white gold sold for a whopping $1.2 million dollars. The watch is just 10 years old, and others like it have been auctioned off more than once in the last few years. Meaning that while this is not so rare a Patek Philippe watch that it does not come up for auction often. In recent times the depressed economy has somehow been a boom time for Patek Philippe collectors watches at auction. It seems that in almost every new Antiquorum action where a special Patek Philippe watch available, a new record is met. Pretty much any Patek Philippe watch they offer goes for an amount above $100,000.

In this instance, the Ref. 3974 watch is of the most desirable modern Patek Philippe watches and was last made in 1999. The watch features an automatic Patek Philippe movement with the time, perpetual calendar, moon phase indicator, and a minute repeater complication. All that and the watch is small at just 36mm wide. The over one millions dollar amount is truly stunning and reflect the tenacity of the market as well as the collectible nature of the Patek Philippe brand.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: antiquorum, auction, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, record, ref. 3974, Ref.3974, watch

Lenny Dykstra's Patek Philippe and More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports, Wealth

My colleague Deirdre Woollard has been entertainingly chronicling former baseball star Lenny Dykstra's travails in bankruptcy court. Now it seems the hard-charging athlete-turned-entrepreneur is trying to raise a little ready money by selling off some of his prized possessions. Among the lots at Patrizzi & Co.'s Dec. 14th Exceptional Watchmaking Masterpieces auction in NYC is Dykstra's 18K white gold Patek Philippe (above) made in 2004. The fine and rare annual calendar timepiece shows the phases of the moon and has a power reserve indication. Estimated at $28,000 - $ 35,000, it comes accompanied by a photograph of Dykstra playing with the New York Mets. Also included in the sale are two major pieces of Dykstra sporting memorabilia: a 1986 New York Mets World Series trophy and plaque, estimated at $18,000 - $25,000; and a Silver Slugger Award from 1993 with a Louisville Slugger bat and National League Player of the Week 1990 plaque, estimated at $12,000 - $16,000.

UPDATE: Dykstra's Patek sold for $28,000, on the low end of the estimate.

Tags: athlete, bankruptcy, baseball, Lenny Dykstra, LennyDykstra, Patek Philippe, PatekPhilippe, sports

Rare Patek Philippe Worth Over $1 Million Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

In addition to the collection of professional divers' Rolexes we wrote about the other day, Antiquorum will auction off a rare Patek Philippe platinum wristwatch worth over $1 million in NYC on Dec. 9.

The extraordinary Patek Philippe Ref. 3974, produced in 1999, is a minute repeating wristwatch with a black dial, perpetual calendar and moon phases, on an alligator strap.

Prior to this sale, only three models of this reference in platinum have ever been sold at auction. This outstanding timepiece was offered with two additional dials as noted in the extract from Patek Philippe's archives.

Also of interest for the Patek aficionado is the Patek Philippe Ref. 3450 with transparent case back. Made in 1983, it is a very fine and extremely rare 18K yellow gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, and leap year indicator, estimated at $200,000 - $300,000.

Tags: Antiquorum, Patek Philippe, PatekPhilippe, platinum, watches

Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Sells for $5 Million, Sets New World Record

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

A Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Calibre 89 pocket watch, the world's most complex timepiece as mentioned by my colleague Ariel Adams last month, just sold for a world record price of CHF 5,120,000, or $5.068 million at Antiquorum's 35th Anniversary Sale in Geneva. "The incredible result realized for the Calibre 89 in our 35th anniversary auction indicates that the market for the most complicated and important watches in the world remains exceptionally strong," notes Antiquorum Chairman Robert Maron. "We are extremely honored to have sold this exceptional and unique timepiece for the second time in Antiquorum's history and are thrilled that we have once again achieved a world record price at auction." With a staggering 33 complications, the watch weighs nearly 2.5 lbs. and has an 18k yellow gold case. It was made to honor the 150th anniversary of the famed Swiss watchmaker.

Tags: Antiquorum, Geneva, Patek Philippe, PatekPhilippe, pocket watch, PocketWatch, world record, WorldRecord

Patek Philippe "Ladies First Chronograph" Ref. 70171R Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Patek Philippe has asserted a new found dedication to women's watches. As such, this new "Ladies First Chronograph" is a completely new type of direction for them when it comes to making watches for women. What is different? Well, for one, it isn't a jewelry piece. It is haute horology at its finest, but in a package for a modern sophisticated woman. It is handsome and mature, not girly and cute. For some, the design has missed the mark. They feel it is perhaps too retro and odd in design. That may be, but you can't deny the incredible legibility and uniqueness of the look. The cushion shaped case is 39mm wide (big for a women's watch) in 18krose gold, while the entire watch is meant to be a testament to classic French Art Deco design aesthetics.

The name of the watch itself is a shout to manners and respect. "By all means madam, ladies first..." It places women's watches on the same step as men's watches, especially in terms of functionality. It is often the case that women's watches house quartz movements. Not here. The Ladies First has an in-house made Patek Philippe manually wound chronograph movement. Above that, the movement is the brand new Caliber 29-535, and can be seen beautifully displayed in the caseback.

I find that there are a growing number of women who appreciate not only fine design, but also traditional watch mechanics. For those women, they can appreciate the high-end features of the chronograph movement such as a special system to ensure a high power reserve of almost 70 hours, a hack seconds function when resetting the time, and a special design to make this new movement appear much like how movements in the 1930s were presented.

No high luxury women's watch would be complete without a requisite number of diamonds. As such, the round dial is surrounded with a buffer zone of 136 diamonds between it and the cushion shaped bezel of the case. The watch dial comes in black or white, with various reptile strap colors. Price is heavy at 51,000 euros. But hey, it is a Patek Philippe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Patek Philippe Ladies First Chronograph Ref. 70171R Watch

Tags: 70171, 70171r, chronograph, ladies first, LadiesFirst, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, watch

Patek Philippe Rare Ref. 2499/100 Triple Calendar Chronograph Watch At Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

A watch like this is almost the quintessential classic Patek Philippe watch. A svelte looking gold watch with the iconic triple calendar and chronograph feature set. It is in 18k yellow gold - small for today - 36m wide case. The movement has the seal of Geneva and is top Patek Philippe quality. Functions include windows for the day and month, and the date is shown around a dial with the integrated moon phase indicator - it is a perpetual calendar by the way, making it even more desirable. There is a subsidiary seconds hand, along with a thirty minute chronograph, as well as the time of course.

The Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 is often regarded as one of the best watches in the world. This particular model was made in the early 1980s, but the 2499 watches entered production literally decades before in various model generations. Despite the popularity of these models, they are very rare, and very valuable. A Patek Philippe 2499 watch from the early 1960's recently sold for $1.7 at auction. Thus, I believe that Antiquorum's estimate of $250,000 - $350,000 is intentionally conservative. They like being able to say that a watch "beat estimate," so they set it up that way pretty often. This Patek Philippe 2499/100 watch will be at Antiquorum's auction on September 17th in New York City.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2499, 2499100, auction, chronograph, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, triple calendar, TripleCalendar, watch

Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Tourbillon Platinum Watch To Be Up For Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Patek Philippe minute repeater tourbillon

Antiquorum's catalog of watches and clocks to be auctioned off in September is over 300 pages long, and there are some cool ones this time around. Nevertheless, Patek Philippe is bound to be the most desirable brand if past auctions this year have been any indicator. Going for an estimated $400,000 - $600,000 this Patek Philippe Ref. 3939HP watch might be the star of the auction. These conservative estimates will likely be beat.

This watch was uniquely made per a customer request to have a black dial, and a silver dial is also included (not exactly user changeable). The platinum cased watch hides the most desirable elements which are a tourbillon based movement as well as a minute repeater complication (operated with the lever on the left side of the watch). Aside from that the dial is very simple, with elegant Arabic numerals and pomme hands. The subsidiary seconds dial tells most of the story. The watch was originally sold in the year 2000. We will wait until next month to see what the final bid will be for this collectible Patek Philippe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 3939, 3939hp, antiquorum, minute repeater, MinuteRepeater, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, tourbillon, watch

Patek Philippe Celestial Calendar Ref. 5106 Timepiece For Only Watch 2009

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

patek philippe celestial calendar only watch

Patek Philippe collectors will want to pay attention to this unique watch that has been produced specially for the Only Watch 2009 charity watch auction taking place in Monaco in September. The watch furthers the growing line of celestial themed watches that Patek Philippe is known for. This watch has a few unique touches that you'll want to know about. The about 44mm wide case is done in 18k rose gold while the bezel is done in 22k rose gold which is not standard for watches that often use 18k rose gold for the whole case. 22k rose gold is often regarded as being too soft for a watch exterior, but Patek Philippe knowing the likely life of this watch (in a case) opted for the more pure gold in order to enhance the look of the guilloche engraving on the bezel. The mini rotor in the automatic 240 LU CL C movement is also in 22k rose gold. For all its complications the movement is thin at about 6.4mm thick - making for an overall thin watch. The strap is dark blue alligator.

So what does the watch do? It is funny as the watch is very Geneva-centric - in that the frame of reference for looking at the sky is how the sky appears while in Geneva. Basically the watch tells you what the night sky looks like from Geneva - as opposed to other positions on Earth. It has a lot of information about the sky, as well as the time and date. Looking at the dial you can tell what the sky (position) of the stars looks like as well as the phase of the moon and the position of the moon in the night sky. This tells you the solar time, the passage of Sirius, what is going on with the moon, and shows you a nice sky chart. Most of this information will just look pretty because you can go online to figure out all this information in a more readable manner. This is lovely novelty for novelty's sake, and is just what collectors like - you don't get to look at a delicate golden rendition of the Milky Way online the way you do while gazing at this beauty.

With the fine decoration, complex automatic movement, and unique nature of a one-off Patek Philippe model, I have a feeling that this Ref. 5106 watch from Patek Philippe will go for a hefty price at auction in September, and will likely increase in value a few years from now if recent Patek Philippe watch auction results are any indication.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2009, 5106, auction, calendar, celestial, only watch, OnlyWatch, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe

Patek Philippe Pilot Watch Goes For $1.7 Million At Christie's Auction

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

I bet you've never seen this Patek Philippe watch before. That is because it was not known to exist, and is a one of a kind made in 1936. Earlier this month in May, this watch sold for just over $1.7 million dollars at a Christie's auction in Geneva. The buyer was a private Swiss museum, and they recognized the special watch for its value, especially as a unique Patek Philippe. The watch is chrome-plated nickel being large at 55mm wide and has some unique navigational complications and an hour hand that operates on a 24 hour scale (not 12 hour scale). I don't claim to understand the functions entirely, as I am no pilot, but the watch is set to measure a 360 degree circle. The minute hand makes a full rotation each 4 hours, and the two seconds hands rotate each 4 minutes. Really not sure about what that all does, but it has something to do with directional angular navigation. The time can still be read though, but on the 24 hour scale. This goes to show that no matter how peculiar they are, the watch collecting world simplly loves a rare Patek Philippe timepiece.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Via WatchTime.

Tags: auction, aviator, christies, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, pilot, rare, watch

Patek Phillipe Ref. 1436 Watch Sells At Auction For Over $1 Million

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Why Patek Philippe watches are such consistent "gold" at auctions is sort of a mystery to me. The brand is highly prestigious, the watches (both new and old) are of high quality, and they certainly have rarity on their side, but what else? Does a good looking watch with a hell of a reputation really take you that far? In this case, it does - and it is possible that buyers are looking to receive investment grade timepieces for future sales when the demand is even higher. The price achieved for this watch set a record, plus this particular watch has never been up for auction before.

This Patek Philippe Ref. 1436 rattrapante (double) chronograph watch sold for about $1.12 million at an Antiquorum auction. Incredible price for a steel watch. Granted, they are highly rare with just two known to exist, the price indicates a clear resilience to the economy for passionate collectors of Patek Philippe and other fine watch brands. In all, Patek Philippe watches are always strong at auction so expect to be surprised again.

Via National Jeweler.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: auction, patek philippe, PatekPhilippe, ref. 1436, Ref.1436, timepiece, watch

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