With Louis Cottier gone, World Time watches disappeared from the Geneva manufacturer’s catalog for the next three decades. The 70s and 80s came and went, Concorde roared from Paris to New York and back at supersonic speeds, and when Pan Am also disappeared from the airport in the early 90s, it became easier to jump from A to B, and then to C. As curiosity grew, generations of world citizens discovered the Earth, and finally – in 2000 – the Platinum Reference 5110 appeared, marking a new era for the Patek Philippe World Time watch.
There is something particularly striking about this model. Instead of a second crown at 9 o’clock, this 37mm reference has a pusher at 10 o’clock. This button is used to jump from one time zone to another – by the way, Patek Philippe patented it a few years ago. Inside the watch (and all its successors) is the 240 HU movement, which is based on the traditional 240 movement. The latter movement was first created by Patek Philippe in 1977 with the main consideration being the Reference 3738 – an ultra-thin Ellipse d’Or. Over the years, we have made improvements, including the addition of Gyromax ® balances and Spiromax ® spirals.
With this new reference, the World Time watch is back among watch lovers. Not only is the complication unique in its aesthetics; many would consider it far superior to any classic GMT watch, and it is also extremely attractive in terms of craftsmanship. After all, the center of each dial in particular can be finished and decorated in a number of ways. patek philippe replica uk started with the classic guilloche pattern, and has since shown several models in cloisonné enamel. The latter is led by the Reference 5131, a variant of the 5130 that replaced the 5110 in 2006, with a larger diameter of 39.5mm. Reference 51302006 comes in white and rose gold. The platinum version of the Reference 5130 debuted in 2007. Just a glance at the enamel world map on this enthralling model will inevitably attract anyone who sees it in metal.
The variety of styles available today ensures the emergence of a new group of collectors among Patek Philippe lovers. Some people focus entirely on world time watches, even ignoring the widespread enthusiasm for Nautilus models, or the unique charm of “rare handicraft” models, their flawless craftsmanship and uniqueness.
Personally, it’s also a World Time watch that reinforces the author’s fascination with Patek Philippe. For the manufacturer’s 175th anniversary in 2014, the Reference 5575 (among others) was launched in a limited edition of 1,300 pieces. At its centre is a moon phase display mounted on a rotating mineral glass disc. This moonstar display blends beautifully with the white gold case, black dial and city name in white lettering, making it almost impossible to think about the watch’s popularity.
Faced with such success, it must be very tempting for Patek Philippe to launch another Infinity model with a similar look and moon phase function. But if one thing is certain, it is that Patek Philippe, as a brand and manufacturer, is always unpredictable and never simply opportunistic in the short term.
In any case, investment pieces like the one above don’t explain the appeal of these watches, which in many ways deviate from the common notion of beautiful fake watches. They are more interesting and smaller in size due to the multitude of city names. If too much writing on the face is usually interpreted as a disadvantage, different rules apply for this watch category. Karachi, Auckland, La Paz – small watch, big world.