Patek Philippe Watches

World Time by Patek Philippe 5110

The self-winding 5110 wristwatch shows the local time not only at home but also in any other of the world’s 24 time zones at a single glance. Two patent applications have been filed for the ingenious mechanism which provides the dual advantage of easy readability and unprecedented user-friendliness: the time zone can be switched without affecting the accuracy of the minute display. With this horological innovation, the only independent Geneva watchmaker, Patek Philippe, has yet again enriched its repertoire of useful complications. This latest one will be highly appreciated especially by executives who have many contacts abroad or travel overseas frequently.

In 1884, two important resolutions were passed at the International Meridian Conference in Washington: the official division of the earth into 24 time zones, each 15° of longitude in width, and the establishment of universal time. Since then, many watchmakers have been asking themselves the same question: How can a watch which displays several time zones be designed to eliminate the need for any manipulation that might cause errors and inaccuracies – and aggravation? After a four-year development period, the Patek Philippe 5110 now delivers a fascinating answer.

The eminently legible face of the Patek Philippe World Time watch is organized in three parts. The hour and minute hands indicate the local time on the central dial. Around it are two concentric rings. The inner ring is subdivided into 24 a.m./p.m. hours, and the outer one bears the names of cities that represent each of the 24 time zones. These two rings allow simultaneous reading of the current time in any time zone without any adjustments whatsoever. The numbers from 1 to 24 opposite any city name show the current hour in the respective time zone. The minutes are indicated by the minute hand. At the 12 o’clock position, the inner ring with the day/night contrast shows the same local time displayed by the hands.

When the watch is set for the very first time or after the movement has stopped, the city on the outer ring as well as the local time on the 24-hour ring must be set to coincide with the 12 o’clock reference position. Example: The owner is currently in Geneva (Paris time zone) and the local time is 8 a.m.

The push button at 10 o’clock must be pressed repeatedly until the name Paris reaches the 12 o’clock position. Then, using the crown, the hands need to be set to 8 o’clock. This adjustment causes the 24-hour ring to rotate as well; the owner must make sure that the numeral 8 (a.m.) and not 20 (p.m.) is aligned with the name Paris. Once this setting is made, the crown is no longer needed for adjustments, and should be pushed in firmly.

As long as the owner does not leave the time zone, the setting of the city ring does not need to be changed, and the 24-hour ring will complete one full counter clockwise rotation per day. Thus, the owner in Geneva who needs to contact someone in another time zone can see at a glance whether it is an opportune time to call.

The most compelling advantage of the Patek Philippe World Time watch truly comes to the fore when its owner travels abroad and switches the watch to another time zone: not a second’s accuracy is lost in the process.

When the owner of the 5110 flies from Geneva to Tokyo, he does not need to know the time difference between the two cities to set his watch. Upon arrival in Tokyo, he merely presses the push button until the name Tokyo is lined up in the 12 o’clock position. The hands move “automatically” and now tell the local time in Japan. The current time in Geneva (Paris time zone) is now indicated by the 24-hour ring opposite Paris.

The simpler it is to operate a mechanical timepiece, the more complex the mechanisms concealed beneath the dial. It took four years to develop the World Time watch 5110. This suggests how technically challenging it was to integrate the new complication in the extra-thin self-winding Patek Philippe calibre 240 with its miniature 22K gold rotor.

The beautiful simplicity of the patented Patek Philippe complication is based on a completely new synchronization principle which requires only one single correction button to simultaneously adjust the city ring, the 24-hour ring, and the hands that display the local time. Each activation of the push button at 10 o’clock triggers three movements at the same time: the hour hand jumps forward by one hour while the city ring and the 24-hour ring each advance counter clockwise by one index increment.

One of the most interesting aspects of the 5110 is the integration of a coupling system which allows its owner to switch to another time zone without resetting or interfering with the movement. The hour hand is uncoupled and can jump in increments of one hour while the minute hand remains constantly engaged with the movement. For this reason, the accuracy of the minute indication – which remains the same across all time zones – is not affected.

The coupling system was built pursuant to the existing Patek Philippe Patent No. 340.191 (1959) which is also at the heart of the recently launched Travel Time – a timepiece with two central hour hands that concurrently display the time in two different selectable time zones.

As all other mechanical movements crafted by Patek Philippe, the stunning self-winding calibre 240/188 bears the Geneva Seal. This valuable hallmark is deemed the highest attainable official quality seal in watchmaking. It is conferred only upon movements of Geneva origin which comply with the most stringent aesthetic and technical standards. Thus, the Geneva Seal stands for flawless craftsmanship.

The design of the World Time watch 5110 was inspired by Patek Philippe World Time watches dating back to the 1930s and which have regularly fetched top prices at prestigious auctions.

Special attention has been paid to several details which enhance legibility. The 24-hour ring has a darker and a brighter half to highlight the difference between night and day. Each name on the city ring is clearly defined with a triangular index symbol. A noticeably larger index is assigned to the city of London, representing the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). An arrow-shaped baton index at 12 o’clock (the pointer baton) on the dial simplifies the precise adjustment of the city ring: The triangle that belongs to the chosen city must coincide precisely with the pointer baton.

Patek Philippe’s World Time watch is available in 18K yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or platinum. The central dial with the guilloché pattern has a silvery sheen in the gold models, and is blue in the platinum model. The dial features applied gold index batons at each hour and lozenge hands.

To distinguish the 5110 in platinum from its white gold sibling and to underscore its rarity, it has a flawless Top Wesselton diamond discreetly set between the strap lugs at 6 o’clock. The cases – with a diameter of 37 mm – are water resistant to 25 meters and have a sapphire crystal back which affords a mesmerizing view of the exquisite self-winding movement with its solid gold rotor. The watch comes with a hand-stitched crocodile skin strap and a fold-over clasp in gold or platinum to match the case.

The World Time watch 5110 unites a wealth of aesthetic and technological attributes which convey an unmistakable message: This is a truly innovative timepiece backed by a proud watchmaking heritage. With its easy readability and unmatched convenience, it clearly sets itself apart from other multiple time zone watches which are often rather difficult to set. The 5110 also addresses the growing demand for such watches. To this very day, World Time watches are considered to be a Patek Philippe specialty even though their production was discontinued in the sixties. Patek Philippe World Time watches made between 1930 and 1960 now regularly fetch top prices at auction. The World Time watch Ref. 2523 which dates back to 1953 and has a dial depicting the European continent in cloisonné enamel, was sold on April 25, 1999, for 1,488,500 Swiss francs at an auction in Geneva.

The World Time watch 5110 enriches Patek Philippe’s repertoire of useful complications which enhance convenience. Its affordable price also gives a broader circle of timepiece connoisseurs the opportunity to acquire a contemporary watch with innovative technology from the tradition-conscious Patek Philippe workshops.

Further Reading

Patek Philippe

Complicated Wrist Watches

Giorgio Gregato, Paolo De Vecchi

Full details at: Greenwich Book

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