World time watches were invented, as is the case with most innovations, out of necessity. With the advent of the industrial age came global trade and world travel and, as a direct result, there was a need for timekeeping devices capable of tracking time in multiple locations. The world time complication, other than being a utilitarian invention, is also a fascinating window into history when studying its evolution. With the rise and fall of nations, one featured capital on a watch’s bezel or dial replaced another as reference city for a specific time zone.

Fifty years passed between the first serially-produced world-time wristwatch produced by Patek Philippe, the vaunted reference 2523, and the next iteration, the reference 5110 released in 2000. Available in every metal except for steel, it combines the gentle curves and bold elegance of the classic Calatrava case with Louis Cottier’s ingenious world time invention, as well as a beautiful guilloche center disc. An absolute classic, it boasts a 24-hour dial divided into daylight and nighttime hours, with the names of cities and islands in each time zone around the edge of the dial. A pusher on the top left side of the case advances the location disc, allowing the wearer to set a “home” time zone while simultaneously viewing the time in any of the other cities.

In platinum with an appealing grey-blue guilloché dial, this 5110 in excellent overall condition exudes a subtle charm and sophistication for the globetrotting connoisseur. Offered from the Ride the Wave collection, this piece embodies our collector’s enthusiasm for chasing timepieces across the world.

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