Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: Circa 2017 Reference No: 5131R Movement No: 7’035’726 Case No: 6’180’093 Model Name: World Time Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 240 HU, 33 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K pink gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin dated April 10, 2017, wooden presentation box, leather envelope, product literature and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
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 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 window into history. With the rise and fall of nations, one capital replaced another as reference city for a specific time zone.
Surprisingly, watchmakers did not immediately take the opportunity of creating world time watches based on the 24hour time zones set up by the International Meridian Conference of 1884. Was this due to the complexity of the mechanism, the lack of demand, national issues with the exact division of the time zones or the legendary Swiss neutrality (not wanting to put forward one nation by having its capital be the city of reference for that time zone)? Whatever the answer, world time watches as we know them today remained off the radar until the early 1930s and an invention by genius watchmaker Louis Cottier. It is around that period in 1930/1931 that Cottier designed a movement featuring a local time with hour and minute hands at center, linked to a rotating 24hour ring, and bordered by a fixed outer dial ring with the names of different cities inscribed on it. The city of choice (local time zone) was placed at the 12 o'clock position with the hours/minutes handset at local time, the watch would then display the correct time in both hours and minutes, night and day, for every time zone in the world simultaneously, all the while allowing easy and accurate reading of local time, and all on a single dial.
With reference 5131, Patek Philippe resurrected the line of Cloisonné world time pieces - which originally appeared in the 1950s and are now considered amongst the masterpieces of the brand. Launched originally in yellow gold, it was produced in the three gold colors and in platinum. In 2021, the last scion of reference 5131 (the platinum version) was discontinued, officially sanctioning the end of this landmark reference.
The present pink gold reference 5131R is fresh to the market, offered by the original owner. The watch is in excellent condition and is a harmonious balance between form and function, mechanical and beauty. The watch is complete with its original Certificate of Origin, accessories and presentation box.
Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.
Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.