Patek Philippe Ref. 5330G Complications World Time
The Duality of Time
The Duality of Time: A Tale of Two World Timers
Centuries ago, the concept of time around the world meant little to civilizations in their own microcosms. Today, business is conducted globally on a daily basis and friends and family live on opposite sides of the world. As such, complex world time watches serve an important purpose. Here, an exploration of two superb examples—at very different ends of the design spectrum.
By Roberta Naas
Special Correspondent
In the world of watches, the world timer is a relatively recent phenomenon. With the ability to indicate time in any of 24 cities in the 24 time zones around the world, these watches were preceded by world time pocket watches in the mid 19th century. At that time, world travel— albeit by slow means such as transatlantic voyages—was just beginning. Certain brands opted to try to keep tabs on time across the ocean or continents with pocket watches bearing city names scrawled on oversized dials.
By the late 19th century, and primarily thanks to burgeoning global rail systems, the world tried to establish some uniform way to measure time and promote global communications. The 1884 International Meridian Conference established Greenwich Mean Time, and the world was broken into 24 time zones—with London becoming the key city to live at zero degrees meridian. It was a huge step toward consistency in timekeeping, and marked a profound change for travelers in the early 20th century.
Jet Set
However, it wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that the idea of multiple time zones came to the wrist, and even then, only by the most capable brands, such as Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. The driving impetus in that era was the advent of global air travel. Often, pilots in that golden age needed to wear watches that could display time in another zone: hence, dual-time and GMT watches were born.
Accounts vary as to which watch brand was the first to release a watch tracking two 24-hour time zones at once (Glycine’s Airman made its debut in 1953 and the Rolex GMT-Master was a huge announcement in 1954).
However, the invention of the world timer wristwatch as we now know it is credited to Patek Philippe, which released a wristwatch in the 1930s with a movement created by independent watchmaker Louis Cottier in 1931.
Global Gravitas
However, there are many ways to indicate world time within the constraints of a wrist watch dial: Cities engraved on an outer bezel or an outer chapter ring with multiple hands pointing to local and home times; more elaborate indications that showcase the additional zones split by 30-minute increments instead of full hours; and advanced methods of setting the time in the two zones using innovative aesthetics that range from classic elegance to three-dimensional drama.
Classic: Patek Philippe World Time With Date Ref. 5330G-001
Earlier this year, Patek Philippe unveiled its newest World Time With Date Ref. 5330G-001, which is the world’s very first world timer to incorporate a date display that is totally synchronized with local time. Heretofore, most world timers that also offered a date indication required the wearer to physically change the date after changing the time zone. This new patented invention was in the research and design stages for a years before coming to fruition.
The master watchmakers at the brand opted to bring the new patented automatic adjustment system to reality in the all-new 306-part ultra-thin self-winding caliber 240 HU C movement. Once the wearer sets the local time, the date (indicated on the outer rim of the dial) automatically adjusts thanks to a differential system. The date-display module within the movement consists of 70 parts, including a patented central differential system with two star-type gear wheels that interact with one another.
Date Innovation
Those who follow everything Patek Philippe unveils may recall this automatic synchronizing date as having first been seen in the 2023 Patek Philippe “Watch Art” Grand Exhibition held in Tokyo.
Now, the brand brings this invention to full production in an 18-karat white gold version with blue/gray opaline dial with a carbon motif. The 40mm watch also carries the prestigious Patek Philippe Seal, and lists for $76,590. The look is avant-garde, yet incredibly classic.
Avant-Garde: Bovet Recital 28 “Prowess 1”
Always pushing the boundaries, Swiss brand Bovet unveiled the Bovet Recital 28 “Prowess 1” earlier this year, as well, with a more unexpected, avant-garden design. The decidedly three-dimensional aesthetic of this complicated watch underscores the brand’s commitment to showcasing mechanics and technical prowess, but in a visually striking manner. This world timer watch is the first ever to indicate Daylight Saving Time within the local zone, the result of years of research and development.
The hand-wound movement consists of 744 components, each hand-finished and assembled. The 46.3mm watch offers hours, minutes, a flying tourbillon with the seconds indication, and world time indication on innovative rollers along with the UTC, summer, and winter times. Additionally, there is a perpetual calendar that showcases the retrograde month and leap year, and disks for the day. A series of decidedly technical feats all executed with signature Bovet elegance.
The movement is beautifully showcased in the 46.3mm platinum Dimier “Writing Desk” case, which is a sloped case that is wider at the top and slimmer at the base. The double-faced flying tourbillon is patented, and the entire watch is incredibly complex to build. As such, just eight will ever be made, selling for about CHF 650,000 each.
Bovet Récital 28 “Prowess 1”
