REF. 5231G-001, MOVEMENT NO. 7'500'034, CASE NO. 6’549'146, CIRCA 2022

Introduced in 2022, the present reference 5231G is one of the most artistic interpretations of Patek Philippe's celebrated World Time complication. Its magnificent dial centre combines cloisonné enamel and gold paillons to depict a planisphere representing Oceania and South-East Asia, surrounded by the names of 24 cities corresponding to the world's principal time zones. Requiring exceptional skill and precision, these intricate enamel dials can only be executed by a handful of highly specialised artisans, with annual production necessarily remaining extremely limited.

Powering reference 5231G is the automatic in-house calibre 240 HU, composed of 239 parts and 33 jewels and providing approximately 48 hours of power reserve. The World Time mechanism is remarkably intuitive: pressing the pusher at 10 o'clock advances the hour hand by one hour while simultaneously moving the city disc and 24-hour ring by one increment in the opposite direction. The desired city is simply aligned with the red arrow at 12 o'clock, allowing the wearer to change local time without affecting the precision of the watch. The beautifully finished movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback.

Despite its contemporary execution, the mechanism has its origins in the 1930s, when ingenious Geneva watchmaker Louis Cottier developed his revolutionary system for simultaneously displaying the world's time zones. Patek Philippe adopted Cottier's invention for some of its most legendary World Time watches, including references 1415 HU and 2523, and later obtained a patent for his system in 1959. Patek Philippe continued to develop this historic mechanism throughout the twentieth century, ultimately introducing the calibre 240 HU in 1999.