This is the Patek Philippe World Time 5130P. Founded in 1839, Patek Philippe is a name synonymous with high horology. A company that has always been privately owned, Patek has been manufacturing watches for almost two centuries without interruption. The company is currently owned by the Stern family, whose heritage dates to when they were supplying dials to Patek in the 1920s.

While the sports models tend to steal the spotlight, the brand’s true expertise lies in its complicated timepieces. With the introduction of the world’s first split-second chronograph in the 1920s and the subsequent introductions of the first perpetual calendar, it is evident that an instrumental reason for the brand’s success and longevity lies in its ability to produce complications at a high level. The first World Time by Patek Philippe was the reference 1415 introduced 1939 based Louis Cottier’s 1931 creation and all the subsequent World Time references were based on the renowned Cottier-style mechanism.

Debuting in 2006 as the successor of the smaller reference 5110 as the second modern World Time by the brand, the reference 5130P houses an engine-turned guilloche dial in the inner ring and 24-hour markers surrounded by 24 time zones. With a pusher at the 10 o’clock for easy adjustment of the time zone, the 5130 is both highly intuitive and functional. Housed in a 39.5mm platinum case, the newer reference provided enhanced legibility with the larger case size.

Despite the storied history of the World Time, it remains an overlooked complication in the brand’s vast catalogue of watches. In many ways, the 5130P is highly representative of Patek Philippe’s capabilities and remains among the most recognizable timepieces featuring this complication.