Worth Reading
The world time watch has long been a favourite for collectors due to both its functionality and beauty. This piece is particularly special as it is the first time that Patek Philippe has combined a world time complication with a moonphase.
Telling the timezone of 24 cities of the world simultaneously, the 5575G is incredibly useful. The multi-part dial is made up of two peripheral rotating scales, with the outer scale denoting the respective city, and the inner scale denoting the 24 timezones.
The time that stands at twelve o’clock is the local time, with the cities to the East on the right, and the cities to the West on the left. The local timezone can be easily changed by the pusher at ten o’clock. When the pusher is pressed, three things happen simultaneously: the hour hand advances by one hour, while the city and twenty-four-hour disks move counter-clockwise by one time zone. If the hands previously indicated 10:15 as the local time for London, they now display 11:15 for Geneva.
Ordinarily, the dial would have a guilloche center, but this celebration piece features a photo-realistic moonphase, set on a starry background. The moon is an artistic feat, being composed of two, extremely thin, superposed glass disks with fine greyish white graduations, to produce the craters. The moonphase follows the lunar cycle, and is accurate for 122 years before it has to be adjusted by one day.
The case sized at 39.8mm features bold turned lugs, and it is in the quintessentially Patek ‘Calatrava’ shape. The hands, new to Patek Philippe, are distinctive in their shape, especially the hour hand inspired by the Southern Cross constellation, and in keeping with the overall theme of the watch. Interestingly, as a commemoration to the watchmaking of Patek Philippe, the timezone usually occupied by Paris has been replace with Geneva.
Powered by the ultra thin self-winding Calibre 240 HU LU, this movement was exclusively designed to combine the moonphase and worldtime complications. It has a 22k gold micro rotor, and the overall movement is composed of 270 different parts.
As with all modern Patek Philippe watches, it has the Patek Philippe Seal, guaranteeing its accuracy to -3 and +2 seconds daily, keeping time better than the industry benchmark chronometer grade movements. The movement is beautifully finished, with exquisite chamfering on all angles.
This watch comes on a specially made anniversary Patek Philippe deployant clasp in matching 18k white gold, features the manufacture's Calatrava stamp and is engraved ‘1839-2014’. The watch further comes with a solid caseback with the same engraving.
Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.
