Kensington Watches
Patek Philippe World Time 39.5MM Platinum

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Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe World Time 39.5MM Platinum

Ref. 5131/1P-001

Among our 22 Patek Philippe watchesThis watch£129,950
Premium

Sits in Patek Philippe’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Patek Philippe watches we list, which start at £21,950.

Price range £21,950 to £129,950 across 22 Patek Philippe watches in stock.

The World Time complication at Patek Philippe traces back to Louis Cottier, the Geneva watchmaker who devised the mechanism in the 1930s, and the 5131 is its present form — the successor to the 5130, launched at Baselworld 2017. What separates this platinum iteration from any other reference in the line is its dial, which is not printed or lacquered but built: cloisonné enamel, the world mapped from the North Pole outward, constructed by soldering fine gold wires into place and firing the piece through multiple oven stages to build up the colour in layers. Only a handful of artists within the manufacture can execute it, and the process means every example emerges slightly differently. The 240 HU driving it is among the thinnest automatic world-time movements made, which is why the case sits at 10.6mm — genuinely flat for something carrying a complication of this reach, and the reason it disappears beneath a cuff in a way a conventional dress-complications case will not. The 22-carat gold micro-rotor and silicon Spiromax balance spring are engineering choices that have nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with rate stability over the 48-hour reserve. At 241.8 grams on the wrist, the integrated brick-link bracelet makes its presence felt immediately — this is a dense, serious object, and it wears that way. The brand names are engraved directly into the bezel rather than printed on the dial, a detail that reads as restraint until you look closely enough to notice it.

Reference
5131/1P-001
Brand
Patek Philippe
Collection
ComplicationsCase Size: 39
Case size
39.5mm
Case thickness
10.6mm
Lug width
22mm
Case material
White gold
Case shape
Round
Dial
Silver
Crystal
Sapphire
Movement
Automatic
Calibre
240 HU
Functions
World time
Water resistance
30m
Bracelet / strap
Stainless steel bracelet
Strap colour
Silver
Clasp
Deployant clasp
Lume
Luminous
Condition
Pre-owned
Retailer
Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
Lug-to-lug
48.5mm
Power reserve
48 hours
Learn more about Patek Philippe

Antoine Norbert de Patek, a Polish cavalry officer exiled after the November Uprising, founded a watch business in Geneva in 1839 with his countryman François Czapek. The partnership dissolved after six years, and in 1845 Patek took on the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding crown. The firm became Patek Philippe in 1851.

That single invention mattered more than any other in the company's early history: it removed the winding key, and every modern watch descends from it. Queen Victoria bought a Patek pendant watch at the Great Exhibition the same year, establishing the royal patronage the house has traded on ever since.

The Stern family, dial manufacturers and long-standing suppliers, bought the company in 1932 during the Depression. Four generations later it remains in their hands — the last independent family-owned manufacture in Geneva, currently led by Thierry Stern.

Patek's reputation rests on complications: the Calibre 89 of 1989 carried thirty-three of them, and the Grandmaster Chime remains among the most complicated wristwatches made. The Nautilus, drawn by Gérald Genta in 1976 as a steel luxury sports watch, became an unlikely commercial phenomenon four decades after launch.

Production stays deliberately modest, in the tens of thousands annually, and every watch carries the Patek Philippe Seal, an in-house standard the company adopted in 2009 after abandoning the Geneva Seal as insufficiently strict.

1839
Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek found the firm in Geneva.
1845
Adrien Philippe joins, bringing the keyless winding crown.
1851
The company is renamed Patek Philippe; Queen Victoria buys a watch.
1932
The Stern family acquires the company.
1976
The Nautilus debuts, designed by Gérald Genta.
2009
The Patek Philippe Seal replaces the Geneva Seal.

All Patek Philippe watches

Also in 4 collections

This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,459), Silver Dial Watches (636), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (271) and Solid Gold Watches (108).

2-year Goldsmiths warranty

What the specifications mean

A mechanical watch for everyday wear.

Strengths

  • 39.5mm suits most wrists
  • Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
  • Luminous hands and markers for low light
  • Second time zone for travelling
  • One of Patek Philippe's more premium watches

Worth knowing

  • 30m means keeping it away from water
Best forEveryday wearTravel
Less suited toWater

Your new watch

Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch

Can I swim with it?

No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.

Will the glass scratch?

Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.

Does it need a battery?

No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.

How long does it run for when it's not worn?

About 48 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.

What size strap does it take?

22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.

Will it fit my wrist?

Lug-to-lug is 48.5mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.

Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.

Is it a men's or women's watch?

Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.

Cheapest place to buy

Goldsmiths at £129,950, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.

Is this available new?

Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £129,950 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths test every pre-owned watch for authenticity, timekeeping and water resistance, and warrant it for 2 years — the same term they give on a new watch.

Who are Goldsmiths?

Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.

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