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Patek Philippe World Time 39.5mm White Gold
Ref. 5131G-001
Sits in Patek Philippe’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Patek Philippe watches we list, which start at £10,250.
Price range £10,250 to £91,995 across 20 Patek Philippe watches in stock.The World Time ref. 5131 did not simply add a complication to an existing dress watch — it was built around the idea that the mechanism for reading twenty-four time zones simultaneously could share the dial with a work of art. The cloisonné Grand Feu enamel map that occupies the centre is laid by hand, individual gold wires forming the continent boundaries before the enamel is fired in successive stages. This particular reference depicts Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania in a rendering that varies between examples; because no two firings produce identical colour or texture, the dial on this piece exists nowhere else. The calibre behind it, the 240 HU, is assembled in Patek's own workshops and uses a 22-carat gold micro-rotor integrated flush into the baseplate — the mechanism that keeps the case at 10.61mm, which is genuinely unusual for a watch carrying this much going on inside it. It sits under a cuff with the ease of a straightforward dress watch, nothing protruding, nothing catching. The polished white gold case and the engraved bezel frame the enamel without competing with it, and the blue alligator strap pulls the ocean tones of the dial through to the wrist rather than sitting as a separate element.
- Reference
- 5131G-001
- Brand
- Patek Philippe
- Collection
- Complications
- Case size
- 39.5mm
- Case thickness
- 10.61mm
- Case material
- White gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 240 HU
- Functions
- GMT
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Blue
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- 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.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Patek Philippe Complications range (13), Back in Stock (5,241), Automatic Watches (1,792), Leather Strap Watches (1,111), Silver Dial Watches (757), Dress Watches (569) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (356).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
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
Patek Philippe World Time alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 5131G-001 | 116506 | 26240OR.OO.D315CR.01 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £91,995 | £93,950 | £74,450 |
| Case size | 39.5mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 100m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 48 hours | 72 hours | — |
| This watch |
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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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39.5mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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