Notes
This watch was recently serviced by Patek Philippe.
Similar watches are published in ?Collecting Patek Philippe Wristwatches? by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani
Editore, 2005, vol I, p. 202-203, vol II, p. 91.
"World Time System".
This system was invented around 1935 by Louis Cottier (1894 -1966), a famous independent watchmaker inGeneva. This World Time system was used by Patek Philippe and also by other major names in the Swiss watch industry, such as Agassiz, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin. Patek Philippe created various series
of ?World Timers? from 1937 to the mid-1960s:
"Ref. 515"
, a rectangular ?galbé? pink gold model made in 1937, with the names of 28 cities in the world on the dial, the time differences between them based on Greenwich Mean Time. It is
the earliest known and only three examples are known today. One was sold by Antiquorum, in Geneva, on April 10, 1994, lot 502, for SFr. 550'000 (US$ 388,560).
"Ref. 542 HU"
(Ø 28 mm.), started around 1937, bears the names of approximately
30 cities in the world on the revolving bezel. Only 4 examples are known to date, three of which were sold by Antiquorum:
- Geneva, October 17, 1993, lot 431, at SFr. 121?000 (US$ 81,700).
- Geneva, April 10, 1994, lot 500, at SFr. 231'000 (US$164,200) with
unusual bezel and hands.
- Geneva, October 15-16, 1994, lot 608, at SFr. 110'000 (US$ 87,300).
"Ref. 96 HU" Calatrava, with the names of 28 cities in the world on the dial, appears to be an unique example made
in 1939.
"Ref. 130,"
of which only one example is known and was made on special order by Patek Philippe in1939, is an 18K yellow gold mnemonic ?World
Time? chronograph wristwatch, with square
push buttons, register and tachometer.
This watch does not have a ?World
Time? movement but features a ?World
Time? dial with the names of 24 cities
of the world. The time difference
between the various cities is based on
Berlin, which is placed at noon. This
watch was sold by Antiquorum, in
Geneva, on April 18-19, 1998, lot 40,
for SFr. 355?500 (US$ 235,000), establishing
a world record for this type
of watch.
"Ref. 1415 HU"
began to be produced
around 1939-1940. It has dropshaped
lugs, a diameter of 31 mm.,
and on the revolving bezel the names
of approximately 30 to 41 cities in the
world. This model was produced:
- in yellow gold with silvered dial
- in yellow gold with cloisonné enamel
dial representing various
continents in pink gold, with silver, champagne
or pink dial
- in pink gold, with cloisonné enamel
dial representing various continents
- in platinum with silvered dial;
sold by Antiquorum Geneva, on
April 14, 2002, lot 608, seting a
new World Record for a wristwatch
of 6, 603,500 SFr.
"Ref. 1416 HU" is similar to Ref. 1415 HU
and produced at the same time, with the only
difference that it has straight ?claw? lugs. Three
examples are known today.
Ref. 1415-1 was created in 1940, especially for Dr. P.
Schmidt. This is a unique ?World Time? chronograph
wristwatch, in yellow gold, with square push buttons
and the names of 33 cities of the world. It was auctioned
by Antiquorum, in Geneva, on October 15-16, 1994, lot
516, attaining what at the time was a World Record, at SFr.
990'000 (US$ 785,714). This watch is illustrated on the front cover
and p. 270 of the new edition (1998) of Patek Philippe Wristwatches,
by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery.
Ref. 605 HU was produced circa 1940-1960?s and is a series of dress
watches with the names of approximately 30 to 41 cities in the world on the
revolving bezel. Some examples have a matte silvered dial or black dial and others
have a cloisonné enamel dial.
Ref. 2523 HU and Ref. 2523-1, with two crowns, were produced circa 1953-1965: they
bear the names of approximately 40 cities of the world on the revolving bezel. They were
made: - in pink gold, with silvered guilloché dial
- in pink gold, with translucent enamel dial
- in pink gold, with cloisonné enamel dial representing various continents
- in yellow gold, with silvered guilloché dial - in yellow gold, with translucent enamel dial
- in yellow gold, with cloisonné enamel dial representing various continents
- one example is known to date in white gold, with cloisonné enamel dial representing various continents.