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 in Geneva. 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 Geneva on April 10, 1994, lot 502, for SFr. 550'000 (US$ 388,560). Ref. 542 HU, (Ø 28 mm.), began around 1937, and bears the names of approximately 30 cities in the world on the revolving bezel. Only four 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 on the dial, appears to be an unique example made in 1939.
Ref. 130, of which only one example is known, made by Patek Philippe on special order in 1939, 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. The time difference between the cities is based on Berlin, which is placed at noon. This watch was sold by Antiquorum Geneva on April 18-19, 1998, lot 40, for SFr. 355,500 (US$ 235,000), setting a world record for this type of watch.
Ref. 1415 HU began to be produced around 1939-1940. It has teardrop-shaped lugs, a diameter of 31 mm., and on the revolving bezel the names of approximately 30 to 41 cities. 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 several continents - in platinum with silvered dial; sold by Antiquorum Geneva on April 14, 2002, lot 608, setting a new world record for a wristwatch at 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. It was sold by Antiquorum Geneva on October 15-16, 1994, lot 516, making a world record at the time, at SFr. 990,000 (US$ 785,714). This watch is illustrated on the front cover and p. 270 of the 1998 edition 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 on the revolving bezel. Some examples have a matte silvered or black dial; 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 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 several 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 a cloisonné enamel dial representing various continents.