Discussion
heartbreaker's conceptual designs for a Patek Philippe ChronoWorldTimer offer a fascinating glimpse into the creative process of integrating complex complications. This article explores his third proposal, which sparked a lively discussion among collectors about design philosophy, movement choices, and the potential future direction of Patek Philippe's innovative spirit. His work highlights the community's passion for imagining new horological possibilities.
Dear PP-lovers,
First of all, thank you for letting me share and discuss with you my very modest proposals on a watch whose idea was born just on this excellent forum, some days ago, by the fellow Purist Bruno.M1, supported by dr.kol and cory.
As you know, the design process of a new watch keep a huge team of high-level professionals very busy even for years, so you can't expect that an uneducated watch-lover like me could elaborate the actually right design of a new, never-released watch. Moreover, Patek Philippe has very often surprised us with innovative pieces of haute horlogery (I'm sorry, moc, but I don't agree with you: PP aren't boring at all). So, to try to guess the design of the PPs of the future is almost impossible, at least for me. As the fellow Purist moc has rightly written: my creations <
That said, let's go back to the idea of a PP ChronoWorldTimer. When I design a new watch, I always start from the movement: every proposal of mine is based on the real size and the real shape of existing movements. Wanting to daydream on a PP ChronoWorldTimer, I started from the following observation: the PP World Time complication is an additional module placed at the top of a base movement (the automatic caliber 240 with micro rotor), so I had to choose one of the integrated PP chronograph calibers, as a base movement. As you know, the choice was narrow to the CH 28-520 (automatic) and CH 29-535 (manual). The first caliber is characterized by the 60-minutes and 12-hours mono-counter, without continuous seconds; the second one has a more "classic" design, with two subdials for chronographic 30-minutes and for continuous seconds. I have chosen the latter, because adding the 24-hours and the 24-cities rings to the CH 28-520 would have produced a very big watch, with a diameter of at least 48 mm and because I think that the mono-counter shouldn't aestetically works well with the World Time complication.
In the past I have worked on various design proposals for PP chronographs, so I have on my HD various good files made up with a vector graphics editor. Some of the elements I've used now have beeen designed by me some years ago. The first proposal had the same case of the ref. 5170, but with a diameter of 42 mm. instead of 39; the dial looked like an old ref. 130; to use the World Time function, I have implemented two pushers on the left (original idea by the Purist dr.kol). The second proposal is a more conservative version of the first one: the dial has the same guillochage of the ref. 5131P (original idea by the Purist cory) and it has a single pusher to operate the World Time.
These two proposals have been criticized saying they look like the Girard Perregaux WW.TC or even a Swatch [don't know what reference]. Well, I'm not a successfull collector, I'm not a well-known watch expert, but in my very humble opinion my proposals differ A LOT from the GP ref. 49700, that has a 44 mm. case. Please take a look at this picture.
Here's a comparison with the Girard Perregaux WW.TC. ref. 49805 (case diameter: 43 mm.). Do they look the same?
Thank you
for reading, and for your patience 
. Ciao,
Elio
The Patek Philippe Reference 130 is a significant chronograph model, notable for its classic design and the various configurations in which it was produced. While many examples feature a standard chronograph layout, specific iterations, such as those with split-seconds functionality, represent a higher echelon of horological complexity within the reference. The model is recognized for its balanced proportions and the legibility of its dial, making it a favored choice among collectors seeking vintage Patek Philippe chronographs.
This particular example of the Reference 130 is distinguished by its yellow gold case, measuring 33mm in diameter. It houses a manual-winding movement, typical for chronographs of its era, and is fitted with a crystal, likely acrylic or sapphire depending on the specific production period and any subsequent servicing. The case construction and movement finishing adhere to Patek Philippe's high standards for precision and durability.
Collector interest in the Reference 130 is driven by its historical importance as an early chronograph from the brand and the rarity of certain dial and complication variations. The presence of unique characteristics, such as Breguet numerals, specific dial signatures, or the absence of a tachymeter scale, can significantly influence its appeal. The reference appeals to those who appreciate the foundational designs of Patek Philippe's chronograph lineage.
No I can see some PP DNA. Much nicer as before but try to improve the colours, please. Your on the right way... Can I make a downpayment? :-)
I like it a lot.... I still think PP is very conservative,and still think that you have lots of knowledge and guts to propose these... Well done...this Rg version looks real good.... Mo
I must say I have been following your design ideas without much enthusiasm since the colour combinations really seemed a departure from PP design philosophy. But this black dialed one is almost perfect, and harkens back to the Pateks of old. Just change the remaining grey colour, and I would be all over this watch more than any in the current range. Almost perfect. Dean
is my view, this latest version is better I think, but the RG small second model has the same colouring albeit without the chromo function. How about a World Timer compensating for daylight saving depending on which country you are in? And I don't mean the extra markers on the dial like IWC has done, I mean a proper mechanical solution. This would be more useful than adding a chrono function IMHO. Keep the iterations coming though, I love looking at the ideas!
your second proposal, blue dial with guillochage a la 5131 but..(there is always a but) with the 5970 case, the two subdials not eating on the minute track and please do not use Dauphine Hands for mine:) the ones on the dial "a la 5131" are splendid. To my eyes there is a HUGE difference between the PP ChronoWorldTimer and the GP Ref. 49805. Firstly, "your PP" has no date and secondly all the rest is completely different:) Thank you Elio, very nice indeed. Cheers Francois from Down Under
of yes, I do like that third one. This is more in the patek style, the first to had too much color ...the black dail is something I would want if I could afford it :-) Well done!
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