Overview of the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 2523
Launched in 1953 , the Patek Philippe World Time ref. 2523 featured a new two-crown system, one for winding the watch and the other at 9 o’clock controlling the city disc. Two versions were available: ref. 2523 with larger lugs sitting above the bezel and...
Captivating indeed.
And I think I like them all too. Even if I’m not completely fond of the double signed dial.
Wow... simply stunning.
Thanks for collating these, Emmanuel. The hour hands are beautiful and unique. The cloisonne dial still look amazing after all these years. And so nice to see my city-state on these dials.
Yes, this kind of world time with 41 city names is much
more satisfying than the 24 main time zones models. Here you have Singapore and India isn't left out as it usually is: Bombay, Calcutta... Best, Emmanuel
Thank you, KMII.
It was a lot of work, but hopefully it'll be useful for future fans of this model, just like DCC's article has been for me! Best, Emmanuel
I’ve always admired world time watches.
But unfortunately I have more and more trouble reading the cities and the function only works 6 months per year due to daylight savings.
Of course, it isn't as useful a complication as one could think.
But I remain personally sensitive to the imaginary of universal time... Best, Emmanuel
Such a great and educational post. Thank you.
PP WTs are some of my favorite PP models. Over the last 19 years I had a privilege to own five of them: 5110J, 5130J, 7130G, 5130R and 5131J. Currently only two are in the collection: 5130R and 5131J....but I must confess that I miss the 5110J and I'm con...
Thank you, I'm glad you liked this post,
as it has involved a lot of, hopefully useful, work. It's quite a collection of world timers you have (and had)! And I understand your nostalgia for the 5110J. I've tried on both the R and P 5110 and something about this model is just perfect (predictably...
PS: if you're interested,
I've also collated the data concerning the early ref. 542: www.watchprosite.com / As I decided to insert it in a post dedicated to the homage to this ref. by Reima Koivukoski (in the Horological meandering section), it will probably not get much a...
Nothing is more iconic, indeed!
Thank you for stopping by: I'm glad you liked this quite demanding post. Best, Emmanuel
Amazing write-up, as usual.
Thanks for posting! So many great examples of the classic WT here. Hard to pick a favorite. I love the bridge layout of the 12-400. Functional, beautiful, and allows the finishing to shine through, especially the near-black polished areas. Cheers, John
Thanks for the kind words, John.
I agree with you that everything is to love here, from dial and case/lugs design to the movement architecture and decoration. Some consider this reference as the best world time Patek has ever made and I can understand why, even if I am not very fond of s...