New Upgrade for Patek Philippe World Time Watch, Model 5330 Officially Added to the Regular Collection

In June last year, Patek Philippe launched a world time watch with a purple dial, the Ref. 5330. Besides its striking purple dial, the highlight of this watch was the newly upgraded world time movement, which marked the first Patek Philippe world time model to include a date display. Originally a limited edition for the "Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Tokyo," it was somewhat of a hidden gem, not even listed on the official website. However, at this year's "Watches & Wonders Geneva," Patek Philippe officially incorporated the 5330 into its regular collection, unveiling the Ref. 5330G-001 with a blue dial.

The model 5330 world time watch now features a date display for the first time. This feature isn’t typically complex, but posed significant technical challenges this time. Other world time watches with a date function require separate adjustments for time zone and date. To enhance wearer comfort, Patek Philippe's engineers mechanically coupled the date display with local time (indicated by the central hands at the 12 o'clock position), allowing it to automatically adjust in two scenarios: crossing midnight, advancing the date, and crossing the International Date Line from west to east (located at 10 in the central Pacific), which sets the date back by one day.

In Jules Verne's novel "Around the World in Eighty Days," Phileas Fogg nearly overlooks this fact, thinking he lost a bet by a day. Had he worn the new Ref. 5330G-001, he wouldn’t have made this mistake. Like the world time minute repeater Ref. 5531, integrating two complex functions within the same movement presents unique challenges: they must operate in coordination, with the world time mechanism controlling the date display, as seen in the Ref 5531.

During date changes, the date mechanism must adjust forward or backward while ensuring accuracy and without damaging the movement. To achieve this practical and exclusive functionality, Patek Philippe developed the new 240 HU C movement. Based on the ultra-thin self-winding 240 HU movement used in Patek Philippe world time watches since 2000, it includes a date display module composed of 70 parts. A patented central differential system with two concentric star gears controls the date display for local time. When the larger star gear (with 62 teeth) rotates clockwise, the date hand advances one day. Conversely, when the smaller star gear (with 31 teeth) turns, the date hand moves back a day. If both gears rotate simultaneously in the same direction, the differential system keeps the hand stationary. Pressing the button at the 10 o'clock position adjusts the city disk, the 24-hour dial, and the central hands by the hour, and the date when applicable. This mechanism is precise and user-friendly, embodying Patek Philippe's customer-first design ethos.Despite the additional mechanism, the new 240 HU C movement is only 0.7 mm thicker than its predecessor (4.58 mm vs. 3.88 mm), allowing it to fit seamlessly into the sleek ultra-thin case. The complex structure and exquisite details of the new 240 HU C self-winding movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back.
Another distinctive feature of the new Ref. 5330G-001 is the date display mode. The central date hand, tipped with red paint, rotates along the date scale from 1 to 31 around the dial’s edge, adding depth with its beveled edge design. To ensure that the relatively stationary central date hand doesn't obscure other information, the technicians crafted a transparent glass pointer, a first for Patek Philippe.
Like all Patek Philippe world time watches, the Ref. 5330G-001 stands out with its elegant appearance. The lustrous grey-blue dial features a central "carbon fiber" pattern, exuding a dynamic, modern vibe. The 24-hour dial is divided into day/night sections, differentiated by a gilded mini-sun for noon on a silver background and a gilded crescent moon for midnight on a grey-blue background. The city disk marks the International Date Line between Auckland and Midway Island with a red dot. Polished white gold sword-shaped hands and white gold appliqué hour markers with white luminescent coating indicate local time for the city at the 12 o'clock position. The polished white gold case, 40 mm in diameter, with its curved double-layer lugs, is particularly eye-catching.

The grey-blue calfskin strap, adorned with a denim pattern and white hand-stitched details, complements the dial and is paired with a white gold folding clasp.