This year for Watches and Wonders 2024, Patek Philippe is putting a limited edition into regular production. That’s not exactly true. Back in 2023, Patek put on the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, at which it released several special editions including the purple dial World Time Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 5330G-10. It was notable as the first time Patek Philippe had incorporated a date display into one of its world time watches. It was also understandably limited to 300 pieces. Fortunately, the brand seemed to be using the Tokyo edition as a prelude to a regular production watch, as it now introduces the Patek Philippe 5330G-001 World Time Date.
The case of the Patek Philippe 5330G-001is constructed of white gold, but it should be noted that Patek uses a solid white gold alloy instead of the rhodium-plated white gold common in many other brands. That means that if you nick the watch, you just see more white gold, not a base metal. The case measures 40mm in diameter and 11.57mm thick, which should make for an excellent wrist presence. The case design is the same as last year’s Calatrava 24-Hour 5224R-001, with stepped luges and a flat, sloped bezel. The look, even before considering the dial, is far more casual than most of the brand’s offerings. The case gets a sapphire crystal and is rated to 30m water resistance. Completing the package is a calfskin strap with an embossed fabric pattern, contrasting stitching, and a foldover clasp, as seen on the 5373 and the 5470.
While the electric plum of the Tokyo edition was exciting, it was not for everyone. Some might argue it wasn’t even for Patek Philippe, a brand that plays with color by adding a few accents to its attempt at a casual sports watch. Seeing the new 5330 in blue makes a ton of sense. It’s a classic color for both the brand and the market, something sure to entice and not make waves. Instead of the hand-guillochéd pattern of the Tokyo edition, this production model has what the brand calls a carbon motif, which is embossed and lends a somewhat casual vibe (the same motif is seen on the 6007s and the 5935, another world time model). The handset has also been changed for the production model, forgoing the skeletonized hour hand for a solid one to mirror the minute hand, both of which are lumed along with the applied baton indices. Of course, the third hand extends all the way to the edge of the dial with a red arc that indicates the date on the outer date ring. The city ring and the 24-hour indicator for the second time zone both rotate when corrected by the 4 o’clock pusher and allow the instant reading of the time in 24 time zones.
The 5330g-001 is powered by the automatic 240 HU C, a variant of the base 240 HU that Patek uses on other world time models, but with the added date functionality. This added complication brings 70 extra parts and .7mm added thickness. The date function is not implemented as a typical date display but instead has its own gear train that allows it to be adjusted forward and backward with the time. The movement has a power reserve of 38-48 hours at 21,600vph and is predictably finished to Patek’s exceeding standards, with striping, anglage, perlage, and a solid gold microrotor.
The news here isn’t that Patek Philippe has introduced the regular production model of the Tokyo 5330. The news with this model is really about how casual it is. Yes, it’s a complicated world time in white gold, but the dial, the handset and indices, the case, and the strap all suggest a sportier, more casual aesthetic than any other, and a simpler one than this model’s closest relative, the 5935A (which has a chronograph as well). When looked at through this lens, the new 5330 is a continuation of the brand’s efforts to shed its stodgy reputation and appeal to a more youthful market. The Patek Philippe 5330G-001 World Time Date is priced at $76,590 USD. For more information, please visit the Patek Philippe website.
