Can a watch be ostentatious and subtle at the same time? This new reference from legendary Geneva watchmaker Patek Philippe does just that, combining for the first time ever the crowd-pleasing worldtimer complication and the chronograph. Alright, if you are like us, you took a look at the watch and wondered what’s going on here. Well, you can make out the city ring and the 24-hour ring – both of which act in sync and are controlled by the pusher at 10 o’clock. Confusing matters are what appear to be two seconds hands, one a subdial and the other a large central affair. Of course, this is where the chronograph comes into play. The subdial is a 30-minute counter while the central hand is the chronograph sweep seconds. Obviously, this is where things get interesting and divisive.

On the one hand, this combination of complications has never appeared in a standard production Patek Philippe before, which makes it noteworthy. In view of this, Patek Philippe can reasonably claim that this is the thinnest such watch in the world, at 12.6mm; the worldtimer and chronograph combination is rare even in other brands, with only the ww.tc from Girard-Perregaux coming to mind immediately.

On the other hand, the layout of the dial makes the watch quite low key while also being very busy, which is unusual for Patek Philippe. At the presentation and in the press release, the brand takes pains to mention that reference 5930 is a tribute to a unique wristwatch from the archives, No. 862 442, from 1940. If you visit the Patek Philippe museum in Geneva you can see it there but here is the visual supplied by the brand, for more immediate relief of curiosity.

As has been noted by other commentators, there isn’t much linking the two pieces as both are very much of their own times, so to speak. Well, actually both watches are very busy! In terms of calibers, Patek Philippe is using the self-winding mechanical movement, caliber CH 28-520 HU, which combines the CH 28-520 PS chronograph caliber used in reference 5170 and the company’s famous world time module.

Speaking of which, this watch is actually in the same dimensions as the old worldtimer reference, 39.5mm. Patek Philippe has reduced the proportions of the new worldtimers but more on that in a later story. Currently, there is only one version of this watch, in 18k white gold, with a hand-guilloched dial in blue.

Specs

• Dimensions: 39.5mm
• Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, world time
• Power Reserve: 55 hours maximum
• Movement: Automatic caliber CH 28-520 HU
• Material: 18k white gold
• Water Resistance: 30 meters
• Strap: Hand-stitched blue alligator leather