Patek Philippe, like most watch brands, has become responsive to customer demands for larger timepieces. Because this renowned Genevan manufacturer is a hallowed bastion of design conservatism, these changes are not sweeping, but they are certainly present. One of the most recent Patek Philippe watches to undergo a size increase is their famous world time model.

Patek Philippe took its acclaimed Ref. 5110 World Time watch and increased its modest 37mm Calatrava case design by 2.5 millimeters, a subtle yet noticeable difference. The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5130 is available in platinum or 18K white, yellow, or rose gold, and features a new dial with a distinctive sunray guilloche pattern. Its ring-shaped hour hand is distinctive, and quite nice given that its inspiration is drawn from 1930’s/40’s-era Patek Philippe world time watches.

Patek Philippe touts the enhanced legibility of the Ref. 5130 world time display over its immediate predecessor; while its true that it may be slightly easier to read than the “old” Ref. 5110 watch, I highly doubt that was the primary impetus of the redesign (particularly when you consider that the original Patek world time watch was about 33mm!). Modern tastes and current fashions have much more to do with it.