It is well known that obtaining a watch from Patek Philippe might be quite an arduous task. With this in mind, imagine how is the company’s approach to special requests… The near-impenetrable iron curtain set up by the company against on-demand variety within the collection is remarkable, with few - if any - comparisons among other brands. And yet, some lucky few do get their wishes granted, and occasionally the market is graced by the results of these collaborations. This is the case with this watch (and its yellow gold counterpart lot 146).

An example of the hallowed ref. 5131 Worldtime - the first modern Worldtime Patek Philippe with cloisonné enamel dial - the present watch ditches the leather strap in favor of a massive gold bracelet, completely transfiguring the looks of the piece. Already the difficulty of obtaining the bracelet would point at this being an official Patek Philippe modification, but its mention in the Extract form the Archives officially decrees it to be so, without the need for speculation.

Reference 5131 was introduced in 2008 in yellow gold and subsequently in white gold (2009) and pink gold (2014), before a final edition in platinum in 2017 - interestingly featuring by default a bracelet, possibly the result of Patek Philippe being convinced by these previous on-demand specimens. Each metal features a different map, with this white gold version showcasing the eastern hemisphere: Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The model is inspired by the historical Patek Philippe world time ref. 1415, 605 and 2523, which as well were - in some rare instances - adorned with polychrome enamels representing geographical maps, now considered absolute masterpieces.