Patek Philippe World Time 5230 and 5231 Guide: References, Prices and How It Works

The Patek Philippe World Time 5230 is the current version of the complication Patek has made since the 1930s: a 38.5 mm gold or platinum watch that shows the time in all 24 time zones at once, with a city ring and a 24-hour ring turning around a hand-guilloched centre, driven by the micro-rotor calibre 240 HU. It replaced the 5130 in 2016 and comes in white gold (5230G-001), rose gold (5230R-001) and, since 2022, platinum with a blue dial (5230P-001). The 5231 is the same watch with a cloisonné enamel map at the centre of the dial, in yellow gold (5231J-001, from 2019) and white gold (5231G-001, from 2022). This guide covers the specifications, how the mechanism works, the choice between the references, the 5130 and 5330 siblings, dealer prices in 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources the World Time to order; the Patek Philippe Complications collection lists the configurations we can seek.

Last reviewed on September 21, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

Patek Philippe World Time 5230 specifications

Source: the Patek Philippe Complications collection page, which lists the current World Time references and their movements; the enamel 5231 is catalogued among the Grand Complications and Rare Handcrafts pieces depending on the year.

How does the Patek Philippe World Time work?

The mechanism descends from the system Geneva watchmaker Louis Cottier devised in the 1930s and supplied to Patek for its first world time wristwatches, including the 1415 of 1939 and the 2523 of 1953. The dial has three layers: a fixed outer ring of 24 city names standing for the 24 time zones, a rotating 24-hour ring inside it with a light sector for day and a dark sector for night, and the central hour and minute hands for local time. The 24-hour ring turns once a day, so reading the time in any city means finding the city on the outer ring and reading the number on the 24-hour ring beside it. Patek's refinement, patented for the 5110 in 2000, is a single pusher at 10 o'clock: each press moves the city ring one position anticlockwise, jumps the local hour hand forward one hour and turns the 24-hour ring to match, all without stopping the movement or disturbing the minutes. Travelling east through six time zones means six presses. The city ring is updated with each generation; the 5230 of 2016 added Dubai and Brasilia and moved Moscow to its current offset, which is one of the quick ways to tell a 5230 dial from a 5130.

5230G, 5230R or 5230P: which World Time?

The white gold 5230G-001 is the reference Patek launched with, and its charcoal grey basket-weave centre with white gold winged lugs is the version most buyers picture. The rose gold 5230R-001 has the same charcoal centre and warms the watch considerably; it is the choice if the World Time is going to be worn as a dress watch with brown straps. The platinum 5230P-001 arrived in 2022 with a blue basket-weave centre, a blue 24-hour ring and the small diamond set into the case band at 6 that marks Patek's platinum cases; it is the heaviest and the most expensive of the three and the one with the shortest supply. All three share the case, the movement and the strap, so the decision is about colour and metal rather than function. On the secondary market the 5230G is the most liquid and the platinum carries the largest premium.

5231: the World Time with a cloisonné enamel dial

The 5231 puts a hand-made cloisonné enamel map at the centre of the 5230 dial, continuing a tradition that goes back to the enamel-dial 2523 of the 1950s and the 5131 of 2008. Cloisonné is built by bending fine gold wire into the outlines of continents, filling each cell with powdered enamel and firing the dial repeatedly, and every dial is different in small ways. The yellow gold 5231J-001 of 2019 shows Europe, Africa and the Americas in blues and greens; the white gold 5231G-001 of 2022 shows a map centred on Southeast Asia and Oceania. Production is limited by the enamel workshop rather than by an announced number, and Patek allocates the 5231 to established clients, which is why secondary asks run at several times the 5230. The 5131 that came before it, in a 39.5 mm case with the 5130's proportions, is the pre-owned alternative; the platinum 5131/1P-001 on a bracelet is the most valuable of that family.

5230 vs 5130 vs 5330G: which World Time generation?

The 5230 is the reference to buy new: it is the current watch, slightly smaller and more refined than the 5130, with the updated city ring. The 5130 offers the same movement in a larger case at a lower ask and is the route for anyone who found the 5230 small. The 5330G adds a date synchronised with local time, which the classic World Time never had, and is priced accordingly. The GMT and travel watch collection covers alternatives from other brands.

How does the World Time 5230 wear?

At 38.5 mm and about 10.2 mm thick the 5230 is a mid-sized dress watch with a busy dial, and the winged lugs shorten the effective lug-to-lug so it sits neatly on wrists from about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) upward. The 24-hour ring and city ring take up the outer third of the dial, which makes the guilloched centre look smaller than it is, and in daylight the whole dial reads clearly at arm's length. The pusher at 10 is the only complication control and it operates with a firm click; there is no crown-operated setting for the discs. Platinum adds noticeable weight; white and rose gold are close to each other. On its alligator strap the watch is thin enough for a cuff and the display back shows the micro-rotor.

How much is a Patek Philippe World Time? Retail and dealer prices in 2026

• Retail. Patek's US list prices for the 5230 in white and rose gold have sat in roughly the high US$40,000s to low US$50,000s in recent years, with the platinum 5230P-001 above them and the enamel 5231 at a substantial premium that reflects the hand-made dial; the collection page linked above carries the current figures. The 5230 is obtainable at authorised dealers with a wait in most markets; the 5231 and 5330G are allocated.
• Secondary market. Through 2025 and 2026 pre-owned 5230G and 5230R examples have generally been asked below retail, unworn examples around retail, and the 5230P and 5231 above it. The 5130 trades below the 5230 in gold and above it on a bracelet.
• Bizak catalogue asks. On 21 September 2026 our sourced catalogue listed the 5230G-001 at US$34,999, the 5230R-001 at US$43,772 and the 5230P-001 at US$54,999 brand new; the 5231J-001 at US$121,402 and the 5231G-001 at US$117,420; a pre-owned 5130J-011 at US$39,246, a 5130/1R-011 on bracelet at US$66,899 and a platinum enamel 5131/1P-001 at US$158,620; the 5330G-010 Tokyo edition at US$120,899 pre-owned; and the World Time chronograph 5930G-001 at US$49,999 brand new, all sourced to order.

Those figures describe what we saw and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact reference, metal and set; our Patek Philippe price guide explains how complications are priced against the sports models.

Is the World Time a good investment?

The gold 5230 is a watch to own: it depreciates modestly from retail when pre-owned, holds steady thereafter and has no shortage of buyers because it is the definitive version of a complication Patek has owned for ninety years. The enamel 5231 and 5131 have appreciated because supply is fixed by the enamel workshop and demand comes from collectors who treat them as small works of art; those are best bought with full documentation and, for older examples, with reference to auction records at Phillips. The 5330G is too new to judge. If resale matters, ask for a written cash-buy assessment before you commit.

Buying a Patek World Time: what to check

• Certificate of Origin. The certificate should carry the dealer stamp, sale date and case and movement numbers that match the watch; Patek does not reissue certificates. For a 5110 or 5130 an Extract from the Archives can confirm the numbers.
• Pusher function. Press the pusher at 10 through a full 24 positions: the city ring, 24-hour ring and hour hand should move together with a clean click each time, and the minute hand should not move.
• City ring. Confirm the ring matches the reference: a 5230 lists Dubai and Brasilia; a 5130 lists Riyadh and Rio de Janeiro. A mismatched ring means a dial swap.
• Guilloche and enamel. The basket-weave centre should be crisp under a loupe with no flattened areas; on a 5231 or 5131, inspect the enamel for hairline cracks, bubbles or chips at the edges of the cloisons, which cannot be repaired.
• Case. The winged lugs of the 5230 have polished bevels that show polishing quickly; check that the edges are still defined.
• Micro-rotor. Through the display back the gold rotor should spin freely and quietly.
• Service history. A calibre 240 HU more than eight to ten years from its last service should be priced with a service in mind.
• Price against the band. A 5231 or 5330G offered under retail is the single most reliable warning sign.

Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch, and our Patek Philippe authentication guide goes deeper on papers and extracts.

Quick answers

How much is a Patek Philippe World Time 5230?

Patek's US list price for the 5230 in gold has sat in roughly the high US$40,000s to low US$50,000s in recent years, with platinum above. Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the 5230G-001 at US$34,999, the 5230R-001 at US$43,772 and the 5230P-001 at US$54,999 brand new on 21 September 2026.

What is the difference between the Patek 5230 and 5231?

The 5231 is the 5230 with a hand-made cloisonné enamel map at the centre of the dial instead of guilloche, in yellow gold (5231J-001) or white gold (5231G-001). Case, movement and functions are the same.

What size is the Patek Philippe World Time 5230?

38.5 mm in diameter and about 10.2 mm thick, one millimetre smaller than the 5130 it replaced in 2016.

How do you set a Patek Philippe World Time?

Set local time with the crown, then press the pusher at 10 o'clock: each press moves the city ring one zone, jumps the hour hand one hour and turns the 24-hour ring to match, without stopping the movement.

Does the Patek World Time have a date?

The 5230 and 5231 do not. The 5330G, introduced in 2023, is the first Patek World Time with a date, shown on a ring at the edge of the dial and synchronised with local time.

Request a Patek Philippe World Time sourcing quote

Tell us the reference, metal, whether the certificate and full set are required, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, certificate and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: World Time 5230G-001, World Time 5230R-001, World Time 5230P-001, World Time 5231J-001 enamel, World Time 5231G-001 enamel; browse the Complications collection, the GMT watches collection, or sell or trade your Patek Philippe.

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