While the release of the Nautilus, and then the Aquanaut, marked Patek Philippe's departure from their typical traditionality, iterations within these series have expanded on the concept of a luxury sports watch, adding a paradoxical touch by replacing steel with rose gold, such as with this example. The choice of metal and dark dial give the piece a vintage touch, and this is heightened by the fact that this is one of very few "Tiffany & Co." double-signature examples ever retailed. Double-signed pieces are highly coveted for their rarity and the historical circumstances they represent, and this charm is recaptured within the ref. 5164R Travel Time, paying homage to a fascinating feature.
Turning our attention to the rest of the watch, we see that the rose gold, 40.8mm watch features alternating brushed and polished surfaces, and has two pushers rising from its midcase that can be used to advance or move the main hour hand back in one-hour jumps. This is so the wearer can quickly set the local time on arrival at a new destination. Corresponding to this local time zone is a blue and white day- and night-time indicator, located between 8 and 9 o’clock. The winglet-style pushers find their visual counterpart in the flared midcase that houses the signed crown, giving the case a balanced look.
A second hour hand, devoid of luminous material and hollowed out for visual distinction, tracks a second, home time zone. This hand can be manipulated using the crown and features its own day and night indicator between 3 and 4 o’clock. The dial can be simplified when the wearer isn’t travelling by overlapping home and local times, transforming it to the appearance of a simple three-hand watch face. Additionally, the reference 5164R-001 features a useful subsidiary pointer date at 6 o’clock. The dial furniture, including the Arabic numerals and the hands are outlined in rose gold, with a luminous centre. The hour hand that tracks home time is treated entirely in white, again for increased legibility. Around the Arabic indices runs a chapter of printed minutes with broad hour markers filled with luminous material.
The watch is powered by the calibre 324 SC FUS, which is based off the calibre 324 SC, with an added module. The 324 SC can also be found within the 5711 Nautilus. Viewed through the sapphire caseback the movement is beautifully decorated with Geneva stripes across the rotor, topped with the engraved Calatrava cross. The movement bears the Patek Philippe seal.
The geosphere motif is echoed in the uncut strap that culminates in a double deployant clasp. The clasp is beautiful in its simplicity – instead of employing complex mechanics, it deploys when the wearer applies pressure on two points in its S-shaped architecture.
If sold within the United Kingdom, this Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time will be subject to 20% VAT