Entrepreneur Prince Nawaf bin Saad Al Saud spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Prince Nawaf bin Saad Al Saud, president of Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal Sports Club, was recently spotted wearing a yellow gold Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5231G, one of the most coveted travel watches in the luxury market. The sighting captures a timepiece that represents the pinnacle of world-time mechanical watchmaking and remains a cornerstone of Patek Philippe's Calatrava collection for globe-trotting connoisseurs.

The Ref. 5231G houses Patek Philippe's proprietary automatic calibre 240 Q, delivering a robust 48-hour power reserve in a 38.5 mm yellow gold case. The dial is the true focal point: a detailed world map executed in fine yellow gold wire, depicting Europe, Africa, and the Americas in meticulous detail. Encircling the map is a rotating 24-hour bezel ring engraved with the names of 24 major cities—Singapore, London, Cairo, Tokyo, among others—each representing a primary time zone. An outer ring provides a day/night indicator, allowing the wearer to determine daylight conditions in any selected city. Water resistance reaches 30 metres, sufficient for splash resistance but not designed for swimming. Production of the Ref. 5231G began in the early 2000s and continues today, with yellow gold remaining the most traditional and sought-after variant.

The World Time Ref. 5231G holds special status among Patek Philippe collectors, standing apart from its Ref. 5230 white gold sibling through its warm metallurgical character and rarity in the secondary market. The enamel work on the dial is extraordinarily labour-intensive, with each map hand-painted and the city ring applied individually—a process that makes no two examples entirely identical. Waitlists at authorised dealers routinely exceed two years; many collectors source examples through specialist dealers and auction houses.

Prince Nawaf's choice underscores the watch's appeal to business leaders and international travellers who require both mechanical sophistication and practical function. The Ref. 5231G has remained largely unchanged for over two decades, a testament to its design integrity and the respect Patek Philippe commands in the world-time category—a space it has dominated since the legendary Ref. 2523 of the 1950s.

Retail pricing for the Ref. 5231G hovers around USD 75,400, though secondary market examples typically command USD 105,000 or higher, reflecting consistent collector demand and scarcity of yellow gold variants.