Steel, White Gold, or Platinum?

Anyone who knows anything about Pateks will be able to quickly rule out stainless steel - Patek makes very few watches in steel and the 5110 World Time is not one of them. One of the appeals of white gold and platinum in jewelry & watches though, is that it is a more descreet metal - less flashy than yellow or rose gold. The wearer may very well want some people to think the watch is steel all the while knowing it is much much more.

So white gold or platinum? The casual observer will never be able to tell the difference. The more astute observer, if given the watch to handle and examine, could look for the "750" or "pt950" symbol stamped in the back of the case or the clasp (750=18k gold, pt950=platinum). One could also have the case back removed and take a look at the model number (the letter at the end of Patek model numbers indicates the metal: A=steel, J=yellow gold, R=rose gold, G=white gold, and P=platinum). But beginning in the late 1990's Patek made it even easier on some of their models to distinguish platinum from white gold: they began setting a discreet diamond between the lugs at 6 o'clock on their complicated platinum watches.

So white gold or platinum? Just check between the lugs.