There is no catalogued Patek Philippe reference 5390, and this page is not a shopping guide for counterfeit watches. The model people mean when they type "aviator travel time 5390" is the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, which Patek Philippe documents in its own collection as references 5524G-001 and 5524R-001. The criteria used below are reference accuracy against the manufacturer's own catalogue, movement and function, case and dial finishing, paperwork and service access, and legal exposure for the buyer. The short version: the genuine watch is a documented 42 mm dual time pilot's watch, and a listing built around an unverifiable model number cannot be checked against anything.

Criteria used in this comparison

  • Reference accuracy: does the number match a model the manufacturer actually publishes?
  • Movement and function: does the watch deliver the second time zone and day/night indication shown in photos?
  • Case and dial finishing: white or rose gold, sunburst dial, applied numerals, sapphire case back.
  • Documentation: warranty card, service history, and whether a watchmaker will touch the movement.
  • Legal exposure: counterfeits are seizable goods and cannot be serviced or resold legitimately.

The genuine Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

Reference 5524G-001 arrived in 2015 in 18k white gold with a sunburst blue dial, and 5524R-001 followed in rose gold with a brown sunburst dial. Both are 42 mm, use caliber 324 S C FUS, a self-winding movement with a 45 hour power reserve and roughly 28,800 vibrations per hour, and run 30 m of water resistance. The layout is the point: a local hour hand you set forward or back without stopping the watch, a home hour hand underneath it, two day/night apertures, and a date. Applied gold numerals with luminous fill, a sapphire case back, and the Patek Philippe Seal round it out.

Pros

  • A true travel watch movement rather than a date window wearing a pilot costume.
  • Documented reference numbers you can verify in the manufacturer's collection.
  • Service and parts support through authorized channels.
  • Holds value better than almost any fashion-forward alternative in this style.

Cons

  • Price sits in the five-figure range and rose gold versions trade above retail on the secondary market.
  • 30 m water resistance rules out swimming and heavy moisture.
  • Waitlists and allocation mean the reference is not simply orderable.

Listings marketed as a "5390 replica"

Most of these pages recycle photos of a 5524G-001 and attach an invented reference. The image and the name do not correspond to the same object, which makes any claim about the movement impossible to test before payment.

What the listings promise

  • The look of a white gold pilot dual time for a small fraction of the real cost.
  • Photographs that are often borrowed from the genuine watch or from an earlier listing.
  • Shipping from a third country with no traceable model history.

What you give up

  • No verifiable reference number, so resale and appraisal are closed to you.
  • No authorized service: an independent watchmaker may refuse the movement, and parts for it are not supplied.
  • Finishing that rarely survives close inspection on case flanks, dial printing, and hand polishing.
  • Risk of customs seizure, since counterfeit watches are prohibited merchandise.

Legitimate alternatives with a pilot dual time look

  • Longines Spirit Zulu Time: a genuine GMT with a column-wheel chronometer movement at a fraction of Patek money.
  • Tudor Black Bay Pro or GMT: true traveler's GMT, robust case, strong service network.
  • Grand Seiko GMT references: excellent finishing and in-house movements with dual time function.
  • A pre-owned Patek 5524G-001 from a reputable dealer if the design is what you actually want.

Recommendation by use case

If you fly often and want one watch that tracks two time zones with a proper movement, buy a genuine traveler's GMT from Longines, Tudor, or Grand Seiko and put the savings toward a real Patek later. If the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is the watch you want, buy a documented 5524G-001 or 5524R-001 through a dealer who can show the certificate and service record. If a listing names a reference the manufacturer does not publish, treat that as the answer to your question and walk away.