New Watches
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Time pieces OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Perpetual calendar
Chronology : 2006 2010-2019 2015 2019 2021 2022 2023 to now 2024
See also : Time pieces OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Perpetual calendar
Chronology : 2006 2010-2019 2015 2019 2021 2022 2023 to now 2024
2006 full set of four Calibre 2000 by Patek Philippe
2025 SOLD for $ 12M by Sotheby's
A full original set of four high complication Patek Philippe Calibre 2000 pocket watches assembled ca 2006 was sold for $ 12M by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342.
Another single watch had been narrated by ArtHitParade as follows :
The Calibre 89 with its 33 complications was made in 4 units in 1989. It is a marvel of miniaturization, but not enough to be worn on the wrist : it weighs 1,100 grams and its 1,728 components are positioned in a case of 89 mm in diameter and 41 mm thick.
For entering the new millennium, the Swiss brand is preparing a new feat. In 2008 the Star Calibre 2000 is ready.
The Star Calibre 2000 is smaller than the Calibre 89 with "only" 73 mm in diameter, 32 mm thick and 530 grams, but it includes 21 complications, some of which show a really renewed imagination.
Perpetual calendar, equation of time, minute repeater are classical complications. We also find in this model the time of crossing the meridian by the Moon and Sirius, the sky chart and the ring that mimics the Westminster chimes. It is protected by six patents, one of which for the time of sunrise and sunset.
A 18k gold Star Calibre 2000 assembled ca 2008 was sold for HK $ 25M by Christie's on November 28, 2012, lot 2952.
Asking Grok : Relying on a never used full set of four Star Calibre (Star Caliber) 2000 for sale by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342, assess the importance of this model in Patek Philippe history.
Overview of the Star Caliber 2000
The Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 (also spelled Star Calibre 2000) is a double-sided pocket watch unveiled in 2000 to commemorate the new millennium. Measuring 73.22 mm in diameter and weighing over half a kilogram, it represents a pinnacle of haute horlogerie, blending astronomical, calendar, and chiming functions in a single, user-friendly mechanism. Developed over seven years (conceived in 1993 and completed in October 2000) under the direction of then-president Philippe Stern, it involved dozens of artisans and external specialists, including case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann and engraver Christian Thibert. Its cases, in bassine style with Renaissance-inspired engravings, were produced in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
Technical Specifications and Innovations
At its core, the Star Caliber 2000 features:
Rarity and Production Details
Patek produced only 20 examples, organized into five complete sets:
This extreme scarcity underscores its status as a "phantom" masterpiece—little-seen, even by experts, until now.
Historical Importance in Patek Philippe's Legacy
The Star Caliber 2000 holds a pivotal place in Patek Philippe's 185-year history as a bridge between the brand's storied tradition of supercomplications and modern horological philosophy:
Significance of the Sotheby's Lot 342 Offering
This "never used" full set—presumably one of the four mixed-metal sets, in pristine condition with original box, documents, and accessories—marks a historic debut: The first complete set ever to appear at public auction. Offered as Lot 342 on December 5, 2025, during Sotheby's inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week (in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office), it carries an estimate in excess of $10 million—the second-highest for any watch (behind only the Graves' $24 million in 2014). This could shatter records for Patek pocket watches and highlight the Middle East's emerging role in luxury collecting.
The lot's untouched state amplifies its allure: It offers not just rarity but completeness, allowing a collector to own the full spectrum of metals and engravings. As Sotheby's Global Chairman of Watches Sam Hines notes, it's a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity, potentially drawing institutional bids. This sale elevates the Star Caliber from legend to tangible icon, ensuring its legacy endures beyond private vaults. For Patek enthusiasts, it reaffirms the model's transformative importance—a mechanical symphony that, 25 years on, still outshines most contemporaries in ingenuity and grace.
Another single watch had been narrated by ArtHitParade as follows :
The Calibre 89 with its 33 complications was made in 4 units in 1989. It is a marvel of miniaturization, but not enough to be worn on the wrist : it weighs 1,100 grams and its 1,728 components are positioned in a case of 89 mm in diameter and 41 mm thick.
For entering the new millennium, the Swiss brand is preparing a new feat. In 2008 the Star Calibre 2000 is ready.
The Star Calibre 2000 is smaller than the Calibre 89 with "only" 73 mm in diameter, 32 mm thick and 530 grams, but it includes 21 complications, some of which show a really renewed imagination.
Perpetual calendar, equation of time, minute repeater are classical complications. We also find in this model the time of crossing the meridian by the Moon and Sirius, the sky chart and the ring that mimics the Westminster chimes. It is protected by six patents, one of which for the time of sunrise and sunset.
A 18k gold Star Calibre 2000 assembled ca 2008 was sold for HK $ 25M by Christie's on November 28, 2012, lot 2952.
Asking Grok : Relying on a never used full set of four Star Calibre (Star Caliber) 2000 for sale by Sotheby's on December 5, 2025, lot 342, assess the importance of this model in Patek Philippe history.
Overview of the Star Caliber 2000
The Patek Philippe Star Caliber 2000 (also spelled Star Calibre 2000) is a double-sided pocket watch unveiled in 2000 to commemorate the new millennium. Measuring 73.22 mm in diameter and weighing over half a kilogram, it represents a pinnacle of haute horlogerie, blending astronomical, calendar, and chiming functions in a single, user-friendly mechanism. Developed over seven years (conceived in 1993 and completed in October 2000) under the direction of then-president Philippe Stern, it involved dozens of artisans and external specialists, including case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann and engraver Christian Thibert. Its cases, in bassine style with Renaissance-inspired engravings, were produced in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
Technical Specifications and Innovations
At its core, the Star Caliber 2000 features:
- 21 complications, including:
- Perpetual calendar with leap year cycle and rapid correction (advances up to one month at a time).
- Westminster chimes (Grande Sonnerie on passing and minute repeater on demand), the first faithful mechanical reproduction of Big Ben's sequence, achieved via a patented dual-tone striking mechanism.
- Astronomical displays: Sky chart, lunar orbit, moon phases, time of meridian passage by Sirius and the Moon, sunrise/sunset times (controlled by the perpetual calendar), and running equation of time (via a central star-tipped hand).
- Power reserve indicators for the movement (72 hours) and chime.
- 24-hour display and constant seconds with seasons.
- 1,118 hand-finished components, making it one of the most intricate movements Patek has produced.
- Six patented inventions, such as the selective opening cover, rapid calendar corrector, and perpetual calendar integration for astronomical functions.
Rarity and Production Details
Patek produced only 20 examples, organized into five complete sets:
- Four sets: One watch each in yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum.
- One set: All four in platinum, with unique engravings.
This extreme scarcity underscores its status as a "phantom" masterpiece—little-seen, even by experts, until now.
Historical Importance in Patek Philippe's Legacy
The Star Caliber 2000 holds a pivotal place in Patek Philippe's 185-year history as a bridge between the brand's storied tradition of supercomplications and modern horological philosophy:
- Ranked Among the Elite: Upon release, it was the fourth most complicated watch ever (behind Patek's Caliber 89, the 1904 L. Leroy 01, and the 1933 Henry Graves Supercomplication). Within Patek's oeuvre, it ranks third in complexity, affirming the brand's unchallenged dominance in mechanical innovation. It succeeded the Caliber 89 (Patek's 150th-anniversary tribute) and echoed the Graves' bespoke grandeur, but with a forward-looking emphasis on "practical poetry"—focusing on life's rhythms (time, stars, seasons) rather than exhaustive complication counts.
- Millennial Milestone: Conceived amid Y2K anticipation, it symbolized Patek's transition into the 21st century, much like the Caliber 89 did for the late 20th. It demonstrated the manufacture's ability to evolve: While predecessors like the Graves took six years for one client, the Star Caliber was a collaborative triumph, involving team watchmaking (one artisan alone would have needed 18 years). This foreshadowed Patek's later advances, such as silicon-based components (e.g., Spiromax balance spring in 2006) and wristwatch supercomplications like the Sky Moon Tourbillon (Ref. 5002).
- Innovation and Philosophy: Beyond mechanics, it embodies Patek's ethos: Preserving traditions (e.g., hand-engraving, Westminster chimes) while pioneering user-centric designs. The patented chime mechanism, for instance, resolved longstanding acoustic challenges, influencing subsequent minute repeaters. Its astronomical focus—sky chart, Sirius transit—evokes Patek's 19th-century celestial watches, while the rapid corrector addressed modern disuse. Patek even published a dedicated book (with DVD and 3D animations) to demystify its "enchanting world," educating collectors on this fusion of art and science.
- Cultural and Market Impact: Rarely discussed even among connoisseurs due to its privacy, the model has "changed the history of watchmaking" by elevating pocket watches as sculptural art in an era of wristwatches. Its 2000 debut coincided with watch collecting's rise (Sotheby's watch sales grew from $26.8 million that year to $158.3 million by 2024), positioning Patek as the aspirational apex.
Significance of the Sotheby's Lot 342 Offering
This "never used" full set—presumably one of the four mixed-metal sets, in pristine condition with original box, documents, and accessories—marks a historic debut: The first complete set ever to appear at public auction. Offered as Lot 342 on December 5, 2025, during Sotheby's inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week (in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office), it carries an estimate in excess of $10 million—the second-highest for any watch (behind only the Graves' $24 million in 2014). This could shatter records for Patek pocket watches and highlight the Middle East's emerging role in luxury collecting.
The lot's untouched state amplifies its allure: It offers not just rarity but completeness, allowing a collector to own the full spectrum of metals and engravings. As Sotheby's Global Chairman of Watches Sam Hines notes, it's a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity, potentially drawing institutional bids. This sale elevates the Star Caliber from legend to tangible icon, ensuring its legacy endures beyond private vaults. For Patek enthusiasts, it reaffirms the model's transformative importance—a mechanical symphony that, 25 years on, still outshines most contemporaries in ingenuity and grace.
2015 Patek Philippe 5016A-010
2015 SOLD for CHF 7.3M by Phillips for OnlyWatch
OnlyWatch is a charity auction of watches, which takes place every second year. The first event was in 2005 in Monaco under the patronage of the Prince, with Antiquorum at the hammer.
Swiss brands are invited to provide a unique specimen for the benefit of a charity supporting the research against Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The OnlyWatch event has become the high end showcase for contemporary Swiss watches and their technological improvements.
No premium applies.
The OnlyWatch principle, which is to have submitted by each manufacturer a unique model at auction, is necessarily pleasing Patek Philippe. For nearly a century, the models made as a single specimen were used as benchmarks for the technological developments and the design changes of the brand.
In 2007, the contribution of Patek Philippe to OnlyWatch was a unique 5712T Nautilus in titanium, sold for € 525K.
On September 23, 2011, in the sale operated by Antiquorum, Patek Philippe sold for € 1.4M a unique watch based on the model 3939. This smart tourbillon watch is fitted with a beautiful black enamel dial.
The fifth edition of the OnlyWatch sale took place in Monaco on September 28, 2013. The hammer was entrusted to Antiquorum. For once, Patek Philippe offers a model of the past, the 5004, commercially stopped two years earlier when they started the 5204. 5004 is a grande complication watch including perpetual calendar, leap year and chronograph, and 30 meter water resistance.
The 5004 watch sold for OnlyWatch has been made in titanium in 2013, and is the only specimen made in this metal, reference 5004T. It is illustrated on the page shared by Watchonista. It was sold for € 2.95M.
Patek Philippe responds most often to the OnlyWatch rules of uniqueness with a high-end model in a refractory metal unusual in its similar productions : titanium in 2007 and 2013, steel in 2011, 2015 and 2024.
The Patek Philippe 5016A-010 was sold by Phillips on November 7, 2015 for CHF 7.3M.
Swiss brands are invited to provide a unique specimen for the benefit of a charity supporting the research against Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The OnlyWatch event has become the high end showcase for contemporary Swiss watches and their technological improvements.
No premium applies.
The OnlyWatch principle, which is to have submitted by each manufacturer a unique model at auction, is necessarily pleasing Patek Philippe. For nearly a century, the models made as a single specimen were used as benchmarks for the technological developments and the design changes of the brand.
In 2007, the contribution of Patek Philippe to OnlyWatch was a unique 5712T Nautilus in titanium, sold for € 525K.
On September 23, 2011, in the sale operated by Antiquorum, Patek Philippe sold for € 1.4M a unique watch based on the model 3939. This smart tourbillon watch is fitted with a beautiful black enamel dial.
The fifth edition of the OnlyWatch sale took place in Monaco on September 28, 2013. The hammer was entrusted to Antiquorum. For once, Patek Philippe offers a model of the past, the 5004, commercially stopped two years earlier when they started the 5204. 5004 is a grande complication watch including perpetual calendar, leap year and chronograph, and 30 meter water resistance.
The 5004 watch sold for OnlyWatch has been made in titanium in 2013, and is the only specimen made in this metal, reference 5004T. It is illustrated on the page shared by Watchonista. It was sold for € 2.95M.
Patek Philippe responds most often to the OnlyWatch rules of uniqueness with a high-end model in a refractory metal unusual in its similar productions : titanium in 2007 and 2013, steel in 2011, 2015 and 2024.
The Patek Philippe 5016A-010 was sold by Phillips on November 7, 2015 for CHF 7.3M.
2017 Patek Philippe 5208T-010
2017 SOLD for CHF 6.2M by Christie's for OnlyWatch
The 2017 OnlyWatch event was entrusted to Christie's on November 11.
Patek Philippe regularly offers a high-end model in a refractory metal unusual in its similar productions. The titanium reappeared in 2017 with the unique Patek Philippe 5208T-010, lot 12 sold for CHF 6.2M.
Released in 2011 with a platinum 5208P version, the 5208 is a triple complication watch : minute repeater, mono-pusher chronograph and perpetual calendar with apertures and phases of the moon taking into account the leap year. It is resistant to moisture and dust but not to water. Its removable back case can be replaced by a transparent back in sapphire crystal providing visibility onto the inside. It is assembled with more than 700 parts.
In the ever-improving range of the Patek Philippe complication watches, the 5208 is the first wristwatch whose triple complication includes a chronograph, unlike the 5207 released in 2008 with a tourbillon.
Patek Philippe regularly offers a high-end model in a refractory metal unusual in its similar productions. The titanium reappeared in 2017 with the unique Patek Philippe 5208T-010, lot 12 sold for CHF 6.2M.
Released in 2011 with a platinum 5208P version, the 5208 is a triple complication watch : minute repeater, mono-pusher chronograph and perpetual calendar with apertures and phases of the moon taking into account the leap year. It is resistant to moisture and dust but not to water. Its removable back case can be replaced by a transparent back in sapphire crystal providing visibility onto the inside. It is assembled with more than 700 parts.
In the ever-improving range of the Patek Philippe complication watches, the 5208 is the first wristwatch whose triple complication includes a chronograph, unlike the 5207 released in 2008 with a tourbillon.
Richard Mille
1
2019 RM 52-01
2022 SOLD for € 5.5M by Antiquorum
The Richard Mille company was established in 2001 with the support of Audemars Piguet for advanced high end hand watchmaking. It offers wristwatches of very high performance, often associating with its models the sponsorship of a sports champion. Extreme technologies bring weightlessness, transparency and robustness against severe environment.
The release in 2012 of the RM 056 - Felipe Massa (a Formula One driver) in a limited edition of five was an event in terms of watchmaking innovation. Its price tag was about $ 1.7M. The three elements that make up the case of this split-seconds chronograph are transparent with an absolute clarity, allowing the user to see from any angle the movement of the tourbillon through the skeletonized lower part of the dial.
The transparent material is a sapphire crystal, resistant to any scratch, graded 9 on the Mohs scale. The machining and polishing of a sapphire piece takes several hundred hours. The use of titanium is extended to all mechanical components and to the baseplate. The case is water resistant to 50 meters. The high-precision sapphire crystal and titanium movement is unaffected by temperature or wear.
On June 21, 2017, Christie's sold for $ 1.2M the prototype No. 2 of the RM 056, made in 2012, lot 228. The number of prototypes realized for that model before the production run has not been disclosed. Afterward an edition of only five RM 56 was released.
The RM 56-01 has its baseplate and its third hand in sapphire. An RM 056-01 made in 2013 was sold for CHF 3.65M by Christie's on November 6, 2022, lot 2096. Its transparent dial has a titanium minute ring and luminous hour indexes.
After the RM 27-01 - Rafael Nadal of 2013, the RM 56-02 released in 2015 incorporates an improvement in the titanium suspension of the movement on the baseplate.
RM 56-02 is a limited edition of 10. Its original price tag was over CHF 2 million. An example serviced by the company in 2023 was sold for $ 3M by Christie's on June 10, 2024, lot 50.The reference RM 52-01 chronometer wristwatch is a synthesis of the RM 52 tourbillon skull of 2012 and of the tourbillon sapphire RM 56-01 of 2013. The RM 52 had been produced in 21 pieces.
52-01 was made by Richard Mille of a unique example assembled on special order in 2019. It is nicknamed the Vanitas Vanitatum.
The titanium opening to the skeletonized movement is skull shaped. The jawbone and the mandible enclose the ruby of the tourbillon carriage. The movement is linked to the case by four bridges shaped as the crossed bones in the flags of pirate ships. The case is made of an unprecedented brown sapphire.
52-01 is larger than its predecessors : 19 mm thick, 42 mm in diameter. It is weighing 127 grams.
This modernized memento mori was sold for € 5.5M by Antiquorum on July 19, 2022, lot 373.
The release in 2012 of the RM 056 - Felipe Massa (a Formula One driver) in a limited edition of five was an event in terms of watchmaking innovation. Its price tag was about $ 1.7M. The three elements that make up the case of this split-seconds chronograph are transparent with an absolute clarity, allowing the user to see from any angle the movement of the tourbillon through the skeletonized lower part of the dial.
The transparent material is a sapphire crystal, resistant to any scratch, graded 9 on the Mohs scale. The machining and polishing of a sapphire piece takes several hundred hours. The use of titanium is extended to all mechanical components and to the baseplate. The case is water resistant to 50 meters. The high-precision sapphire crystal and titanium movement is unaffected by temperature or wear.
On June 21, 2017, Christie's sold for $ 1.2M the prototype No. 2 of the RM 056, made in 2012, lot 228. The number of prototypes realized for that model before the production run has not been disclosed. Afterward an edition of only five RM 56 was released.
The RM 56-01 has its baseplate and its third hand in sapphire. An RM 056-01 made in 2013 was sold for CHF 3.65M by Christie's on November 6, 2022, lot 2096. Its transparent dial has a titanium minute ring and luminous hour indexes.
After the RM 27-01 - Rafael Nadal of 2013, the RM 56-02 released in 2015 incorporates an improvement in the titanium suspension of the movement on the baseplate.
RM 56-02 is a limited edition of 10. Its original price tag was over CHF 2 million. An example serviced by the company in 2023 was sold for $ 3M by Christie's on June 10, 2024, lot 50.The reference RM 52-01 chronometer wristwatch is a synthesis of the RM 52 tourbillon skull of 2012 and of the tourbillon sapphire RM 56-01 of 2013. The RM 52 had been produced in 21 pieces.
52-01 was made by Richard Mille of a unique example assembled on special order in 2019. It is nicknamed the Vanitas Vanitatum.
The titanium opening to the skeletonized movement is skull shaped. The jawbone and the mandible enclose the ruby of the tourbillon carriage. The movement is linked to the case by four bridges shaped as the crossed bones in the flags of pirate ships. The case is made of an unprecedented brown sapphire.
52-01 is larger than its predecessors : 19 mm thick, 42 mm in diameter. It is weighing 127 grams.
This modernized memento mori was sold for € 5.5M by Antiquorum on July 19, 2022, lot 373.
2
2022 RM 53-02
2023 SOLD for HK$ 35.5M by Sotheby's
The Richard Mille company is looking for weightless and transparency. The model RM 53-02 Tourbillon Sapphire wristwatch released in 2020 is their ultimate engineering feat.
The bezel, tonneau case and case back are all crafted out of a single block of sapphire crystal with a sophisticated skeletonization of the dial. The movement is suspended inside the case by braided cables 0.27 mm in diameter, improving the shock absorption to more than 5 Kg.
Due to the complexity of production of the case requiring more than 1,000 hours of workmanship, this reference will be limited to 10 units. One of them made ca 2022 was sold for HK $ 35.5M from a lower estimate of HK $ 16M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2023, lot 2304.
The bezel, tonneau case and case back are all crafted out of a single block of sapphire crystal with a sophisticated skeletonization of the dial. The movement is suspended inside the case by braided cables 0.27 mm in diameter, improving the shock absorption to more than 5 Kg.
Due to the complexity of production of the case requiring more than 1,000 hours of workmanship, this reference will be limited to 10 units. One of them made ca 2022 was sold for HK $ 35.5M from a lower estimate of HK $ 16M by Sotheby's on October 7, 2023, lot 2304.
Patek Philippe 6300
1
2019 6300A-010
2019 SOLD for CHF 31M by Christie's for OnlyWatch
In 2014, for celebrating the 175th anniversary of the brand, Patek Philippe release their first Grandmaster Chime wristwatch under the reference 5175 edited in seven units. Its 20 functions required 1,366 components for the movement and 215 components for the case, surpassing the 6200 Sky Moon Tourbillon. It is the achievement of 60,000 hours of development over seven years.
The 5175 is 48 mm in diameter and 16 mm in height with 11 pushers and buttons. Its central mechanism activates in parallel the visual reading on two dials including the perpetual calendar, the chimes of hours, quarters, minutes and day, and the acoustic alarm preselected with an accuracy of a quarter of an hour. The running time of the mechanical winding is 72 hours in silent mode and 30 hours in grande sonnerie.
Two of these applications are unprecedented : the insertion of an alarm in a wristwatch, and the audible indication of the day in the month in two digits covering 1 to 31 by the tens and units. The watch also strikes on demand the current hour and minute. A security prevents the user from operating two mechanisms at the same time if they are not compatible.
The reference 6300G in gray gold launched in 2016 is similar to the 5175 except that the references to the celebration have been removed.
The 2019 OnlyWatch auction was managed by Christie's in Geneva on November 9.
According to the rules applicable to this operation, each manufacturer offers a watch for which it guarantees that it is and will remain a one-off. On that year Patek Philippe supplies the unique copy of Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel, reference 6300A-010, lot 28. The steel improves the sound. It is inscribed "The Only One" on one of the dials. It was sold for CHF 31M.
The lot includes a one-day private tour of the workshops and museum for two people and a lunch with Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010
The Patek Philippe Ref. 6300A-010, sold at Christie's in Geneva on November 9, 2019, during the 8th edition of the Only Watch charity auction, is a unique stainless steel version of the brand's most complicated wristwatch, the Grandmaster Chime.
Technical Achievement for Patek Philippe
The Grandmaster Chime is widely regarded as Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch ever produced, featuring 20 complications in a single movement (Caliber 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM). Originally introduced in 2014 for the brand's 175th anniversary (as Ref. 5175, limited to 7 pieces), it entered regular production in 2016 as Ref. 6300 in precious metals.
Key highlights:
"This piece represents the pinnacle of Patek Philippe's expertise in chiming watches and grand complications, combining acoustic excellence, mechanical ingenuity, and rare handcrafts.
Significance in the History of Only Watch Charity Auctions
Only Watch is a biennial charity auction organized since 2005 under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco, with 100% of proceeds benefiting research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Brands donate unique or special-edition timepieces.
The sale of the 6300A-010 for CHF 31,000,000 (approximately $31.2 million USD at the time) was a landmark event:
The 5175 is 48 mm in diameter and 16 mm in height with 11 pushers and buttons. Its central mechanism activates in parallel the visual reading on two dials including the perpetual calendar, the chimes of hours, quarters, minutes and day, and the acoustic alarm preselected with an accuracy of a quarter of an hour. The running time of the mechanical winding is 72 hours in silent mode and 30 hours in grande sonnerie.
Two of these applications are unprecedented : the insertion of an alarm in a wristwatch, and the audible indication of the day in the month in two digits covering 1 to 31 by the tens and units. The watch also strikes on demand the current hour and minute. A security prevents the user from operating two mechanisms at the same time if they are not compatible.
The reference 6300G in gray gold launched in 2016 is similar to the 5175 except that the references to the celebration have been removed.
The 2019 OnlyWatch auction was managed by Christie's in Geneva on November 9.
According to the rules applicable to this operation, each manufacturer offers a watch for which it guarantees that it is and will remain a one-off. On that year Patek Philippe supplies the unique copy of Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel, reference 6300A-010, lot 28. The steel improves the sound. It is inscribed "The Only One" on one of the dials. It was sold for CHF 31M.
The lot includes a one-day private tour of the workshops and museum for two people and a lunch with Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010
The Patek Philippe Ref. 6300A-010, sold at Christie's in Geneva on November 9, 2019, during the 8th edition of the Only Watch charity auction, is a unique stainless steel version of the brand's most complicated wristwatch, the Grandmaster Chime.
Technical Achievement for Patek Philippe
The Grandmaster Chime is widely regarded as Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch ever produced, featuring 20 complications in a single movement (Caliber 300 GS AL 36-750 QIS FUS IRM). Originally introduced in 2014 for the brand's 175th anniversary (as Ref. 5175, limited to 7 pieces), it entered regular production in 2016 as Ref. 6300 in precious metals.
Key highlights:
- Reversible case (47.7 mm diameter, 16.07 mm thick) with two independent dials: one salmon/opaline rose gold with time functions, the other ebony black for calendar displays.
- Five chiming functions, including grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie, and minute repeater.
- Two patented world firsts:
- An acoustic alarm that chimes the exact pre-set time (reproducing the minute repeater's tone sequence).
- A date repeater that audibly announces the date on demand.
- Other complications include instantaneous perpetual calendar with four-digit year display, second time zone, moon phases, crown position indicator, and strike mode isolator (to prevent damage from improper operation).
- Development required over 100,000 hours, incorporating six patents for innovations in acoustics and mechanisms.
"This piece represents the pinnacle of Patek Philippe's expertise in chiming watches and grand complications, combining acoustic excellence, mechanical ingenuity, and rare handcrafts.
Significance in the History of Only Watch Charity Auctions
Only Watch is a biennial charity auction organized since 2005 under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco, with 100% of proceeds benefiting research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Brands donate unique or special-edition timepieces.
The sale of the 6300A-010 for CHF 31,000,000 (approximately $31.2 million USD at the time) was a landmark event:
- It set the record for the most expensive watch ever sold at auction (surpassing the previous record of $24 million for the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication pocket watch in 2014 and $17.8 million for Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona in 2017).
- It remains the highest price achieved for a wristwatch at auction to date.
- The entire 2019 Only Watch auction raised CHF 38.6 million, nearly doubling prior totals, with this lot alone contributing the vast majority.
2
2021 6300G-010
2024 SOLD for $ 5.4M by Sotheby's
A keen wearer of top quality wristwatches, Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone decided in 2021 to offer to his watches a 'big brother' companion. He ordered a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime reference 6300G-010, the most complicated catalogued wristwatch at that time. Considering it as a work of art 'like a Monet', he kept it untouched in its wrapper.
Stallone departs from his collection at Sotheby's on June 5, 2024. He demonstrates his beloved watches in the video shared by the auction house.
His 6300G-010 was sold for $ 5.4M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M, lot 57. It is accompanied by its original box inscribed to Stallone.
The manufacturer's suggested retail price for a 6300/400G is € 4,192,100 including taxes.
Stallone departs from his collection at Sotheby's on June 5, 2024. He demonstrates his beloved watches in the video shared by the auction house.
His 6300G-010 was sold for $ 5.4M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M, lot 57. It is accompanied by its original box inscribed to Stallone.
The manufacturer's suggested retail price for a 6300/400G is € 4,192,100 including taxes.
2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus
2021 SOLD for $ 6.5M by Phillips
The stainless steel 5711/1A Nautilus self winding waterproof wristwatch by Patek Philippe, launched in 2006, had become a symbol of sport chic for the watch lovers, with its elegantly simple dial design offered in a textured dark blue in the variant 010.
Its huge success with a reported 10 year waiting list had possibly been unexpected for the brand. With an argument of not encouraging speculation, they announced its termination in January 2021. Three months after this astonishing announcement, they relaunched a winning strategy by the release of the 5711/1A-014 with an olive green dial.
The new final steel version of the Nautilus 5711 is now the 5711/1A-018 scheduled to be produced in 170 pieces for celebrating the 170 years of the partnership across the Atlantic between Patek Philippe and Tiffany. The new dial color is the signature Tiffany robin egg blue. The markers and hands are in blackened white gold.
The 170 watches will be retailed by Tiffany, with the exception of the very first released example which was sold for $ 6.5M by Phillips on December 11, 2021, lot 1T, as a charity lot for the benefit of The Nature Conservancy environmental nonprofit. Please play the video shared by the auction house.
A Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711/1A-018 with the Tiffany blue dial and the Tiffany-Patek Philippe 1851-2021 170th anniversary partnership mark was sold for CHF 3.2M by Christie's on November 7, 2022, lot 34.
A Nautilus reference 5711 in brand new condition from the same commemorative edition of 170 units was sold for HK $ 20.4M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2023, lot 84. The video is shared by the auction house.
The Nautilus is also available in pink gold under the reference 5711/1R.
Its huge success with a reported 10 year waiting list had possibly been unexpected for the brand. With an argument of not encouraging speculation, they announced its termination in January 2021. Three months after this astonishing announcement, they relaunched a winning strategy by the release of the 5711/1A-014 with an olive green dial.
The new final steel version of the Nautilus 5711 is now the 5711/1A-018 scheduled to be produced in 170 pieces for celebrating the 170 years of the partnership across the Atlantic between Patek Philippe and Tiffany. The new dial color is the signature Tiffany robin egg blue. The markers and hands are in blackened white gold.
The 170 watches will be retailed by Tiffany, with the exception of the very first released example which was sold for $ 6.5M by Phillips on December 11, 2021, lot 1T, as a charity lot for the benefit of The Nature Conservancy environmental nonprofit. Please play the video shared by the auction house.
A Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5711/1A-018 with the Tiffany blue dial and the Tiffany-Patek Philippe 1851-2021 170th anniversary partnership mark was sold for CHF 3.2M by Christie's on November 7, 2022, lot 34.
A Nautilus reference 5711 in brand new condition from the same commemorative edition of 170 units was sold for HK $ 20.4M by Sotheby's on April 5, 2023, lot 84. The video is shared by the auction house.
The Nautilus is also available in pink gold under the reference 5711/1R.
2021 FFC by Journe
2021 SOLD for CHF 4.5M by Christie's for OnlyWatch
The entry by FP Journe for the 2021 OnlyWatch sale was a wristwatch based on the 20 years old Octa Calibre 1300. The hours are displayed by the appearance of the mobile fingers of a blue human hand while the minutes are driven by a rotating disk.
This instrument referred as the FFC Blue is unique, as required by the OnlyWatch rules. The tantalum case has been specially designed for this charity operation.
It is inscribed with references to Ambroise Paré and Francis Ford Coppola.
Ambroise Paré, the 16th century father of modern surgery and prosthetics, had invented a mechanical hand and artificial limbs operated by multiple catches and springs which simulated the joints.
During a dinner in 2012 at Francis Ford Coppola’s house in the Napa Valley, the filmmaker challenged François-Paul Journe to tell time with a human hand in a watch. He later supplied the sketches for the positions of the automaton to display twelve hours with the five fingers. The development of this unprecedented time instrument spanned seven years from 2014 onward.
That Journe FFC prototype was sold by Christie's on November 6, 2021 for CHF 4.5M, lot 22.
This instrument referred as the FFC Blue is unique, as required by the OnlyWatch rules. The tantalum case has been specially designed for this charity operation.
It is inscribed with references to Ambroise Paré and Francis Ford Coppola.
Ambroise Paré, the 16th century father of modern surgery and prosthetics, had invented a mechanical hand and artificial limbs operated by multiple catches and springs which simulated the joints.
During a dinner in 2012 at Francis Ford Coppola’s house in the Napa Valley, the filmmaker challenged François-Paul Journe to tell time with a human hand in a watch. He later supplied the sketches for the positions of the automaton to display twelve hours with the five fingers. The development of this unprecedented time instrument spanned seven years from 2014 onward.
That Journe FFC prototype was sold by Christie's on November 6, 2021 for CHF 4.5M, lot 22.
2024 Reference 6301A by Patek Philippe
2024 SOLD for CHF 15.7M by Christie's for Only Watch
Philippe Dufour had been the pioneer of the integration of the grande and petite sonnerie and of the minute repeater, in a single pocket watch in 1989 and in a wristwatch in 1992.
The platinum wristwatch reference 6301P released in 2020 by Patek Philippe offers the same grandes complications. It integrates 703 components and its dial is in Grand Feu black enamel. Patents apply to are linked to the striking mechanism and to the jumping small seconds mechanism. The winding is manual. Its original price was CHF 1,150,000 including fees.
For the 2024 OnlyWatch Patek Philippe donated a unique similar watch in steel dated in that year, reference 6301A-010. It was sold for CHF 15.7M from a lower estimate of CHF 1.5M, lot 32. The sale was operated by Christie's in Geneva on May 10, 2024.
This piece has a Grand Feu blue green enamel hand guilloché dial with a swirling pattern set with 12 baguette-cut diamond hour markers.
The platinum wristwatch reference 6301P released in 2020 by Patek Philippe offers the same grandes complications. It integrates 703 components and its dial is in Grand Feu black enamel. Patents apply to are linked to the striking mechanism and to the jumping small seconds mechanism. The winding is manual. Its original price was CHF 1,150,000 including fees.
For the 2024 OnlyWatch Patek Philippe donated a unique similar watch in steel dated in that year, reference 6301A-010. It was sold for CHF 15.7M from a lower estimate of CHF 1.5M, lot 32. The sale was operated by Christie's in Geneva on May 10, 2024.
This piece has a Grand Feu blue green enamel hand guilloché dial with a swirling pattern set with 12 baguette-cut diamond hour markers.
