Time Pieces
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Clocks Silverware OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Patek Philippe < 1950 Perpetual calendar Rolex New watches
Chronology : 1902 1933 1943 2006 2010-2019 2019 2021 2024
See also : Clocks Silverware OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Patek Philippe < 1950 Perpetual calendar Rolex New watches
Chronology : 1902 1933 1943 2006 2010-2019 2019 2021 2024
Qianlong Guangzhou Clock
2011 SOLD for RMB 78M by Poly
The British, always eager to trade, could not ignore China, but the emperors were suspicious.
Clocks were a luxury commodity in 18th century Europe. In China timepieces were initially brought by European missionaries in the hope of winning favors at court. The most successful exporters were the English and the Swiss.
From the reign of Kangxi, foreign governments and high officials had commissioned increasingly innovative horology pieces with automata and music boxes as tribute to the emperors. Most combined both Chinese and Western decorative elements. The automata and music box were the prominent features of the instrument, with the timepiece gradually becoming a secondary element.
A workshop dedicated to western style clocks was established by the Kangxi emperor in the Beijing palace. Most of the early Chinese clocks were poor imitations of Western instruments.
In 1757 CE the Qianlong emperor restricted to one area of the port of Guangzhou (Canton) the access authorized to foreigners. Specialized workshops were set up in that city. Their craftsmen were able to repair and re-assemble the imports. The European influence on locally made table clocks remains obvious.
These instruments with self-sounding bells using the most advanced technology of their time
became an integral part of court life, with their chiming determining the exact time when formal ceremonies should take place.
Qianlong was a big fan of clocks. It is told that this emperor owned in the 1790s more than 4,000 clocks, decorated with musical automata. For the use of the imperial palace, each instrument had to be creative and unique. They were built with great care. The craze for Guangzhou clocks was maintained under Jiaqing.
These timepieces rank among the most magnificent clocks ever made. Their elaborately designed cases, musical functions, and multiple moving parts were intended to impress their audiences.
The cases, generally of highly decorative ormolu, were greatly embellished with brightly colored enamels developed in Guangzhou for that purpose and with paste gems in the European style. Typical features include musical movements and multiple automata. Auspicious blessings abound.
The jardiniere was a preferred theme for automaton clocks at the imperial court. As early as 1748 CE an example had been ordered by the Qianlong emperor to the Beijing workshops.
A table clock with gilt brass, enamel and paste set made in Guangzhou during the Qianlong period was sold for $ 3.8M by Sotheby's on June 8-9, 2010, lot 345 in the home auction of the 45 room country manor of Mrs. Kluge in Virginia. It was sold for RMB 78M by Poly on June 5, 2011, lot 7232.
This undated example matching both the Chinese and European influences features the best of Guangzhou clocks during the reign of Qianlong.
86 cm high, it is made of three parts for clock, automaton and finial.
Accompanied by elegant music during the clock beating, several little people in European attires hurry in the painted scenery box of the main automaton against a mirrored background. The case surmounted by a pierced foliate balustrade framing a further automaton of spiral twisted glass rods simulating a cascading waterfall, supporting an elaborate gilded double-gourd vase fitted with a large rotating flower.
The instrument was reconstructed in the later 19th century including the three train fusee movement with anchor escapement which operates a quarter striking on a nest of eight bells plus the striking of the hours on a further bell. The movements were properly adapted to run the automaton functions as it was intended by the original maker. The finials and some paste stones were also replaced. The dial is still later. Some further restoration and servicing are required.
Clocks were a luxury commodity in 18th century Europe. In China timepieces were initially brought by European missionaries in the hope of winning favors at court. The most successful exporters were the English and the Swiss.
From the reign of Kangxi, foreign governments and high officials had commissioned increasingly innovative horology pieces with automata and music boxes as tribute to the emperors. Most combined both Chinese and Western decorative elements. The automata and music box were the prominent features of the instrument, with the timepiece gradually becoming a secondary element.
A workshop dedicated to western style clocks was established by the Kangxi emperor in the Beijing palace. Most of the early Chinese clocks were poor imitations of Western instruments.
In 1757 CE the Qianlong emperor restricted to one area of the port of Guangzhou (Canton) the access authorized to foreigners. Specialized workshops were set up in that city. Their craftsmen were able to repair and re-assemble the imports. The European influence on locally made table clocks remains obvious.
These instruments with self-sounding bells using the most advanced technology of their time
became an integral part of court life, with their chiming determining the exact time when formal ceremonies should take place.
Qianlong was a big fan of clocks. It is told that this emperor owned in the 1790s more than 4,000 clocks, decorated with musical automata. For the use of the imperial palace, each instrument had to be creative and unique. They were built with great care. The craze for Guangzhou clocks was maintained under Jiaqing.
These timepieces rank among the most magnificent clocks ever made. Their elaborately designed cases, musical functions, and multiple moving parts were intended to impress their audiences.
The cases, generally of highly decorative ormolu, were greatly embellished with brightly colored enamels developed in Guangzhou for that purpose and with paste gems in the European style. Typical features include musical movements and multiple automata. Auspicious blessings abound.
The jardiniere was a preferred theme for automaton clocks at the imperial court. As early as 1748 CE an example had been ordered by the Qianlong emperor to the Beijing workshops.
A table clock with gilt brass, enamel and paste set made in Guangzhou during the Qianlong period was sold for $ 3.8M by Sotheby's on June 8-9, 2010, lot 345 in the home auction of the 45 room country manor of Mrs. Kluge in Virginia. It was sold for RMB 78M by Poly on June 5, 2011, lot 7232.
This undated example matching both the Chinese and European influences features the best of Guangzhou clocks during the reign of Qianlong.
86 cm high, it is made of three parts for clock, automaton and finial.
Accompanied by elegant music during the clock beating, several little people in European attires hurry in the painted scenery box of the main automaton against a mirrored background. The case surmounted by a pierced foliate balustrade framing a further automaton of spiral twisted glass rods simulating a cascading waterfall, supporting an elaborate gilded double-gourd vase fitted with a large rotating flower.
The instrument was reconstructed in the later 19th century including the three train fusee movement with anchor escapement which operates a quarter striking on a nest of eight bells plus the striking of the hours on a further bell. The movements were properly adapted to run the automaton functions as it was intended by the original maker. The finials and some paste stones were also replaced. The dial is still later. Some further restoration and servicing are required.
1902 The Rothschild Egg by Fabergé
2007 SOLD for £ 9M by Christie's
Each imperial egg prepared by Fabergé had to bring an innovation. In 1900 the egg offered by Tsar Nicholas II to the Empress Maria Feodorovna was a clock. The surprise is an automaton cockerel that appears for striking the hours.
Fabergé is an entrepreneur who knows how to satisfy the richest customers around the world, eager to find the most sumptuous gifts for their wives. Two non-imperial variants from the cockerel egg are known, one made in 1902 for the French branch of the Rothschild family, the other in 1904 for a Russian nobleman.
The Rothschild egg was an engagement gift by Béatrice de Rothschild to Germaine Halphen who will become her sister-in-law in 1905. Stayed with that family, it surfaced in a sale by Christie's on November 28, 2007. It was sold for £ 9M, lot 55.
This piece 27 cm high in closed position is made of solid silver enamelled in transparent pink on a guilloche background and weighs 3,645 g. To mark the hours, the lid opens to let rising a multicolored chantecler in enamelled gold set with small diamonds. For 15 seconds, the bird flaps its wings, sings while moving its head, opens and closes its beak and ends the movement by banging a bell before descending back to its original place.
This egg is dated, signed by Fabergé and stamped by the workmaster Perchin. A photo taken during its make features Perchin with his assistant Wigström who will succeed him in 1903.
Fabergé is an entrepreneur who knows how to satisfy the richest customers around the world, eager to find the most sumptuous gifts for their wives. Two non-imperial variants from the cockerel egg are known, one made in 1902 for the French branch of the Rothschild family, the other in 1904 for a Russian nobleman.
The Rothschild egg was an engagement gift by Béatrice de Rothschild to Germaine Halphen who will become her sister-in-law in 1905. Stayed with that family, it surfaced in a sale by Christie's on November 28, 2007. It was sold for £ 9M, lot 55.
This piece 27 cm high in closed position is made of solid silver enamelled in transparent pink on a guilloche background and weighs 3,645 g. To mark the hours, the lid opens to let rising a multicolored chantecler in enamelled gold set with small diamonds. For 15 seconds, the bird flaps its wings, sings while moving its head, opens and closes its beak and ends the movement by banging a bell before descending back to its original place.
This egg is dated, signed by Fabergé and stamped by the workmaster Perchin. A photo taken during its make features Perchin with his assistant Wigström who will succeed him in 1903.
Surtout connu pour ses œufs, le légendaire joaillier #Fabergé a également été un pionnier dans le travail de l’email https://t.co/jX2LfcNu0D pic.twitter.com/w2yPxpTyd4
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) May 23, 2017
Quick trip down memory lane - Christie’s currently holds the #record for the most expensive #RussianWorkofArt sold in the category, the #Rothschild #Fabergé Egg which sold for US$18,576,214 in 2007: https://t.co/qF6ZxJv7RA pic.twitter.com/ONoxXplZcx
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) April 9, 2019
1933 Supercomplication by Patek Philippe
2014 SOLD for CHF 23.2M by Sotheby's
Patek Philippe knew to listen to their wealthy private clients. The Geneva brand remains for that reason since over a century the pioneer of miniaturization accompanied by an increasing number of complications in pocket watches and later in wristwatches.
By 1900, the Palmer specimen was a pocket watch with minute repeater, months, days of the week, split-second chronograph, grande and petite sonnerie and the phases of the moon.
James Ward Packard, the car industrialist, was one of the most demanding customers of Patek Philippe. In 1916, he obtained a pocket watch with sixteen complications, and in 1927 he had a celestial chart added to nine other complications in a single watch.
When Packard died in 1928, the New York banker Henry Graves Jr. had already ordered the world's most complicated pocket watch, with 24 complications divided into two dials including the night time sky from New York City.
Completed in 1932, the Supercomplication is a unique piece for which Patek Philippe had mobilized their best specialists. The assembly of its 920 components in a case 74 mm in diameter and 36 mm thick is a technical feat that will remain unmatched until the era of computer-aided design.
The Supercomplication was delivered to Graves on 19 January 1933 for CHF 60K, nearly five times the price of the ultimate Packard watch. It was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11M on December 2, 1999 and for CHF 23.2M on November 11, 2014, lot 345. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
By 1900, the Palmer specimen was a pocket watch with minute repeater, months, days of the week, split-second chronograph, grande and petite sonnerie and the phases of the moon.
James Ward Packard, the car industrialist, was one of the most demanding customers of Patek Philippe. In 1916, he obtained a pocket watch with sixteen complications, and in 1927 he had a celestial chart added to nine other complications in a single watch.
When Packard died in 1928, the New York banker Henry Graves Jr. had already ordered the world's most complicated pocket watch, with 24 complications divided into two dials including the night time sky from New York City.
Completed in 1932, the Supercomplication is a unique piece for which Patek Philippe had mobilized their best specialists. The assembly of its 920 components in a case 74 mm in diameter and 36 mm thick is a technical feat that will remain unmatched until the era of computer-aided design.
The Supercomplication was delivered to Graves on 19 January 1933 for CHF 60K, nearly five times the price of the ultimate Packard watch. It was sold by Sotheby's for $ 11M on December 2, 1999 and for CHF 23.2M on November 11, 2014, lot 345. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Patek Philippe Reference 1518
Intro
During the 1930s Patek Philippe masters all the complications and most of their combinations. The brand's effort to make new prototypes and to add new high-end references to its catalog is not interrupted by the war.
The reference 130, launched commercially in 1934, is a single-push chronograph using the calibre 13. It is equipped with two subsidiary dials, one indicating the seconds up to the minute and the other the minutes up to the half hour. Produced from 1940, the reference 1491 is a watch without chronograph with a more elegant design than the already classic Calatrava.
In production from 1941 to 1954, the reference 1518 is the first commercial wristwatch from any brand to offer altogether these two appealing complications which are the chronograph and the perpetual calendar, in addition to the moon phases.
281 watches are built in this reference which is an average of 20 per year. The list of customers includes the kings of Egypt, Jordan and Romania and the boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson, and also the all time top collector Henry Graves Jr.
Most 1518s are in yellow gold, plus an estimated 58 in pink gold.
The reference 130, launched commercially in 1934, is a single-push chronograph using the calibre 13. It is equipped with two subsidiary dials, one indicating the seconds up to the minute and the other the minutes up to the half hour. Produced from 1940, the reference 1491 is a watch without chronograph with a more elegant design than the already classic Calatrava.
In production from 1941 to 1954, the reference 1518 is the first commercial wristwatch from any brand to offer altogether these two appealing complications which are the chronograph and the perpetual calendar, in addition to the moon phases.
281 watches are built in this reference which is an average of 20 per year. The list of customers includes the kings of Egypt, Jordan and Romania and the boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson, and also the all time top collector Henry Graves Jr.
Most 1518s are in yellow gold, plus an estimated 58 in pink gold.
1
1943 Stainless Steel
2025 SOLD for CHF 14.2M by Phillips
Until the second world war and a little beyond, the use of stainless steel is exceptional in the high-end wristwatches made by Patek Philippe. Owners identify luxury with gold or platinum. Steel watches are produced on special request from customers who fear some wearing related to their own heavy use.
The 1518 in stainless steel is extremely rare : only four units are known. This rarity is logical : we must indeed recognize some contradiction between the need for a perpetual calendar and the fear of wear.
The first two 1518s in stainless steel were manufactured in 1943 and sold together in February 1944 to a Hungarian retailer who also imported later the No. 3. Their case was made by Croisier later known as Genevor and the dial by Stern Frères.
The No. 1 remaining in an immaculate condition had probably been intended as a spare by its unidentified first owner. It was sold by Phillips for CHF 11M on November 12, 2016, lot 38 and for CHF 14.2M on November 8, 2025, lot 23. The 2025 video is shared by the auction house and narrated by Aurel Bacs.
Grok thought :
Quote
Hodinkee @Hodinkee Nov 12, 2016
Breaking News Stainless Steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Sells For Over $11,000,000 At Phillips Geneva http://bit.ly/2eSH6tN
additional information by Grok in an invited query from the above thought :
There are four known stainless steel examples of the Patek Philippe Reference 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph, out of 281 total examples produced across all metals from 1941 to the mid-1950s. All four were manufactured in 1943–1944 during World War II, measure 35mm in diameter, and feature manually wound movements based on a modified Valjoux ébauche finished by Patek Philippe. Three share sequential Genevor SA cases (numbers 508473, 508474, and 508475) with pierced lugs and are marked "1," "2," or "3" inside the casebacks, indicating their production order; these were originally sold to Hungarian retailer Joseph Lang in Budapest. The fourth has a distinct Wenger case (number 6335561) with wider, solid lugs. All have been handled at least once by prominent dealer Davide Parmegiani, and none are housed in the Patek Philippe Museum—contrary to some rumors—as they remain in private collections.
The 1518 in stainless steel is extremely rare : only four units are known. This rarity is logical : we must indeed recognize some contradiction between the need for a perpetual calendar and the fear of wear.
The first two 1518s in stainless steel were manufactured in 1943 and sold together in February 1944 to a Hungarian retailer who also imported later the No. 3. Their case was made by Croisier later known as Genevor and the dial by Stern Frères.
The No. 1 remaining in an immaculate condition had probably been intended as a spare by its unidentified first owner. It was sold by Phillips for CHF 11M on November 12, 2016, lot 38 and for CHF 14.2M on November 8, 2025, lot 23. The 2025 video is shared by the auction house and narrated by Aurel Bacs.
Grok thought :
Quote
Hodinkee @Hodinkee Nov 12, 2016
Breaking News Stainless Steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 Sells For Over $11,000,000 At Phillips Geneva http://bit.ly/2eSH6tN
- This 2016 Hodinkee post announces the record-breaking auction sale of a 1943 stainless steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph for CHF 11,002,000 at Phillips Geneva, marking the highest price for any wristwatch at auction at the time.
- The Ref. 1518, Patek's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph from 1941-1950s, exists in just 281 examples total, with only four in stainless steel—rarer than gold or platinum versions, as steel was reserved for practical use by professionals.
- This specific watch, the first steel 1518 (stamped "1"), originally sold in 1944 to a Budapest buyer amid WWII, resurfaces for auction in November 2025 at Phillips with a CHF 8-16 million estimate, highlighting enduring collector demand.
additional information by Grok in an invited query from the above thought :
There are four known stainless steel examples of the Patek Philippe Reference 1518 perpetual calendar chronograph, out of 281 total examples produced across all metals from 1941 to the mid-1950s. All four were manufactured in 1943–1944 during World War II, measure 35mm in diameter, and feature manually wound movements based on a modified Valjoux ébauche finished by Patek Philippe. Three share sequential Genevor SA cases (numbers 508473, 508474, and 508475) with pierced lugs and are marked "1," "2," or "3" inside the casebacks, indicating their production order; these were originally sold to Hungarian retailer Joseph Lang in Budapest. The fourth has a distinct Wenger case (number 6335561) with wider, solid lugs. All have been handled at least once by prominent dealer Davide Parmegiani, and none are housed in the Patek Philippe Museum—contrary to some rumors—as they remain in private collections.
2
1948 Pink on Pink
2021 SOLD for $ 9.6M by Sotheby's
An immaculate one-owner Patek Philippe wristwatch reference 1518 was sold for $ 9.6M from a lower estimate of $ 1.2M by Sotheby's on December 9, 2021, lot 55.
This watch made in 1948 was sold in 1951 to a first cousin of King Farouk. Previously unknown, it was discovered as a completely original time capsule in a safety deposit box after the recent death of the prince. It is still accompanied by its presentation case, certificate of origin and operating instructions to adjust the calendar.
This 1518 is in the very rare pink on pink configuration, specially designed for a warm tone effect associating a pink dial to the 18k pink gold of the case. 13 other examples are known. Most of the other pink gold 1518s have a silvered dial.
This watch made in 1948 was sold in 1951 to a first cousin of King Farouk. Previously unknown, it was discovered as a completely original time capsule in a safety deposit box after the recent death of the prince. It is still accompanied by its presentation case, certificate of origin and operating instructions to adjust the calendar.
This 1518 is in the very rare pink on pink configuration, specially designed for a warm tone effect associating a pink dial to the 18k pink gold of the case. 13 other examples are known. Most of the other pink gold 1518s have a silvered dial.
1968 Rolex 6239 ex Paul Newman
2017 SOLD for $ 17.8M by Phillips
Rolex launches in 1963 the Cosmograph Daytona reference 6239 for the use of drivers of endurance racing cars. The brand believes that other customers will be proud to own such a watch with high-end performance. Sales are disappointing. To revive the model in late 1966 Rolex offers more stylish dials with a choice in a range of pleasing colors and with better designed numerals. This model is referred as 'exotic'.
Paul Newman discovers the joys of car racing in 1968 when he plays with Joanne Woodward for the movie Winning which will be released in the following year. Joanne is his wife in this film and since 1958 in life. She is unfaithful in the film and madly in love in their privacy.
Joanne is worried about Paul's new passion for this dangerous sport. She offers him in 1968 a Daytona 6239 exotic on the back of which she has made inscribed the good advice "Drive Carefully Me".
Hyperactive and philanthropist, Paul is one of Hollywood's most popular personalities. Maniac in the accuracy of time, he is crazy about his 6239. Readers of magazines have fun to see Paul exhibiting regularly on his wrist this Rolex, recognizable from a distance by the simplicity of its design with the three sub-dials. Since the mid-1980s, exotic Daytonas have been nicknamed Paul Newman by the collectors without the intervention of the brand and without distinction of models (6239, 6241 and 6262 to 6265).
Paul is nice. One day when his daughter Nell's boyfriend forgot his watch, he gave him the 6239. Nell and James later separated without ceasing to cooperate closely. This eponymous watch to all the Daytona Paul Newman lineage was sold for $ 17.8M by Phillips in association with Bacs and Russo on October 26, 2017, lot 8. Its consignor was James and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nell Newman Foundation created by Nell in 2010 to continue the charitable work of her father.
This watch intensely used by Paul has never been modified or reworked. It joins the glamor of Hollywood with the beautiful story of the two generations of Newmans. It is the first of three watches of that next sale discussed by the auctioneer Aurel Bacs in the video shared by Hong Kong Tatler.
Paul Newman discovers the joys of car racing in 1968 when he plays with Joanne Woodward for the movie Winning which will be released in the following year. Joanne is his wife in this film and since 1958 in life. She is unfaithful in the film and madly in love in their privacy.
Joanne is worried about Paul's new passion for this dangerous sport. She offers him in 1968 a Daytona 6239 exotic on the back of which she has made inscribed the good advice "Drive Carefully Me".
Hyperactive and philanthropist, Paul is one of Hollywood's most popular personalities. Maniac in the accuracy of time, he is crazy about his 6239. Readers of magazines have fun to see Paul exhibiting regularly on his wrist this Rolex, recognizable from a distance by the simplicity of its design with the three sub-dials. Since the mid-1980s, exotic Daytonas have been nicknamed Paul Newman by the collectors without the intervention of the brand and without distinction of models (6239, 6241 and 6262 to 6265).
Paul is nice. One day when his daughter Nell's boyfriend forgot his watch, he gave him the 6239. Nell and James later separated without ceasing to cooperate closely. This eponymous watch to all the Daytona Paul Newman lineage was sold for $ 17.8M by Phillips in association with Bacs and Russo on October 26, 2017, lot 8. Its consignor was James and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nell Newman Foundation created by Nell in 2010 to continue the charitable work of her father.
This watch intensely used by Paul has never been modified or reworked. It joins the glamor of Hollywood with the beautiful story of the two generations of Newmans. It is the first of three watches of that next sale discussed by the auctioneer Aurel Bacs in the video shared by Hong Kong Tatler.
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.
sold by Christie's for OnlyWatch
1
2019 6300A-010
2019 SOLD for CHF 31M
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 Only Watch charity sale is held every second year since 2005 for the benefit of the research on the Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The 2019 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 supplied 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 Only Watch charity sale is held every second year since 2005 for the benefit of the research on the Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The 2019 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 supplied 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 Desk Clock
2021 SOLD for CHF 9.5M
Patek Philippe made a bang in the 2019 OnlyWatch charity auction with the unique example of the model 6300A-010 that fetched CHF 31M. It is derived from the Grandmaster Chime which is the most complicated wristwatch in their catalogue.
To go forward in 2021, the brand cleverly offered a clock that will not invite for a comparison with the 2019 entry.
This item is a modern version of an Art Déco desk clock made by them in 1923 for the demanding customer James Ward Packard which is kept in the Patek Philippe Museum. Henry Graves Jr managed to have a similar time piece. The Packard complicated clock was equipped with a perpetual calendar and moon phases with an eight-day power reserve. It is made of silver with solid-gold feet and inlays.
The OnlyWatch clock is the unique example of the 27001M-01 model. The angular shape with a hinged lid of this 165 x 125 x 76 mm instrument has no equivalent in the modern catalogues of the brand.
It features a perpetual calendar, moon phases, day-night indicator, week-number display and has a power reserve of 31 days and a precision rate of 1 second per day. The case and the cabinet are in sterling silver with vermeil decorative elements and American walnut inlays. In an additional exquisite refinement the dial is in a similar yellow gilt opaline hue as the 6300 of 2019.
The hammer was entrusted to Christie's on November 6, 2021. The Patek Philippe desk clock was sold for CHF 9.5M, lot 41. Please watch the video shared by Watch I love.
To go forward in 2021, the brand cleverly offered a clock that will not invite for a comparison with the 2019 entry.
This item is a modern version of an Art Déco desk clock made by them in 1923 for the demanding customer James Ward Packard which is kept in the Patek Philippe Museum. Henry Graves Jr managed to have a similar time piece. The Packard complicated clock was equipped with a perpetual calendar and moon phases with an eight-day power reserve. It is made of silver with solid-gold feet and inlays.
The OnlyWatch clock is the unique example of the 27001M-01 model. The angular shape with a hinged lid of this 165 x 125 x 76 mm instrument has no equivalent in the modern catalogues of the brand.
It features a perpetual calendar, moon phases, day-night indicator, week-number display and has a power reserve of 31 days and a precision rate of 1 second per day. The case and the cabinet are in sterling silver with vermeil decorative elements and American walnut inlays. In an additional exquisite refinement the dial is in a similar yellow gilt opaline hue as the 6300 of 2019.
The hammer was entrusted to Christie's on November 6, 2021. The Patek Philippe desk clock was sold for CHF 9.5M, lot 41. Please watch the video shared by Watch I love.
3
2024 6301A
2024 SOLD for CHF 15.7M
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.
