A worthy heir to the grand tradition of Patek Philippe timepieces with astronomical displays, Reference 6105G-001 presents a new interpretation of the Celestial watch Reference 6102. This is the manufacture’s first wristwatch to offer a display of the times of sunrise and sunset for Geneva. Its movement also incorporates an ingenious patented system for simultaneously correcting the time and the indications relating to sunrise and sunset during the changeover to Summer Time or Winter Time. Its mechanism is also endowed with a sophisticated patented system for correcting the time easily and quickly, and, simultaneously, the times of sunrise and sunset during the changes to Summer Time and Winter Time. As the product of five years’ development and 6 patent applications Reference 6105G-001 will delight devotees of astronomy and horology with its trail-blazing mechanism and striking modern design.
The grand tradition of the clockwork universe
The links between time measurement and astronomy have always existed. The stars have never ceased to fascinate watchmakers, inspiring them both to measure time and to reproduce it mechanically, while also speaking to the dreamer within them. At Patek Philippe, the creation of complications with astronomical displays is a grand tradition. Among the masterpieces that have forged its reputation, the manufacture has, in recent years, reasserted its supreme mastery of that art by presenting a series of watches incorporating a sky-moon display indicating the movements of the heavenly bodies and of our natural satellite, the moon.
The sky-moon display therefore appears among the 21 additional indications and functions that grace the Star Caliber 2000 pocket watch, a supercomplication unveiled to greet the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. In 2001, the astronomical module drawing on that of the Star Caliber 2000 was miniaturized and placed on the reverse of the iconic Sky Moon Tourbillon with its 12 complications, a fascinating grand complication that accommodates all the mysteries of the cosmos in a wristwatch. Finally, since 2002, with the Celestial, the spectacle of the celestial vault takes pride of place on the reverse of the watch, powered by its ultra-thin self-winding movement with mini-rotor from the caliber 240 family.
Among the astronomical watches created by the manufacture, very few models offer the display of the times of sunrise and sunset. This rare indication is mainly reserved for pieces that are one of a kind or exclusive limited editions. Such pieces include the legendary ultra-complicated pocket watches created in 1927 and 1933 at the requests of James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. respectively. More recently it features among the indications equipping the legendary Calibre 89, the most complicated timepiece every presented by Patek Philippe (33 complications), unveiled on the occasion of the manufacture’s 150th anniversary in 1989. It is also found in the famous Star Caliber 2000, presented in 2000 and created to usher in the new millennium.
Now, for the first time, on the occasion of Watches and Wonders 2026, Patek Philippe is presenting this complication in a wristwatch, the new Reference 6105G-001. This complicated watch with astronomical displays is the product of more than 5 years’ development and 6 patent applications. This new interpretation of the Celestial adds to the latter’s existing complications the indication of the times of sunrise and sunset in Geneva. The ingenious mechanism driving this display enables the indications to be corrected during the changeover from Summer Time to Winter Time and from Winter Time to Summer Time (bearing in mind that while Winter Time reflects the sun’s natural cycle - the basis of civil time- Summer Time is advanced artificially by one hour).
The heavens on your wrist
With the new Celestial Reference 6105G-001, Patek Philippe pays tribute to the watches with astronomical indications in an interpretation at once poetic, precise and modern.
Taking its lead from the previous versions, this new interpretation of the Patek Philippe Celestial reveals the starry firmament as it may be observed from Geneva or from any other city located on the same latitude in the northern hemisphere (46° 12’ North) with a mobile chart reproducing in real time the apparent movement of the stars, the angular movement of the moon and the phases of the moon. Completing this display is the date indication by a hand on the periphery of the dial. To push back the boundaries of the grand watchmaking art Patek Philippe is now enriching this celestial spectacle by the display of the times of sunrise and sunset in Geneva, an indication that changes constantly.
To breathe life into this fascinating ballet of the heavenly bodies, Patek Philippe conceived a display system based an ingenious interplay of 3 superposed transparent disks (in sapphire crystal or mineral crystal). The three disks rotate at different speeds, according to expertly calculated ratios. For the celestial vault, the cycle corresponds to the sidereal day; that is, the interval of elapsed time between two consecutive passages of a star (Sirius for example) across the meridian of a given location, which averages 23 hours, 56 minutes, and a little over 4 seconds (exactly 4.09892 seconds). The lunar day, the elapsed time separating two consecutive passages of the moon across the meridian of a given place, corresponds to a cycle averaging 24 hours, 50 minutes and 28.328 seconds. The lunar months (the time elapsed between two full moons) last on average 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.82 seconds.
On the periphery of the dial, a date disk completes this celestial mechanism. Its numerals are used not only to display the date but to indicate the times of sunrise and sunset. For this reason, the figure 1 of the date indication is not aligned at noon, as is usually the case. The engineers imagined and realized this symmetrical layout of the displays on either side of the dial to ensure that the two scales displaying the times of sunrise and sunset appear balanced and harmonious to the reader.
Two skeletonized baton-style hands in 18K white gold coated with white varnish display the hours and minutes of mean solar time – that is, civil time. A red hammer-type hand underlines the date on a scale of 31 days transfer-printed on the periphery of the dial. Finally, two baton-type hands coated with white varnish indicate the times of sunrise and sunset on their respective scales: sunrise on the right, sunseton the left. This ingenious solution means that the graduated scale from 1 to 31 on the date disk is able to serve the dual function of displaying the date and the times of sunrise and sunset.
Sky-moon display
The disk devoted to the celestial vault is made of transparent sapphire crystal. Its upper face presents a decoration of stars, representing the sky chart, while the Milky Way is transfer printed on the underside, to create a splendid sense of depth. As mentioned earlier, the disk completes one full rotation in 23 hours and 56 minutes, corresponding to the length of a sidereal day, and is driven by laser-cut toothing on the rim of the sapphire crystal.
The ellipse transfer-printed on the underside of the watch’s sapphire crystal demarcates the portion of the sky observable from Geneva –or any other city through which the same latitude passes in the northern hemisphere. When one of the stars transfer-printed on the celestial disk enters the ellipse, it becomes visible in the Geneva sky.
Below the celestial disk turns another disk, in mineral crystal, mounted on a wheel made of aluminum for reasons of lightness and precision. Coated in black by PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) it conjures up the density of the celestial darkness. Its rotation period of 24 hours and 50 minutes makes it possible to represent the rotation of the moon as we can observe it. This mineral crystal features a circular aperture through which can be glimpsed a third disk, also in mineral crystal, guided by a planetary gear, and which, in rotating, reveals the phases of the moon. This extremely accurate mechanism indicating the moon phases requires a correction of only one day every 3,000 years.
Indication of the times of sunrise and sunset
The new Celestial Reference 6105G-001 is the first Patek Philippe wristwatch proposed in the current collection to display the times of sunrise and sunset. What is more, it incorporates an innovative patented system allowing the correction of the change to Summer Time or to Winter Time without disturbing the other astronomical indications.
The times of sunrise and sunset vary throughout the year according to the inclination of the earth’s axis in relation to the plane of its orbit around the sun. The annual cycle is reproduced by means of a mechanism fitted with two ovoid cams whose contours reflect geometrically the tilt of the earth’s axis as it varies over the course of the year. A patented double feeler-spindle reads off the respective positions of the two cams by means of two flexible arms that follow the contours of the cams permanently. The two arms of this component rest constantly on the cams, held in place by a flexible guiding system. Their movement is linear, driven by two racks guided by a structure with two pairs of 4 spring arms enabling them to reproduce precisely the movements of the feeler-spindle. As the feeler-spindle is very thin, (0.48 mm) it offers the advantage of reproducing a very precise movement. Finally, a gear train transmits the information obtained from this highly complex mechanism to the hands indicating the times of sunrise and sunset.
The two cams for sunrise and sunset perform one rotation per year. Their slow action under the impulse of the going barrel combines with a mechanism incorporating a patented eccentric finger-piece enabling optimized gearing in a small space.
A patented synchronized corrector system for the changeovers to Summer Time and Winter Time
As a watch displaying the times of sunrise and sunset, Reference 6105G-001 features a mechanism allowing its owner to change easily and intuitively from Summer Time to Winter Time and from Winter Time to Summer Time without fear or risk of damaging the movement. Traditionally, such watches are set to civil solar time, that is, Winter Time. During the changeover to Summer Time, the indications relating to sunrise and sunset displayed on these timepieces are thus out of step by one hour.
Reference 6105G-001 is therefore the first Patek Philippe wristwatch to offer a direct reading of the times of sunrise and sunset throughout the year. Twice a year, at the changeover to Summer Time or Winter Time (for the countries concerned) it allows its owner to correct the display of civil time and the display of the times of sunrise and sunset simultaneously.
Two corrector push-pieces set into the caseband at 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock take care of this task. A single pressure on the corrector at 9 o’clock advances the time displayed by one hour, to change to Summer Time. A single pressure on the corrector at 10 o’clock moves the time back by one hour to change to Winter Time. The indication of the times of sunrise and sunset adapts according to this change of the hour, and a safety system prevents the user from pressing several times on the same corrector pusher. This makes changing to Summer or Winter time very simple and enjoyable.
Management of the time changes related to the changeover to Summer Time or Winter Time thus becomes practical for the user. From a technical viewpoint, a single pressure on one of the corrector pushers gives rise to three actions. The hour-hand star advances or moves back by an hour to adjust the hour display. The date disk pivots either backwards or forwards by 1/31st of a turn i.e. the equivalent of one hour. The date-hand star also moves forwards or backwards by 1/31st of a turn to remain in phase with the date disk. The hands indicating sunrise and sunset retain their position. Thus, it is the rotation of the date disk, which also presents the scales for the sunrise and sunset times, that enables their displays to adapt (to Summer Time and Winter Time) so ingeniously!
New Caliber 240 C LU CL LCSO
The addition of the mechanism for the display of the times of sunrise and sunset and its ingenious corrector mechanism (Summer Time and Winter Time) represented a challenge for the manufacture’s engineers. Their brief stipulated notably that the volume of the new movement should remain compact, with a minimum extra thickness. Mission perfectly accomplished: the caliber 240 C LU CL LCSO retains the same diameter as the caliber of the Celestial, namely 38 millimeters, and despite its 121 additional parts (426 parts in total), the new caliber saw an increase in height of only 1.12 millimeters, taking it to 7.93 millimeters.
For the self-winding function, this caliber, endowed with a power reserve of minimum 38 hours and maximum 48 hours, comes with an elegant solution, an off-center mini-rotor in 22K gold, characteristic of the calibers in the 240 family. Despite the mini-rotor’s small size, the high specific weight of the 22K gold endows it with the mass and strength required for optimal winding of the barrel. It also contributes to the fact that the movement, for all its complexity, could be kept very slim and housed in an astonishingly flat elegant case.
As a derivative of the iconic ultra-thin 240 movement, the new self-winding caliber 240 C LU CL LCSO is equipped with the Spiromax® balance spring in Silinvar® and a Gyromax® adjustable-inertia balance wheel with a frequency of 21,600 oscillations per hour. This marvel of micromechanical horology respects all the stringent criteria of the Patek Philippe Seal, including those relating to fine workmanship and rate accuracy, the latter strengthened in 2024 to a tolerance of no more than -1/+2] per 24 hours.
A 47-millimeter case with a striking modern design
To accommodate this extraordinary movement, Patek Philippe chose a case in white gold. Measuring 47 millimeters in diameter and 12.39 millimeters in height the case stands out by its bold modern design. Its distinctive X-shaped motif evokes the tubular structure of space modules. Worked directly in relief in the caseband, it catches the eye with its contrasting polished and satin-brushed finishes, creating a striking depth effect. Unusually for a modern Patek Philippe mechanical watch, this décor continues through to the solid gold case back, where it is embellished with a Calatrava Cross.
This case is equipped with two crowns. The first crown, located at the 4 o’clock position and adorned with a Calatrava cross, serves to wind the watch and set the time. The second crown is at 2 o’clock, and as its star-studded decor would suggest, it is used to set the astronomical indications: annual index, times of sunrise and sunset, the sky chart, the angular position of the moon, and the moon phases. It is equipped with a patented bayonet disconnecting-gear to avoid any accidental manipulation: the usermust push down on the crown and then rotate it to actuate the setting function. Once released, the crown, when turned anti-clockwise, can be used to set the times of sunrise and sunset. This brings into play a pointer enabling Summer Time and Winter Time to be synchronized according to the annual cycles. When pulled out to the 2nd position, the crown serves, when turned in one direction, to set the moon phases, and, when turned in the other direction, to set the celestial vault. Finally, successive pressures on a push-piece incorporated into the case-band between 7 o’clock and 8 o’clock correct the date.
In further testimony to the extreme care lavished on every detail, a patented stem re-centering system ensures optimal positioning of the crowns within the height of the caseband. This preserves the harmonious lines of the case and ensures seamless integration into the X-shaped design.
A black strap in an ultra-resistant composite material adds the final touch. It is directly incorporated into the case by means of an invisible attachment system that eliminates traditional lugs. It conforms naturally to the shape of the wrist, offering a degree of comfort in wear astonishing in a watch of this size. Its pierced X-shaped motif echoes the decoration on the caseband and adds to the modern, dynamic allure of this timepiece. Finally, a patented triple-blade fold-over clasp in 18K white gold ensures comfort and safety.
