Lot 411

Patek Philippe

Celestial

An intricate wristwatch in near mint condition, with astronomical displays - hours and minutes of mean solar time, celestial chart, time of meridian passages of Sirius and of the moon, orbit and phases of the moon

The Patek Philippe "Celestial" is a very special timepiece. Introduced at the 2002 Basel Fair, the Celestial features an accurate moving display of the stars and the moon (even during daylight) from the perspective of the northern hemisphere, a golden ellipse etched within the outer sapphire crystal frames the angular part of the sky that can be seen from Geneva. The "Celestial" also features a moon phase. The 12-hour scale at the periphery indicates the hours and minutes in mean solar time.
The astronomical functions are shown by rotating sapphire discs moving at different speeds; the arrangement of the discs allows it to display the constellation of celestial bodies at different times.
Patek Philippe reports calculating 25 trillion "ratio combinations" to arrive at the most accurate possible system for measuring the movement of the stars.
Over the years, the Celestial has undergone several evolutions. In 2009, the model was launched with a platinum and rose gold case. In 2012, the model was discontinued and replaced by the reference 6102. The production number of the 5102 was very low, making it extremely rare.