CELESTIAL MODEL, REF. 6102P-001, MOVEMENT NO. 7’212’272, CASE NO. 6’286’927, CIRCA 2018

Launched in 2012, reference 6102P is the upgraded version of the “Celestial” reference 5102, now with the addition of a date indication on the outer rim of the dial and a redesigned case. The “Celestial” is one of the most important horological complications ever developed, permanently showing the heavenly canopy of the northern hemisphere, rotating to emulate the apparent angular motion of the stars and moon as well as the progression of the phases of the moon. Hours and minutes are indicated by two pierced white hands.

A delicate elliptical contour on the inside of the glass frames the portion of the sky visible from all cities sharing the latitude of Geneva. To determine the highest possible accurateness for the astronomical displays, the engineers of Patek Philippe researched 25 trillion (25,000,000,000,000) ratio combinations, underlining the enormous horological challenge the model represents.

The highly sophisticated automatic movement calibre 240 LU CL C consists of 315 individual parts, meticulously hand-finished in the workshops of Patek Philippe. Three sapphire crystal discs are used to simulate the orbit of the moon and the passage of the stars, hence rendering it a remarkable sense of depth.