The biennial Only Watch auction will be held on November 6, 2021. Patek Philippe, which has always made the highest price and 100% contribution to Only Watch, will not launch a watch this time, but instead launch a table clock Ref. 27001M-001, which is inspired by the table clock made for the famous American collector James Ward Packard in 1923 and is now in the brand museum. The new 27001M-001 perpetual calendar table clock is equipped with a new 86-135 PEND IRM Q SE movement, providing a 31-day power reserve and a daily error of ±1 second.
The original 27001M-001 perpetual calendar table clock came from the collection of American car tycoon James Ward Packard, who was one of Patek Philippe’s main customers at the time. Patek Philippe commissioned the original table clock in 1923, which is equipped with a perpetual calendar and 8-day power reserve. It has now become exhibit No. P-140 of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva.
The new table clock is equipped with the 86-135 PEND IRM Q SE rectangular movement, which consists of 919 parts, nearly half of which are perpetual calendar parts; the whole movement combines 9 patented application designs, including a variety of innovative and improved details, in order to ensure long-term reliable operation, reduce the energy consumption of the perpetual calendar device, make the movement more convenient to use, and ensure that even if it is used improperly, the functional performance is not affected.
The movement is connected in series with 3 barrels to provide a 31-day power reserve. It also uses an authentic “precision adjustment” device to control the daily error of the movement by ±1 second. The movement is equipped with a constant force device to ensure that the swing of the balance wheel remains stable throughout the entire process. There is a small power reserve display in the center of the clock face to show the power status and remind the user to wind the movement in time.
Compared with the “Bergard” table clock, the new table clock has two innovative features. One is the jumping second function, which implements the style of the three-hand and one-line antique clock, and the second hand jumps slightly every second. Another feature is the weekly calendar display, which shows the order of the week; a small square can be seen on the edge of the clock face, which moves along the week scale, allowing people to read the corresponding information quickly and clearly. The brand also retains many details of the original clock face design, including adding a side-mounted auxiliary display plate at the 12 o’clock position to display hours and minutes; a moon phase display at the 6 o’clock position, and a week/month display window at the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. The “Bergard” table clock displays the perpetual calendar date data with a central pointer, while the new table clock adds an auxiliary display plate at the 6 o’clock position to display the date by pointer. In addition, the clock face has a day and night display (at 7:30) and a leap year cycle display (at 4:30), both of which are indispensable for setting the perpetual calendar.
The timepieces at the 2021 Only Watch auction are unique and outstanding. The design team roughly adopted the shape of the “Bergard” table clock, but slightly enlarged the volume to make the latest timepiece; at the same time, it added innovative features to the new timepiece. The hinged cover is opened to the left to reveal the mechanical dashboard. All settings can be easily performed through this modern console.
Under the hinged cover, a multi-faceted slot can be seen in the upper left corner of the clock body, which has become a great accessory for the table clock. The slot is used to store keys and is equipped with a patented ejection system to facilitate the removal of keys for winding and setting the table clock. Two keyholes can be seen in the upper right corner, which are used to set the time and wind the movement. The table clock has ample power reserve, which is enough to operate for 31 days after each full winding.
There are 5 correction buttons under the clock face, each engraved with English letters or symbols, which are convenient for users to press the buttons from left to right, corresponding to the same sequence of each display of the perpetual calendar on the clock face, and set the relevant information one by one: “W” corresponds to the week number, “D” represents the day of the week, the crescent moon symbol corresponds to the moon phase, “M” is the month, and “C” represents the date. The key to the arrangement of the 5 buttons along the arc is a complex mechanical axis system. There is an opening below the arc-shaped buttons, where a key can be inserted to stop or restart the movement. Thanks to this stop-second function, the time setting accuracy is as precise as 1 second.
In terms of the appearance of the Only Watch clock, Patek Philippe draws inspiration from the classic of the past. The clock case is made of 925 silver, and the decorative plate echoes the homeland of Bergard, which is made of American walnut and decorated with gold trim in the traditional screen printing method. The edge of the case shows a rope-like texture, and the clock ring is also embellished with the same pattern. The clock is decorated with silver-plated gold decorations everywhere, and the style is consistent with the decorative elements of the 1923 clock; the new clock has three rose decorations on the lower left and right corners and at 12 o’clock on the front, and the acanthus leaf swirl pattern surrounds the cross star decoration of Calatrava, and the four corners at the bottom of the clock body show the shape of the Western Region vulture.
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