A Universe in Motion: The Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G Celestial
Patek Philippe has long understood the relationship between horology and the cosmos, faithfully charting the passage of time with watches that record everything from calendar years and sky charts to the phases of the moon. At Watches & Wonders 2026, the Maison has unveiled a timepiece that illuminates this connection with brilliant clarity: the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G Celestial Sunrise and Sunset, a Grand Complication that places the heavens on the wrist.
The result of more than five years’ development and six patent applications, the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G is a worthy successor to the astronomical masterpieces that have defined the Maison’s identity, from the Sky Moon Tourbillon unveiled in 2001 to the first Celestial model released the following year. Yet, this new interpretation goes further still, enriching its horological artistry with a novel indication: the precise movements at which the sun rises and sets over Geneva, never before seen on a Patek Philippe wristwatch.
Exploring the Beauty of the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G
An homage to the mysteries of the cosmos, the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G offers a sleek, futuristic reimagining of the iconic Celestial design. Measuring 47mm with a thickness of 12.38mm, its intricate dial displays a multitude of readings: hours and minutes of mean solar time, a sky chart, a floating ellipse representing the visible part of the sky for a given latitude, the meridian, the time of meridian passage of Sirius and of the moon, angular motion of the moon, a pointer date, and moon phases.
The hour and minute times are told with skeletonised baton-type hands in varnished white gold, the sunrise and sunset with slimmer white hands, and the date at the periphery via a red-varnished, hammer-type hand. To bring to life the movements of the heavenly bodies, the Maison has conceived a display system based on the interplay of 3 superposed transparent disks, two of which are made of mineral glass and one of metalised sapphire crystal, which rotate at different speeds according to expertly calculated ratios.
The celestial vault corresponds to the sidereal day, the lunar day to the elapsed time separating two consecutive passages of the moon across the meridian of a given place, and the lunar months to the time elapsed between two full moons.
From Dawn to Dusk: The Sunrise and Sunset Indication
What distinguishes the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G from its astronomical predecessors is the addition of the sunrise and sunset display, an ingenious feat of technicality usually reserved for the Maison’s most exclusive pocket watches and limited editions. Its two slender white-varnished hands, positioned symmetrically on either side of the dial, indicate the times of sunrise and sunset in the Northern Hemisphere on graduated scales integrated into the peripheral date disk.
As the seasons turn and the Earth’s axis slowly tilts, two ovoid cams – their contours reflecting this movement in miniature – drive the mechanism that ensures the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G remains accurate throughout the year.
Equally remarkable is the patented system for adjusting the display during the changeover between summer and winter time on the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G. Two corrector push-pieces, set discreetly into the caseband at 9 o’clock and 10 o’clock, simultaneously adjust both the civil time and the sunrise and sunset indications. These allow the wearer to advance or retract the time by one hour with a single press, operated by the two crowns positioned at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock, respectively.
The first – decorated with 3 stars and the moon – sets the annual index when pushed home and turned anticlockwise, corrects the moon phases when pulled out and turned clockwise, and sets the sky chart and angular position of the moon when pulled out and turned anticlockwise. The second, decorated with the Calatrava cross, winds the movement when pushed home and sets the time when pulled out. This solution, as elegant as it is practical, embodies the principles of horological mastery intrinsic to Patek Philippe.
A Case Inspired by the Cosmos
To house this extraordinary timepiece, Patek Philippe has created an 18ct white gold case whose design speaks to the same sense of wonder that drives the complication within. The distinctive X-shaped motif machined directly into the caseband evokes the tubular structure of space modules, its contrasting polished and sandblasted finishes catching the light in shifting planes. This design continues onto the solid case back of the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G, where it encircles a Calatrava cross.
The black composite-material strap, hollowed out in the same X-shaped pattern, attaches to the case via an ingenious lug-free fastening system, conforming naturally to the wrist and offering remarkable comfort for a timepiece of this presence. A patented triple-blade fold-over clasp in white gold ensures security without compromising the design's seamless lines.
A Masterpiece of Movement Miniaturisation
Powering the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G is the new Calibre 240 C LU CL LCSO, a self-winding movement comprising 426 components and measuring just 7.93mm thick – an increase of only 1.12mm over the original Celestial calibre, despite the addition of 121 parts for the sunrise and sunset mechanism and its summer/winter time correction system. The movement is wound by an off-centre mini-rotor in 22K gold, characteristic of Patek Philippe’s ultra-thin 240 family, and delivers a power reserve of 38-48 hours.
As with all the Maison’s timepieces, the movement bears the Patek Philippe seal – a guarantee of excellence in fine craftsmanship, technical performance, and rate accuracy to within -1/+2 seconds per 24 hours.
Traverse the Cosmos with the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G
With its sleek, futuristic design and five years of meticulous development, the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G marks an intensely modern and technically masterful new direction for the Maison. As a meditation on our place within the cosmos and how we might wear the heavens on the wrist, this is a timepiece that will delight and inspire for generations to come.
We invite you to visit our showroom in Truro to discover the Patek Philippe Ref. 6105G Celestial Sunrise and Sunset, which will be featured in our Patek Philippe exhibition in August. Until then, our Patek Philippe specialist, Giordano Chirieleison, will be honoured to guide you through our wider collection and assist with any enquiries.