The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XXI, held by Phillips from 21 to 23 November 2025, gathers more than 300 of the finest timepieces in one of the most anticipated sales of the year. Within the catalogue, early wristwatch icons share space with the great technical achievements of modern horology. Yet among the vintage treasures and mid-century legends, one watch stands apart not for its age but for how completely it redefined what a wristwatch could be.
Lot 828, the Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 5002P-001, is barely two decades old, yet it already holds a place in watchmaking history. Introduced in 2001, it was Patek Philippe’s first double-faced wristwatch and, at the time, the most complicated wristwatch the company had ever produced. Twelve complications, 694 components, and two dials formed a design that balanced imagination with precision.
The front of the watch displays a perpetual calendar with retrograde date, a tourbillon, and a minute repeater with cathedral gongs. Each element reflects Patek Philippe’s pursuit of harmony rather than excess. The repeater’s tone is deep and resonant, the result of gongs that circle the movement twice. The perpetual calendar moves with quiet intelligence, its date hand returning to zero at the end of each month in a single, elegant motion. The tourbillon remains hidden from view, reminding us that the most complex mechanisms need not shout to be admired.
Turn the watch over and the character shifts entirely. The reverse dial, rendered in a deep celestial blue, displays the night sky as seen from the northern hemisphere. It shows sidereal time, the phases of the moon, and the angular motion of the stars. The sky disc rotates counter to the Earth’s movement, creating a living map of the heavens. It is both mechanical and poetic, the kind of complication that blurs the line between science and art.
The 43 millimeter platinum case carries delicate engravings of Calatrava crosses and houses a movement finished to the standards of the Geneva Seal. The white opaline dial features a subtle guilloché pattern and fine red accents on the retrograde date track. Two crowns complete the symmetry of the design, one for winding and time setting, the other for adjusting the astronomical display.
The example appearing at Phillips is remarkable for its untouched condition. Purchased in 2008 and stored ever since, it remains unworn and complete with its Certificate of Origin, presentation box, and accessories. Only thirteen platinum examples of the Sky Moon Tourbillon have previously been seen at auction, making this the fourteenth known to reach public sale. For collectors, it is a rare chance to acquire not only a complex machine but a modern landmark in the history of Patek Philippe.
The Sky Moon Tourbillon would later inspire the ref. 6002, an even more ornate successor released in 2013, but many connoisseurs still consider the original ref. 5002 to be the purest expression of the idea. It represents a moment when Patek Philippe reached its technical peak without losing the quiet restraint that defines its work.
While the Sky Moon Tourbillon may be a relative newcomer, it stands comfortably beside the century-old pieces that share the same auction floor. Watches like the ref. 130 “Sector Dial” from the 1930s remind us where Patek Philippe’s legacy began, in simplicity, proportion, and the study of time as an art form. Seen together, they tell one story: the enduring ability of Patek Philippe to make every era of watchmaking feel timeless.
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