Patek Philippe’s Complicated Desk Clock Ref. 27000M-001 is the biggest release of Watches & Wonders 2025, with a footprint of 164.6 by 125 mm, and rising to 76.73 mm at its apex. Priced at an even CHF1 million before taxes, the clock is powered by a key-wound, 31-day movement – incorporating a one-second remontoir d’egalite – housed in a wedge-shaped sterling silver cabinet, decorated with green flinqué enamel.

Initial thoughts

While we’ve seen desk and table clocks from others in the space, none have been as incredibly high-effort as this. Patek Philippe claims the 912-part shaped caliber took seven years of development, including nine patent applications. That’s quite the investment in a product with limited mainstream appeal, and I find it reassuring that Patek Philippe is still willing to make those investments.

The enamel work is enchanting and has precedent in early 20th-century silver travel clocks retailed by Cartier, among others. I could take or leave the baroque styling, but the dial and hidden “dashboard” look fantastic. I hope Patek Philippe will offer this movement in other styles down the road.

If you’ve never experienced a key-winding watch or clock, it’s quite satisfying; I wouldn’t call it fun, but it’s not something you’re likely to get sick of. It’s an experience you can’t get with Patek Philippe’s other current production clocks, which use an electric motor to wind the movement without need of human intervention.

Patek Philippe emphasises how easy the tool-less calendar adjustment system is to use. Hopefully, this telegraphs the brand’s plans for future wrist-borne perpetual calendars. It’s also Patek Philippe’s first foray into constant force devices, which have been popular with independents for a while.

Additionally, the clock’s wedge-like profile means the dial will be roughly perpendicular to your line of sight when seated at your desk. It’s a small detail, but not all desk clocks get it right.

The one-million franc price tag makes some sense when you consider the movement’s development cost, low volume, and opportunity cost of not making more commercially appealing models. While it is far from a good deal, you can easily spend more for less.

A storied lineage

James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr., perhaps the most famous Patek Philippe collectors of the 20th century, commissioned desk clocks in this form factor from Patek Philippe.

With its subsidiary hours and minutes display, the ref. 27000M takes most of its inspiration from Packard’s clock, but is substantially larger and boasts notable upgrades. While both of the historical timepieces ran for eight days, the ref. 27000M runs for at least 31.

We saw a unique version of the desk clock back in 2021, the ref. 27001M-001 with a “salmon” dial and an American walnut-clad cabinet. That was made for that year’s Only Watch charity auction, and entirely unique until now.

Besides being very large, today’s serially-produced ref. 27000M also very green. While the unique example made for Only Watch might blend in on a hardwood desk, this certainly won’t.

The walnut panelling has been replaced with green flinqué enamel, while the dial is a more classic opaline silver.

Some of the walnut veneer has escaped the viridescent treatment; this can be seen under the hinged cover, popped open using a button on the right, and held upright when open by a stay on the left. The inside of the cover is sueded and carries a silver plaque for engraving.

The perpetual calendar with apertures for day and month from Packard’s clock returns in the ref. 27000M, though with the addition of leap year and day/night indications in apertures, and a weekly calendar by way of a red frame circling the dial’s periphery.

All calendar functions are controlled by an engine-turned “dashboard” hidden under the front lid, which has a familiar watchmaking decoration but is more evocative of vintage car instrument panels. This is the first we’ve seen any sort of toolless adjustment on a Patek perpetual since the Star Caliber 2000’s rapid correction system.

The clock is wound and set using a folding key, with squares for both functions in sockets at the top right corner. Ironic, as Patek Philippe was an early pioneer of keyless watches. Another square just below six o’clock starts and stops the movement, allowing the time to be set to the second.

You won’t have to worry about losing the key, since it tucks away neatly into its alcove at 10:30, and can be popped out when needed.

Inside the clock is the enormous cal. 86-135 PEND S IRM Q SE, which Patek Philippe rates to +/- 1 second per day – excellent for a watch, though not remarkable for a stationary timekeeper. Naturally, it is only adjusted to one position.

The movement is more watch-like than clock-like; it doesn’t chime, uses a small Gyromax balance beating at a spritely 4 Hz, and has shock-protection for the balance. It could even be described as a pocket watch movement powered by a clock-sized complications module.

The movement is also decorated to a higher standard than is typical for clocks, done with ample machine assistance, I’m sure, but Patek Philippe still went the extra mile, especially on the under-dial components.

The sweep-seconds hand is naturally jumping as this movement uses a one-second constant force device to meter out the power from three enormous barrels, with 1.7-meter-long mainsprings each. This gives a more relaxed feel, like the ticking of a pendulum clock, and is reminiscent of the Naviquartz, a line of quartz chronometer desk clocks made by Patek Philippe in the 1970s.

The remontoir d’egalite also means the balance amplitude remains stable for all 31 days of the power reserve. Recently, we’ve seen jumping seconds on the wristwatch refs. 5275 and 6301, however, those were not coupled with a constant force device.

While the desk clock isn’t water resistant like the Naviquartz (so keep your coffee on the other side of the desk), foam gaskets around the dashboard and base should keep dust and humidity at bay.

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Key facts and price

Patek Philippe Complicated Desk Clock
Ref. 27000M-001

Diameter: 16.46 cm by 12.5 cm
Height: 7.63 cm
Material: Sterling silver, flinqué enamel, and American walnut

Movement: Cal. 86-135 PEND IRM Q SE
Functions: Time, perpetual calendar, moon phases, week-number display and power-reserve display
Winding: Key-wound
Power reserve: 31 days

Limited edition: No
Availability: Now at boutiques and authorised retailers
Price: CHF1 million before taxes

For more information, visit Patek.com.

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