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Patek Philippe Watches
The Star Caliber 2000It has taken centuries of horological study to construct a timepiece as extraordinary as the Star Caliber 2000, a watch which builds on the past to represent the future of mechanical watchmaking. Since 1839, it has been Patek Philippe's mission to preserve and simultaneously to evolve the traditional art of watchmaking.
This undertaking is epitomized by the Patek Philippe Caliber 89, the most complicated mechanical watch ever built, and the Patek Philippe Supercomplication for Henry Graves, completed in 1933, which changed hands last year for a record auction price of more than US$ 11 million. The new Star Caliber 2000 was unveiled, the product of eight years of development and invention - a timepiece that represents a new pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking. For the first time ever in the history of Patek Philippe, six patentable inventions are encased in a single timepiece, redefining watchmaking and elevating it to a new standard. The Star Caliber 2000 is the result of eight years of development and perseverance needed to overcome technical obstacles that so far had been deemed insurmountable. Accordingly, it is a perfect reflection of the philosophy that has reigned at Patek Philippe since 1839: to build the world's finest timepieces with an ongoing quest for refinement and improvement. This latest masterpiece from Geneva manifests the unique experience and the inestimable know-how of Patek Philippe, anchored in over 160 years of tradition and innovation. Beginning of 1993, Patek Philippe resolved that it would celebrate the millennium change with an unprecedented feat in watchmaking: with a timepiece that would unite the most fascinating and sophisticated of all known complications in one single movement. The intention was also to enhance and refine these complications in several respects, demonstrating that there is still untapped potential in mechanical watchmaking. To achieve these goals, it was necessary to overcome obstacles that so far had defied even the most inventive minds in horology. The objective has been attained: the magnificent Star Caliber 2000 fulfils even the highest expectations. The Star Caliber 2000 is a double-faced pocket watch. It belongs to the illustrious category of Grandes Complications. In addition to indicating the time, it incorporates 21 different complications and thus ranks third among the world's most complicated watches, right after the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 (1989 - 33 complications) and the Patek Philippe Graves (1933 - 24 complications). Its bassine-style hunter case has two sprung covers which can be selectively opened with a push button in the winding crown.
The front dial of the Star Caliber 2000, apart from the hours, minutes, and seconds of mean time, displays the running equation of time, perpetual calendar information (day of the week, date, month, leap year, season), the sunrise and sunset times combined with a 24-hour day/night indication, and the power reserve of the movement and of the chime. The celestial dial on the back shows the relative movement of the nocturnal sky, the lunar orbit, and the moon phases. Hidden from view but clearly audible is the striking mechanism of the Star Caliber 2000 - the world's first pocket watch capable of playing the original melody of the Westminster chime as it peals from the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament in London. It sounds the quarter-hours and full hours in passing and on demand also indicates the minutes which have elapsed since the last quarter-hour. The circular openings in the sprung covers allow the resonant sounds of the gongs to unfold in body and richness. What really sets the Star Caliber 2000 apart is the degree of innovation it embodies, with six patents granted or pending for the Westminster chime, the running equation of time, the display of sunrise and sunset times, the movements of the sky and moon, the rapid calendar corrector, and the selective sprung cover release mechanism. For the first time in the history of Patek Philippe, the development of one single watch has resulted not only in numerous improvements at the detail level but also in six fundamental and patentable inventions.
As multifaceted and complex as the functions and mechanisms of the Star Caliber
2000 may be, it is nonetheless remarkably easy to use. Other Grandes
Complications are so intricate to regulate and adjust, particularly with regard
to certain time and calendar displays, that their owners must turn to
experienced watchmakers for assistance. In contrast, the Star Caliber 2000 is
the first watch of this degree of complexity to incorporate a comprehensive
mechanical synchronization of the perpetual calendar with the running equation
of time as well as with the display of sunrise and sunset times. Moreover, it
has an ingenious rapid correction feature. If the watch was left unwound for an
extended period of time, only three adjustments are necessary: The perpetual
calendar must be updated with a corrector slide, the day of the week with a
stylus, and the time with the crown. All other time- and calendar-related
displays are corrected automatically. The corrector slide is particularly
convenient: It allows not only corrections by just one day but also by nearly an
entire month. The Star Caliber 2000 manifests the philosophy which has inspired the work of all Patek Philippe watchmakers since the company was founded in 1839. It places emphasis on the preservation of cherished traditions in the art of watchmaking but also attaches great importance to the perpetual quest for innovation. The underlying objective is to further refine the technology of timekeeping and to continually test the limits of what is possible with mechanical means. The result is an amazing collection of mechanical Grandes Complications such as the Packard (1927), the Graves (1933), the Caliber 89 (1989) and the Star Caliber 2000. All of these masterpieces are based on the principle of mechanical measurement of time, but with regard to the functional concept and precision of implementation, each timepiece represents a quantum leap forward in mechanical watchmaking. The ambition to preserve traditions obviously entails the need to safeguard craftsmanship and venerable watchmaking expertise. This is part of the cultural heritage that Patek Philippe wishes to nurture and maintain to the greatest extent possible. The proud legacy includes nearly extinct enameling skills such as the champlevé technique for the Roman numerals in the front cover of the Star Caliber 2000. An old art is revived in the filigreed case decorations and the engraved work performed to embellish the back sprung cover. At the same time, a rare Grande Complication like the Star Caliber 2000 is an important arena for experimenting with horological innovations. It leads to enhancements in the industrial production of mechanical watches and encourages watchmakers to test the limits of mechanical artistry. The fabrication of extremely tiny movement parts by numerically controlled machines that cut using wire and electrolysis is one of the challenges that the Star Caliber 2000 project imposed on the specialists in Geneva. The valuable experience they gained will have a positive impact on the future of watchmaking at Patek Philippe. Further Reading
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