The upcoming auction at Sotheby’s in Abu Dhabi this December is set to capture the attention of collectors worldwide, as one of the most elusive creations from Patek Philippe will take center stage. A complete set of the Star Caliber 2000 pocket watches, untouched and preserved since their release, is expected to fetch around $10 million. This marks the first time such a set has surfaced in public, making the sale a landmark event in the world of haute horology.
The Star Caliber 2000 was born from a vision to celebrate the new millennium with an achievement that would push the limits of watchmaking. Patek Philippe began developing the watch in 1993, working in secrecy for years before unveiling it to a select group of collectors in 2000. The result was an incredible feat that contained 21 complications, at the time ranking it as the third most complicated timepiece ever created. It followed in the footsteps of the Patek Caliber 89 with 33 complications and the legendary Henry Graves Supercomplication with 24.
Among its many features, the Star Caliber includes a perpetual calendar that can keep accurate time for decades, automatically accounting for leap years and short months. It also indicates sunrise and sunset times, offers a day and night display, and incorporates a striking mechanism that plays the Westminster Chimes.
On its celestial dial, the movement of the night sky and phases of the moon are charted in real time. The intricate mechanism required more than 1,100 components, eight years of dedicated work by a team of ten watchmakers, and resulted in a 73.2-millimeter case weighing over half a kilogram in precious metal.
Only five complete sets were ever produced. Four were made with one example each in yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum, while a fifth set was crafted entirely in platinum. Each piece came with an enameled star chart on the back, personalized to reflect the heavens from either the northern or southern hemisphere. At its launch, the set was priced at 13.2 million Swiss francs (roughly $8.5 million), approximately £5.2 million at the time. This made it one of the most ambitious offerings in modern horology.
Since then, only one individual Star Caliber has resurfaced, a yellow gold example sold in 2012 for 25.3 million Hong Kong dollars (about $3.2 million). The appearance of a full, pristine set at Sotheby’s is therefore an unprecedented opportunity for collectors. Described by Sotheby’s watch chairman Sam Hines as a once-in-a-generation moment, the sale underscores not only the enduring fascination with Patek Philippe but also the timeless allure of the pocket watch at the highest level of craftsmanship. All eyes are on Sotheby’s Abu Dhabi auction scheduled for the first week of December.
