Patek Philippe Says Desk Clocks Are A Big Deal Again: Introducing The Ref. 27000M-001 Housing A New Movement With Nine Patents

Wristwatches are so 2024. In 2025, Patek Philippe says desk clocks are a big deal again. Proof is the ref. 27000M-001, a table clock inspired by models created in the 1920s and 1930s. The new creation features both a perpetual and weekly calendar and is powered by new manually wound high-performance caliber with a 31-day power reserve. It is the subject of nine patent applications, and it is very precise, with an accuracy of ±1 second per day. Furthermore, the highly complicated clock is easy to operate; watchmaking evolution is at play here. It is also quite an impressive “time machine” with its cabinet in 925 silver embellished with panels in green Grand Feu flinqué enamel over a swirling guilloche motif.

You might think you’ve seen this clock before, and you’re not wrong. In 2021, Patek Philippe donated a unique preview model to the charitable auction Only Watch. Four years later, the clock enters the permanent collection. The desk clock was once the weapon of choice for wealthy men trying to show who’s boss. In 1923, Patek Philippe built James Ward Packard, a famous carmaker, a desk clock with a perpetual calendar with an eight-day power reserve in a silver case with applied ornaments in yellow gold and winged bronze lions. In 1927, New York banker Henry Graves Junior took delivery of a table clock of the same type, with modified displays and a personalized exterior. Both pieces are now in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva (the “Packard” desk clock No. P-140 and the “Graves” desk clock No. P-1270). Will the ref. 27000M-001 start a new “clock war”? Probably not.

Patek Philippe says desk clocks are a big deal again: Introducing the ref. 27000M-001

The ref. 27000M-001 desk clock is a very exclusive object. It’s aimed at those who enjoy watchmaking in the spirit of Packard and Graves. It’s a timekeeping object for those who don’t mind that they can’t wear it outside to show it off but, instead, enjoy it in the comforts of one of their several homes. Let’s start with what’s inside the clock. It’s the rectangular caliber 86-135 PEND S IRM Q SE, the complicated product of seven years of development.

It’s stamped with the Patek Philippe Seal and comprises 912 parts, of which almost half are for the perpetual calendar. Patek has filed nine patent applications for innovations and optimizations. Mostly, the improvements aim to maximize long-term reliability by reducing the energy consumption of the perpetual calendar, enhancing ease of use, and securing the functions against any inadvertent mishandling.

Three barrels ensure 31 days of power reserve. In the heart of the movement, a true “precision regulator” with a patented constant-force mechanism makes it possible to maintain the stable amplitude of the balance from the first day of the power reserve to the last, for a full month. You can read the state of the power at the center of the dial.

Jumping seconds, a weekly calendar, and much more

Reference 27000M-001 is, in essence, a “Packard” clock. But it introduces two new features compared to its historical counterpart. This new clock shows a “deadbeat” seconds hand, which makes one jump per second in the manner of the old regulators. The second novel feature is a weekly calendar. This highlights the current week’s number with a red rectangular frame on the perimeter of the dial.

The hour and minutes still appear in a display in a small, eccentric sub-dial at 12 o’clock. The moonphase indicator is at 6 o’clock, and the day and month displays at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock. A central hand and an outer track no longer indicate the date, as they did in 1923. Instead, a smaller pointer and date track now share the 6 o’clock position with the moonphase display. There are also two small apertures at 7:30 and 4:30 displaying, respectively, the day/night indication and the leap-year cycle.

It’s a bigger “Packard”

The overall shape of the “Packard” clock is still intact, but it has grown a bit. Reference 27000M-001 measures 135mm long by 86mm wide and 28.55mm tall. The clock is endowed with American walnut veneer beneath a hinged bonnet that opens from the right. Opening the bonnet also reveals a modern control console system that allows adjustments to become intuitive, simple, and practical. This is in full compliance with Patek Philippe’s user-centric philosophy. Under the bonnet, you’ll find a casing fitted with a patented ejection system housing the winding and setting key in the upper-left corner. The two openings in the upper-right corner allow the key to access the winding and setting squares.

Another opening (bottom-center) provides access to the square that stops the seconds. Above that, you’ll see an arc with five buttons for easy adjustment of the week, day, moonphase, month, and date indicators. Once you’ve set everything and wound the movement completely, the clock will run for 31 days.

Lavish ornaments

The 1923 original clock inspired the new one. The original’s lavish ornaments are reinterpreted in a refined style. Still, “contemporary” is not a word you can use to describe the look of the ref. 27000M-001. Panels of green Grand Feu flinqué enamel over a swirling guilloché pattern adorn a 925 silver cabinet.

You might want to know the price of the ref. 27000M-001 desk clock. It’s “on request,” but we can tell you this: the predecessor clock with American walnut veneers was sold during the Only Watch 2021 auction for 9.5 million Swiss francs. You can use this as a reference point.