By Jessica Knowles
Patek Phillipe has released a new edition of the Sky Moon Tourbillon called the Ref 6002, which indicates the moon phases instead of moon age and features apertures instead of hands for the day of the week, month and leap year displays.
The latest edition also differs from the Ref 5002 thanks to its intricately hand engraved white gold case and hand enamelled dial.
The case is hand carved from a white gold blank and each ornamental element is engraved by hand, including the directional arrow on the 4 o’clock crown and astral motif on the 2 o’clock crown, which adjusts the celestial functions of the back dial.
Also contrary to the Ref 5002, the indications of the perpetual calendar are displayed in apertures: the day of the week at 9 o’clock, the leap year cycle at 12 o’clock, the month at 3 o’clock, and the moon phases at 6 o’clock.
The front dial is crafted from a thin disk in gold, milled until the railway track scale, the surrounds of the dial centre, calendar apertures, and moon-phase display stand out in relief. This is followed with the champlevé enamel which is hand applied to the recesses around the relief contours.
The centre of this dial is decorated with cloisonné enamel, contours of the blossoms and leaves are shaped using flattened gold wire and the separate cells are filled with enamel in varying shades of blue.
Other developments can be seen with the moon phases being removed in place of moon age.
Patek have not released a price for this piece but the Ref 5002 retailed for a reported $1.2million (around £777,750) and upwards.
