First produced in the 1950s, the Patek Philippe Dome Clock is a mainstay and crown jewel within the manufacture’s line of production. Characterized by the cylindrical form and spherical top, the earliest Dome Clocks were fitted with a mechanical movement powered by a solar panel.

Housing the Patek Philippe manual caliber 17-250, a small rotatable solar panel on the top of the dome supplies energy to a storage device within, which in turn transmits energy to power the mechanical movement.
In 1948 Patek Philippe opened its Electronic Division with the goal of exploring photoelectric, electronic, and nuclear timekeeping. The department is responsible for the creation of the groundbreaking solar clock, the first of its kind. A Swiss patent was awarded to Patek Philippe for clocks fitted with photo-electric cells. Patek Philippe's idea for a light-powered horological mechanism was to introduce additional electronic storage – an accumulator that provides the energy to wind the spring. The photoelectric cells can either store their energy electronically in the accumulator, or mechanically by winding the spring. When the mechanism is fully wound, the cells switch over to charge the accumulator.

The gilt brass case of the present model has been intricately and painstakingly hand engraved with an “engraved lozenges” motif giving the clock a charismatic sophistication.