Never having appeared on the market before, the Patek Philippe dome clocks were made in a small series of case variations, most in either plain brass or with cloisonné enamel.
Patek Philippe had begun experimenting with Solar power before 1950 and after seven years of research and development the company produced its first solar clock in 1953. Solar power was incredibly cutting-edge in the 1950s and these first Patek Philippe clocks represented not only a major advancement in the application of that technology but even more significantly these clocks were the very first ever to be powered by anything other than a traditional mechanical movement.

Patek Philippe’s first models of the solar clock produced impressive results and had an accuracy within one second per day. They could also function indefinitely with only four hours of dim artificial light per day and run up to a year in complete darkness. Because of this initial success the company decided to make a more decorative case available and the first models were on sale in early 1956.
This model fitted with an elegant green leather case with inlaid brass bridge playing cards is proof to the creativity of the firm producing yet another unique dome clock as a leather dome clock by Patek Philippe had never been seen before.