Patek Philippe announces the WATCH ART grand exhibition Milan 2026

For the seventh of its Grand Exhibitions across the world, Patek Philippe has chosen one of its leading historic markets: Italy.

From 2 to 18 October 2026, the public and devotees will be able to immerse themselves in the world of the last remaining independent family-owned Genevan watch manufacture. They will discover a decor of more than 2,500 square metres, taking them behind the scenes of Patek Philippe itself. The largest exhibition ever organised by the manufacture, this event will be accompanied by the launch of several limited editions.

As heir to a noble Genevan tradition, Patek Philippe has always placed great importance on sharing its passion for fine watchmaking, particularly by means of exhibitions. Fourteen years ago, Patek Philippe launched a new concept of Grand Exhibitions open to the public, offering free admission and encouraging closer acquaintance with its creations, heritage, philosophy, and breadth of expertise. In the course of the six editions organised to date, these events have increased in size and scope,  welcoming a total of some 165,000 visitors. After Dubai in 2012, Munich in 2013, London in 2015, New  York in 2017, Singapore in 2019, and Tokyo in 2023, Patek Philippe has chosen Milan for its seventh Grand Exhibition. Historically, Italy represents a key market for the brand – a market of connoisseurs,  treasuring rare handcrafts and able to appreciate all the technical excellence and painstaking workmanship contained in a timepiece. Italian customers, born into a culture that unites respect for tradition and artisan skills with a flair for design and fashion and an avant-garde spirit, are also perfectly placed to understand the “tradition of innovation” that has guided Patek Philippe since 1839. 

An exceptional decor 

Open from Friday 2 to Sunday 18 October 2026, the Patek Philippe WATCH ART grand exhibition Milan 2026 will be held, as were the previous exhibitions, in surroundings emblematic of the host city. The 2026 edition of WATCH ART will take place in the Palazzo delle Scintille, newly renamed the  CityOval, at the heart of the CityLife district, Milan’s new, exclusive business and residential quarter.  The last historic bastion of this new quarter, the Palazzo delle Scintille, has been completely renovated as part of this zone’s urban regeneration. Beneath a dome rising to 30 metres at its highest point, the  WATCH ART grand exhibition will occupy some 2,540 square metres of the total 4,000 square metres of exhibition space that the CityOval represents. Located at its centre, Patek Philippe will offer devotees and the general public the most spectacular decor ever conceived for its Grand Exhibition. Divided into different themed areas, the exhibition will offer the visitor a total immersion in the Patek Philippe universe and the chance to discover the brand’s most renowned Geneva addresses: the historic headquarters in the Rue du Rhône, the manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, and the Patek Philippe Museum. 

The entire current collection and Rare Handcrafts collection 

The Patek Philippe WATCH ART grand exhibition Milan 2026 will bring together some 500 timepieces and objects illustrating a wealth of different types of expertise. In particular, visitors may admire the manufacture’s entire current collection, with its lavish choice of watch families and models for men and for women, spanning every watchmaking segment from the style icons to the most technically complex mechanisms. 

A dedicated Rare Handcrafts Watch Art Grand Exhibition Milano 2026 collection (including dome table clocks, pocket watches, and wristwatches with miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, micro wood marquetry, hand-executed guilloché work, and gemsetting) will be on show,  along with demonstrations by artisans before the visitor’s eyes. 

The jewels of the Patek Philippe Museum  

The exhibition will also present a selection of timepieces belonging to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and exceptionally allowed to travel for the Milan event. Those from the “Antique Collection” (sixteenth to early nineteenth century) will include some of the oldest watches in the world and numerous technical and aesthetic masterpieces illustrating the entire history of horology. The pieces from the “Patek Philippe Collection” trace the manufacture’s rich heritage.  

An exceptional reunion of horological masterpieces 

One room will present the vast collection of movements designed and built entirely by Patek Philippe,  with a new area devoted to the steps involved in producing the parts and another dedicated to research and development. A large place will be reserved for the complicated watches, one of the manufacturer’s strongholds and a space entitled “Master of Sound” showcasing the striking watches,  including the most complex of all, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime with 20 complications, and the Sky Moon Tourbillon. Visitors will also have the chance to meet Patek Philippe master watchmakers, who will carry out demonstrations on a variety of movements.  

A fine array of limited editions

Similar to its predecessors, the grand exhibition WATCH ART Milan will be accompanied by the launch of various limited editions in every segment of the Patek Philippe collection. 

Learn more: patek.com/watchart2026