Patek Philippe Inaugurates the Grand Exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo 2023 Edition

For the sixth edition of the grand exhibition, Patek Philippe transports its home of Geneva to the heart of Tokyo metropolis. From now until 25 June 2023, devotees and the public may immerse themselves in the world of Patek Philippe in the largest exhibition ever organized by the manufacture.

Open from 10 to 25 June, the Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo 2023 occupies the Sankaku Hiroba event space at the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building. Patek Philippe has created a décor of more than 2,500 square meters – the largest ever for a grand exhibition – conjuring up the streets of Geneva and its lakeside setting, including the famous Flower Clock. The exhibition is divided into six themed areas, inviting visitors on a voyage of discovery through the Patek Philippe universe, including all the brand’s most renowned Geneva sites – the historic headquarters in the rue de Rhône, the manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, and the Patek Philippe museum.

The Grand Exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo 2023 brings together more than 500 watches and objects illustrating a wealth of different types of expertise. The journey starts with 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.

The rare handcrafts, including miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, micro wood marquetry, hand-executed guilloché work and gemsetting, meticulously preserved by Patek Philippe, are also on show, with a splendid array of 40 one-of-a-kind pieces and limited edition objects, including dome clocks, table clocks, pocket watches and wristwatches, inspired by Japanese culture, with its rich artistic repertoire and ancestral skills, along with demonstrations by artisans before the visitor’s eyes.

PP 992 158J 001 VERSO 6421 50093 Rare Handcraft

PP 992 178J 001 6299 50093 Rare Handcraft

PP 995 131G 001 6300 50093 Rare Handcraft

PP 5089G 124 SDT 6326 50093 Rare Handcraft

PP 5738 50G 025 SDT 6348 50093 Rare Handcraft

Images courtesy of Patek Philippe

The exhibition also presents a selection of some 190 pieces belonging to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and exceptionally allowed to travel for the Tokyo event. Those from the “Antique Collection” (sixteenth to early nineteenth century) 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”, tracing the manufacture’s rich heritage, feature the first known perpetual calendar wristwatch, launched by Patek Philippe in 1925 (No. P-72), the World Time wristwatch 1415 HU of 1948 (No. P-1026) and a pocket watch with minute repeater and 30-day power reserve of 1918 that had belonged to James Ward Packard (No. P-1703). A new section entitled “Historical Owners” invites visitors to admire a pendant watch presented to Queen Victoria at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 (No. P-24) and other timepieces belonging to famous patrons.

One room presents 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 generous place is accorded to the complicated watches, one of the manufacture’s strongholds, with –for the first time in a grand exhibition –a section exclusive to the super-complications such as the Caliber 89 and the Star Caliber 2000, and a space entitled “Master of Sound” showcasing the chiming watches, including the most complex of all, the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime with 20 complications, and the Sky Moon Tourbillon Reference 6002R-001. Visitors also have the chance to meet Patek Philippe master watchmakers, as they carry out demonstrations on a variety of movements. In addition, the public and devotees may view exceptional pieces lent by their Japanese owners for this event.

The Patek Philippe Grand Exhibition Watch Art Tokyo 2023 is on from 10 to 25 June 2023 at Shinjuku Sumitomo Building Sankaku Hiroba. Open from 10:00am to 8:00pm daily, and 10:00am to 5:00pm on 25 June (admission closes 1 hour before closing). For more information, visit the website. 

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