At 10am sharp, the Grand Exhibition finally opened. Spread across 2,500 metres, the exhibition showcased over 500 timepieces and objets, spread across 11 rooms designed to transport visitors from Metropolitan Tokyo to Switzerland—or more precisely, Patek Philippe’s Geneva headquarters and flagship salon, its manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates and the Patek Philippe Museum, a pilgrimage spot for every serious watch collector.

The showcased timepieces ranged from the watchmaker’s entire current collection to new releases launched in honour of the exhibition, special pieces on loan from Japanese collectors and a collection of highly important watches on loan from the Museum itself. A walk through the exhibition was not just an exploration of Patek Philippe’s past and present catalogue but also a lesson on the role that the manufacture has played in the history of watchmaking.

To commemorate the Grand Exhibition, Patek Philippe launched 6 special edition watches. Of these, the World Time Reference 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023, produced in a limited run of just 300 pieces, was, at least for me, the stand out. The 5330G-010 is a world’s first—a world timer with a date complication that takes into account the international date line and corrects the date accordingly when crossing the date line. This means the date adjusts automatically forwards but also backwards as the wearer adjusts the time zone, using a simple pusher to change the city they are either travelling to or have just arrived in.

In addition to its innovative movement, the 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is also a strikingly beautiful watch. Set inside the polished 40mm white gold case is a rich purple dial (Patek Philippe describes it as “plum”), a colour exclusive for the Japanese market. The dial centre is embellished with a hand-guilloched decoration. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk. On the 24-hour disk, which is subdivided into day and night zones, identified by their rhodium-plated or plum-coloured backgrounds, a rising sun in red, the emblem of Japan, replaces the sun symbol.

This is not to say the other limited editions others were not equally impressive. The Quadruple Complication Reference 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 (15 pieces) is a world premiere that incredibly brings together a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar in apertures. The World Time Minute Repeater Reference 5531R-014 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 (15 pieces) features a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration representing the historic Chuo district of Tokyo in the centre of the dial; it’s a stunning piece, that brings together artistry and complication perfectly—as you would expect of Patek Philippe. The other 3 special editions were the Ladies’ Moon-Phase Reference 7121/200G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 (200 pieces), and his and hers Calatrava References 6127G-010 and 7127G-010 (400 each, 300 of which are being sold as pairs).

For the duration of the exhibition, Patek Philippe had set up a table over which technicians used plexiglass models to show (on a much larger scale) and explain both the new date differential system of the 5330G-010 as well as the equally astounding complications housed in the new Quadruple Complication. Lucky attendees found that on the tenth of June, Patek’s revered Head of Watch Development Philip Barat personally undertook these walk-throughs, patiently explaining not just how these movements and complications worked, but also how challenging they were to ideate and design.

Mr Barat wasn’t the only superstar in attendance. As mentioned, Mr Stern was there and stayed at the exhibition the entire day, happily and patiently greeting enthusiasts and posing for photos with anyone who asked. At one point, I saw a line that was at least 30 people deep waiting to take a photo with him in the central garden area of the exhibition.

Also present was Dr Peter Friess, the director and curator of the Patek Philippe Museum. For the Grand Exhibition, Dr Friess curated 190 very special timepieces from the museum. The Artisans room was also a highlight for many visitors. Masters in wood marquetry and guilloché work showcased their skills. Enamel artist Anita Porchet—arguably the most famous enameler in the watch industry—was also there, happy to meet fans, and to talk about some of the rare handicrafts that she worked on that, like the 6 special edition watches, were also launched at the Grand Exhibition.

40 new rare handcraft creations—eight dome clocks, five table clocks, nine pocket watches and 18 wristwatches—were unveiled at the Grand Exhibition. These one-of-a-kind or limited-edition pieces exemplify skills associated for some five centuries with the adornment of timepieces: hand engraving, hand-executed guilloché work, gem setting and the various ancestral forms of enamelling: Grand Feu cloisonné enamel, miniature painting on enamel, paillonné enamel, flinqué enamel and grisaille enamel; and more recently, the innovative use of wood marquetry.

While these special editions and rare handcrafts were on display at the Grand Exhibition, the showcase was not a sales event. The only things visitors could purchase were catalogues, souvenir postcards, and Patek Philippe washi tape.

The Grand Exhibition was many things: a fabulous networking opportunity for retailers, collectors, watch influencers, and enthusiasts; a celebration of watchmaking; an incredible exploration of the history and influence of one of the most important brands in the watch industry; a reminder to that sector of the power position that Patek Philippe occupies; and, above all, a love letter to Japan, which has had a relationship with Patek Philippe since the late 1800s.

As we left the fair, rumours were already in the air as to the location of the next Grand Exhibition, already planned for 2025. And while we may have heard a few cities mentioned and can't wait to see what Patek Philippe will do then, we're grateful for having had the chance to visit this year's showcase and celebration of this historic and iconic brand.

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