Milan is about to become the capital of fine watchmaking. From October Friday 2 to Sunday 18, Patek Philippe will present its Watch Art Grand Exhibition at the CityOval, the newly renovated Palazzo delle Scintille on Piazza Sei Febbraio in the CityLife district.
It is the seventh edtion of the Grand Exhibition staged by the Geneva-based manufacture, following Dubai, Munich, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo. It is also the first to be held in Italy, a market that has long been central to the brand. It will be the largest the maison has ever organised, covering more than 2,500 square metres beneath the building's 30-metre dome.
Around 500 timepieces and objects will be on show, from historic pieces to current collections whereas a selection of antique watches, some dating back to the 16th century, will travel from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva for the occasion.
Visitors can expect an immersive look behind the scenes of the manufacture, with dedicated areas covering in-house movements, component production and complicated watchmaking. A "Master of Sound" space will feature some of the maison's most celebrated creations, including the Grandmaster Chime and the Sky Moon Tourbillon.
A Rare Handcrafts section will celebrate the traditional métiers d'art with miniature enamel painting, cloisonné, hand engraving, micro-marquetry, guilloché and gem-setting. Live demonstrations by Patek Philippe artisans and master watchmakers will show how these techniques are carried out by hand. As at previous exhibitions, the event will coincide with the launch of several limited-edition timepieces across the collection, created especially for Watch Art Milan 2026.
Admission to the exhibition is free, although advance registration via Patek Philippe’s registration portal is recommended to avoid long queues. The exhibition will run from October 2 to 18, 2026, including weekends, at CityOval (Palazzo delle Scintille) in Milan’s CityLife district.
Visitors can explore the exhibition from 10am to 7pm, Monday to Thursday, while opening hours extend until 10pm from Friday to Sunday. On the final day, Sunday October 18, the exhibition will close at 8pm.