The third Watch Art Grand Exhibition organised by Patek Philippe was hosted by the Saatchi Gallery in London, the same location that the Salon QP watch exhibition calls its home, and welcomed precisely 42,640 visitors. Like the two previous exhibitions it was designed to give a complete overview of the brand, encompassing its origins, traditions and craftsmanship. It also offered a rare opportunity to see the entire current watch collection of Patek Philippe.
But the Grand Exhibitions also include some elements that are tailored to the host city. In London, two antique pocket watches were on display that had been purchased by Queen Victoria at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. These pieces, along with others that belonged to royal families around the world (including a Patek Philippe belonging to Queen Elizabeth II that was on loan for the exhibition), were grouped together in a room that had been decorated to resemble the Crystal Palace, where the Great Exhibition was held and where Patek Philippe first presented its new keyless winding system.
As a delight for Patek Philippe fans, the Geneva-based watchmaker has also produced several limited edition models specifically for the London exhibition, which will be sold at the Patek Philippe Salon at 16 New Bond Street. Three of these models come in understated designs with Arabic numerals and modest sizes of 34.6mm and 38mm. They range from the simple two-hand Ref. 7200 and the Ref. 5153 with three hands and date up to the high complication of the Ref. 5159, which has a perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand, day, month and leap year indications in apertures and a separate moon phase display. Each model is limited to only 80 watches with a special “PATEK PHILIPPE LONDON 2015” inscription.
Two minute-repeater models also bear the inscription: a Ref. 5213 minute-repeater with perpetual calendar and retrograde date, small seconds and moon phase, of which only 10 will be available in white gold with the inscription; and a Ref. 7000 minute-repeater with small seconds in a universal 33.7mm size, of which only three will be made.
Showcasing the rare handcrafts used by Patek Philippe, an even rarer Calatrava model uses the technique of grisaille enamel, in which successive layers of blanc de Limoges enamel are applied on to a background of black enamel to create a greyscale depiction of London’s iconic monuments.
Finally, as a continuation of the royal watch theme, Patek Philippe also presented a sumptuous pocket watch with an enamel painting of the Tudor rose.
Click on the cover image for this article to see a photo gallery of the exhibition
