Why did you choose Milan for this exhibition?
After New York, Singapore and Tokyo, we wanted to return to Europe, to a location that is easily accessible from across the continent: an exhibition of this scale inevitably has a European resonance. Italy was a natural choice because it is a country that has always loved watches; my father used to say that “if a watch worked in Italy, it would work anywhere.” The public is knowledgeable and has a genuine appreciation of watchmaking. The question was which city to choose. Milan is currently the most convenient and attractive for our retailers, clients and the press, both in terms of accommodation and getting around. It is also a historic city that has a real buzz, as Fashion Week has just demonstrated. Our distributors, who came from all over the world, were unanimous in welcoming the choice.
Of the six previous editions, which is your best memory?
It is difficult to say, but I think of the second one, in Munich in 2013. Dubai, the very first one, was different: we were not yet perfectly organized. In Munich, we found ourselves facing experts. While Italy is a very mature market when it comes to watchmaking culture, Germany is probably the most technically discerning. But my fondest memory is seeing my father’s pride. It was a major exhibition and a real risk, let’s be clear. When we successfully pulled it off with all the teams, he was literally beaming. And the adventure continues, in the same spirit: Munich seemed enormous to us at the time; since then, we have tripled the space, and the number of watches on display is on an entirely different scale.
Who is the Watch Art Grand Exhibition aimed at?
It is clearly an international event aimed at a broad audience. For example, we welcome retailers from the United States, Guatemala and New Zealand with their clients, as well as European retailers. But priority goes to our Italian partners, since we are in their home country. We take the time to welcome them and share these moments with them, which is only natural. Beyond that, the exhibition is for everyone, and that is essential. I am thinking of young people: my son Adrien has friends who are not particularly interested in watchmaking, but who will come out of curiosity. The idea is to attract as many people as possible and introduce them to our profession. Collectors will be there, obviously, but they are not our primary target. Our goal is to welcome everyone and share knowledge, so that a visitor who did not know us leaves having learned something and with a new interest sparked.
So this is more of a cultural than a commercial approach?
Exactly, our message comes through culture. That has always been my father’s intention, as well as that of all our teams: to promote fine watchmaking. Our museum does not only display Patek Philippe pieces, either. Of course, we know we are in our own home, and it is written everywhere. But we showcase our expertise, from movements to R&D, and through it, Swiss know-how. Here, we are not selling anything: I don’t have any Nautilus watches to sell! We only produce 75,000 watches a year, all of which have already been allocated. An exhibition like this is almost difficult to manage because demand exceeds supply. On the eve of the opening, we already had nearly 45,000 reservations, with a capacity of 1,500 visitors per hour. We welcomed 62,000 people in Tokyo, and we should exceed that figure here.
Could this replace Watches and Wonders?
No, I don’t think so. Watches and Wonders is aimed at professionals: that is where retailers come to buy the watches they will sell in their stores. It is a genuinely commercial event. Here, the approach is completely different. It is about highlighting not only the brand, but watchmaking itself, and awakening passions. Those of our clients or future clients, of course, but perhaps also those of a future enameller or engraver. A child who comes in here and discovers all this could very well start dreaming.
What does Patek Philippe’s investment in this exhibition represent?
It is a very significant commitment on our part, in excess of CHF 10 million. So it has to work, and we are doing everything we can to make sure it does. But success, for me, does not mean being able to say that we sold well; that is not the point. I want visitors to have enjoyed themselves, learned something and left more knowledgeable, with a desire to love watchmaking. Other brands also organize exhibitions, and that is a very good thing, as long as people leave with the desire to wear a watch on their wrist and the feeling that this is a wonderful profession. The goal is to make watchmaking shine, Swiss watchmaking in particular, which is only natural. Sales of the pieces on display, whether métiers d’art pieces or series reserved for Italy, come afterward.
Is there one particular piece from the exhibition that stands out for you?
It is difficult, with seven limited-edition series and 25 unique métiers d’art pieces! But I have a soft spot for the Dante pocket watch, whose enamel dial was created by Anita Porchet. It is sublime. Anita always says that she gives her very best to Patek Philippe, and it is true! Enamel is in my blood: I discovered it at a very young age with my grandfather, and I know the techniques, even if I am not particularly gifted at it. The fineness of the details and the intensity of the colors are incredible, and even its rock crystal support is striking. This piece has a profound impact on me. But the evolution of our movements is also close to my heart, and our new hand-wound chronograph with instantaneous perpetual calendar is particularly accomplished.
powder and hand-engraving © Patek Philippe
You have added an archive room filled with treasures…
For me, that was a priority. Our history is our strength. People need to understand where we come from and what we have created, which they often do not know. We are sometimes asked, “Patek, what have you done?” These archives tell the story of our developments, ideas and innovations. They also show the stability of the brand and an unchanged vision since the beginning: to be the leader in high watchmaking and make the most beautiful watches in the world. We have fought for this and have never closed the manufacture, a continuity that few brands can claim. Of course, we cannot show everything: we would need a room five times larger! We have presented a condensed version, which is already a lot, and it leaves us with other treasures to reveal in the future.
Is this about establishing the brand?
For me, the essential thing was to establish the brand’s reliability. We often talk about the reliability of a watch; that is one thing. But here, it is about the reliability of the brand, and perhaps of the family that runs it today. I don’t like to say that I am reliable, because it is not just me: it is my father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather Charles, everyone. Tomorrow, it will be Adrien and Tristan. It is wonderful! In a world where young people like to change very quickly, even though I am not saying that this is a bad thing, it is simply different, seeing a company establish itself over time across generations puts a smile on your face. Especially since it continues to innovate every time. I felt it was important to show this, and also to prove to you that we are evolving at the same time. The story continues and is passed down, and our Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Milan illustrates this perfectly.
