Maison Perrelet returns to the TimeForArt charity auction for the second time, reaffirming its commitment to supporting contemporary art and the Swiss Institute of New York. For the 2026 edition, Perrelet has once again joined forces with Chris Alexander, better known as The Dial Artist, to create a unique timepiece in which contemporary design and mechanical excellence become a canvas for artistic expression.
Following the Turbine created for the 2024 edition, Perrelet presents a new interpretation of its Lab Peripheral collection for the third edition of TimeForArt. The auction, held in collaboration with Phillips as part of The New York Watch Auction XV, will take place on December 5, 2026, at 3 PM EST. This year, 26 distinguished watch brands will contribute unique creations in support of contemporary art.
The resulting Perrelet X The Dial Artist – TimeForArt Edition 2026 brings together two distinctive creative approaches: Perrelet’s long-standing expertise in automatic winding and The Dial Artist’s vibrant, graphic aesthetics.
Automatic winding has been at the heart of Perrelet's identity ever since its founder, Abraham-Louis Perrelet, developed the first self-winding mechanism in 1777. The Maison has continued to reinterpret this principle through a series of distinctive designs, from the Double Rotor and the visually striking Turbine to the Lab Peripheral, which features a peripheral oscillating weight that is visible from the dial side. It is this distinctive architecture that defines this latter collection. Rather than being situated on the back of the movement, as is traditional, the oscillating weight is positioned along the outer edge of the dial and remains visible from the dial side.
Art Reimagines Time
For the TimeForArt edition, the time-only-and-date Lab Peripheral model becomes a canvas for The Dial Artist’s creative vision. His intervention focuses on two defining elements of the watch: the central section of the dial and the peripheral oscillating weight.
The central part of the display has been transformed with a vibrant composition of vertical stripes in pink, olive green, red, orange, brown, light blue and black, interspersed with white. The interplay of contrasting warm and cool tones creates a dynamic rhythm, giving the watch its distinctive visual identity.
The same artistic language continues on the peripheral oscillating weight, where oblique-coloured stripes reinterpret the motif of the central dial. The two elements appear in visual dialogue, linking the artistic surface of the watch with the mechanical architecture.
Surrounding the central section, the satin-finished ring carries applied hour markers treated with Super-LumiNova. Appearing to float towards the 5-minute scale flange, the indices create a striking sense of depth while leaving the peripheral area unobstructed and directing the eye towards the oscillating weight.
Dagger-shaped hands, also treated with luminescent material, complete the display, while the slimmer central seconds hand introduces a subtle contrast. A date window at 6 o’clock completes the indications.
Through colour, geometry and rhythm, The Dial Artist transforms the watch into a miniature canvas in which contemporary art and mechanical watchmaking coexist within a single composition.
A Contemporary Case
The Perrelet X The Dial Artist – TimeForArt Edition 2026 is housed in a 42 mm x 42 mm cushion-shaped case crafted from razor-grey PVD-coated steel and water-resistant to 5 ATM. Flowing lines, brushed and polished lugs, an embossed rectangular decoration on the case band and a polished octagonal bezel with a satin-brushed profile give the case a refined, contemporary character.
The multicoloured artistic dial is protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, while the transparent case back provides a view of the finely decorated in-house calibre. The sapphire crystal porthole bears the inscriptions “Perrelet x The Dial Artist” and “Unique Piece” around its circumference, and the signature of Chris Alexander/The Dial Artist appears at the centre.
This unique timepiece is completed by a black calf leather strap with an alligator pattern and white stitching, secured by a folding clasp customised with the brand’s logo.
An Automatic Movement Beyond Tradition
The watch is powered by Perrelet’s in-house self-winding P-411 calibre, beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and providing a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound.
At the heart of its distinctive architecture is the ball-bearing-mounted peripheral oscillating weight, visible on the dial side. Formed as a 180° segment, it is attached to a toothed wheel inside the movement. This wheel engages with a pinion positioned on the movement’s outer rim, transferring energy to the gear train and ultimately winding the mainspring.
The case back, secured by six screws and fitted with a sapphire crystal porthole, reveals the balance wheel in motion together with the rhodium-plated bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève finishing and 3N gold engravings. With no conventional central rotor obscuring the view, the movement’s architecture and finishing can be fully appreciated.
The Perrelet X The Dial Artist – TimeForArt Edition 2026 therefore brings together two forms of craftsmanship: the precision of Perrelet’s peripheral automatic architecture and the expressive language of contemporary art, united in a unique creation made for TimeForArt.
Availability
The Perrelet X The Dial Artist – Time for Art Edition 2026 comes in a luxury box with a travel pouch. This unique piece is signed and certified by the artist and was created exclusively for the Swiss Institute’s ‘Time for Art’ charity auction, which is taking place in New York on 5 December 2026 at 3 pm EST.
