Patek Philippe has inaugurated the grand exhibition “Watch Art” Tokyo 2023. The renowned independent family-owned Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater watch manufacture has chosen Japan and Tokyo as the destination for the sixth edition of the exhibition, which follows Dubai in 2012, Munich in 2013, London in 2015, New York in 2017 and Singapore in 2019.
From June 10th to June 25th, 2023, the public will be able to enjoy a comprehensive and immersive experience with insights into the brand’s heritage, craftsmanship, and behind-the-scenes operations.
“Watch Art” brings together more than 500 timepieces and objects illustrating a wealth of different types of expertise. In particular, visitors may admire the manufacture’s entire current collection as well as rare handcrafts including miniature painting on enamel, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, micro wood marquetry, hand-executed guilloché work and gemsetting.
The exhibition also presents a selection of some 190 pieces belonging to the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and exceptionally allowed to travel for the Tokyo event.
The largest exhibition ever organized by the manufacture, this event is accompanied by the launch of six limited editions. Featuring among these six new introductions are two technical pieces making their global debut: a new self-winding Quadruple Complication and the first World Time watch equipped with a date display synchronized with local time.
A limited edition of 15 watches, the Quadruple Complication Reference 5308P-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is a self-winding model combining a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar in apertures.
The new Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater caliber R CHR 27 PS QI movement (799 parts), with a platinum mini-rotor increasing the winding power, is distinguished by two patented innovations that reduce energy consumption related to the clutch and the split seconds.
The monopusher chronograph has 60- minute and 12-hour counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock respectively. The split-seconds hand is controlled by its own pusher at 4 o’clock. The instantaneous perpetual calendar ensures the advance of the disks in 30 milliseconds in the 3 apertures for the day, date and month arranged along an arc and in the leap-year aperture, on the rose-gilt opaline dial.
The watch is presented in a fully polished 42 mm platinum case and is delivered with two interchangeable case backs: one in sapphire crystal adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”, the other in solid platinum engraved with the same wording.
The Patek Philippe World Time Reference 5330G-010 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is a limited edition of 300 watches and marks the introduction of a patented date display synchronized with local time – that of the time zone selected at the 12 o’clock position and displayed by the center hands.
To offer this exclusive function, Patek Philippe developed a new movement, the ultra-thin self-winding caliber 240 HU C, which features an innovative differential system (70 parts) enabling it to manage the date of the local time.
The plum-coloured dial is embellished with a hand-guilloched center. The date is displayed on the beveled flange of the dial by a center hand in glass with a red tip. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk. On the 24-hour disk, which is divided into day and night zones, a red rising sun—Japan’s national emblem—substitutes the traditional sun symbol.
The case, with a diameter of 40 mm, is crafted from fully polished white gold and showcases curved two-tier fluted lugs. The sapphire-crystal back is adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”.
Limited to 15 watches, the Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater Reference 5531R-014 Limited Edition Tokyo 2023 is characterised by a dial adorned with a tiny masterpiece of rare handcraftsmanship – a Grand Feu cloisonné enamel decoration representing the historic Chuo district in the centre of Tokyo. The name “Tokyo” appears in red on the city disk. The 452-part self-winding caliber R 27 HU is housed in an 40.2 mm rose-gold case whose case band and minute-repeater slide is embellished with a hand-guilloched “Clous de Paris”, or hobnail, motif.
The watch is delivered with two interchangeable case backs, one in sapphire crystal adorned with the transfer-printed inscription “Patek Philippe Tokyo”, the other in solid rose gold engraved with the same wording.