Frederique Constant X RedBar Frankfurt

In October 2026, the “Watch Art Grand Exhibition” at Milan’s CityOval presented Patek Philippe’s seventh Grand Exhibition, this time devoted to Italy, across more than 2,900 square metres. It is the largest exhibition the manufacture has ever organised. It is accompanied by a collection of “Rare Handcrafts”.

The motif of the “Crouching Lion” comes from Naples. The limited-edition Golden Ellipse in white gold depicts the reclining lion that Pasquale Ricca created for the Piazza dei Martiri in 1866. The scene is rendered in “Grisaille” enamel “au blanc de Limoges”, one of the most demanding enamelling techniques of all.

The image of “Sunset in Tuscany”, by contrast, is made entirely of wood. For this Golden Ellipse in rose gold, 203 veneer pieces and 75 even smaller inlays from 57 types of wood were assembled in fine marquetry. Together they form a Tuscan village, the surrounding countryside and an evening sky that slowly turns red. Hair-thin “Cheveu”-style hands and a golden calfskin strap pick up the warm colour palette.

The watch “The Pink Bay” takes us to the Gulf of Naples. It is a Calatrava in white gold, limited to six pieces. A hand-guilloché wave pattern shimmers beneath translucent “Flinqué” enamel. Above it, around 48 centimetres of gold wire trace the outlines of bougainvillea, pine trees and the bay in “Grand Feu” cloisonné, filled in with 84 enamel colours. Fine details such as the yacht and the flower petals are executed in miniature painting.

The pocket watch “Burano” in yellow gold is a one-of-a-kind piece. It pays tribute to the Venetian island and its brightly coloured houses. The caseback required 2.8 metres of gold wire and 70 enamel colours. Gold and silver leaf embedded in the “Paillonné” manner makes the reflections in the canal sparkle. The engravings on the bezel and bow follow an old lace pattern, a nod to the island’s famous bobbin lace. The watch comes with a yellow-gold stand set with spinels and sapphires, mounted on an oval base of blue quartz.

The “Rome by Night” dome table clock is another unique piece. On a chestnut-brown enamel ground, the dome of St Peter’s Basilica, the bridge to Castel Sant’Angelo and their reflections in the Tiber were modelled in subtle chiaroscuro with brush and needle. Golden stars and points of light brighten the night sky, and the clock’s pillars recall Roman columns.

These are just a few selected pieces from the impressive “Rare Handcrafts” collection. Each is made in very small numbers and combines art with watchmaking craftsmanship in a remarkable way.