You Never Actually Own Patek Philippe, You Nurture It for the Next Generation
When Philippe Stern set about rebuilding Patek Philippe's history piece by piece for the museum he founded in Geneva, he faced an obvious problem: not everyone can come to Geneva. The Grand Exhibitions were his answer. Since Dubai in 2012, they have travelled to Munich, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo, drawing some 60,000 visitors. Milan, which opened on 2 October, is the seventh. "It was a mix between his passion for the museum and his job for Patek Philippe," says his son Thierry, president since 2009. He admits he is partly guessing. "I never talked straight with my dad about that. But knowing him, I can bet it was exactly his target." Nothing at Patek Philippe happens quickly and the exhibition is no exception. Planning began in 2022, when the Rare Handcrafts pieces were first conceived, with Italy chosen as the destination twelve months later. The Milan limited editions, based on existing models, required at least two years of development, while the opening itself was delayed when the venue’s roof was not completed on time. “Welcome to Italy,” Stern says, laughing. Movements run...
