For a few years, the general date for the Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition has been circled on my calendar. Fall 2026—somewhere in there, I'd have to find a way to visit Milan. I had hoped that I would go as part of my job, of course, but after missing the last exhibition in Tokyo, I knew that, even if I had to go on my own, it would be easier to visit Italy, a place that I feel very attached to thanks to the mentorship of the great Italian collectors and dealers. Luckily, a press preview was in the cards, and now that the event is wrapped up (it ran from October 2 to the 18th), I wanted to bring the experience to those who couldn't attend.

One of the great parts about the Grand Exhibitions, this one being the seventh, is that the brand opens them to the public for free, bringing the history and savoir-faire of watchmaking to a new market at each show.…