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Singapore’s Patek Philippe exhibition will be bigger than New York or London

The Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition runs from Sep 28 to Oct 13 at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre. Special Family Days have also just been announced.

Singapore’s Patek Philippe exhibition will be bigger than New York or London

The Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition runs from Sep 28 to Oct 13 at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre. (Illustration: Patek Philippe)

Singapore might be the fifth location worldwide to host Patek Philippe’s Watch Art Grand Exhibition after Dubai, Munich, London and New York. But Singapore’s will be the biggest yet, sprawling over 1,800 sqm of space at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre. By comparison, the one in New York (held in 2017) spanned around 1,200 sqm while the one in London (2015) occupied 1,700 sqm. 

An artist's impression of the entrance. (Illustration: Patek Philippe)

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The exhibition will be divided into 10 theme rooms and they are curated to dive deep into the Patek Philippe lore. For instance, the Napoleon Room will recreate the plush environs of the company’s historical salon in Rue de Rhone in Geneva, complete with a panoramic ‘view’ of Lake Geneva. Here too will be a display of the limited-edition pieces created specifically for Southeast Asia.

The Napoleon Room. (Illustration: Patek Philippe)

Meanwhile, the Museum Room will feature the largest ever collection of historical artefacts outside the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. Like the museum, the room will be separated into the Antique Department that traces the early days of watchmaking in Europe, and the Patek Philippe Collection that showcases key pieces from the company’s founding year in 1839 to the present.

Among them are the fob watch presented to Queen Victoria in 1851 at the Great Exhibition in London and the first Swiss wristwatch (1868) created for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. Also, look out for the manufacture’s No.1 and No.3 most complicated watches – Calibre 89 with 33 complications, and Star Calibre 2000 with 21 complications respectively – that aptly demonstrate Patek Philippe’s aptitude for micro-mechanical engineering.

Speaking of which, the Movements Room will showcase select in-house heartbeats that have burnished its credentials while the Grand Complications Room will let you discover some of its most extravagant works.

As the exhibition coincides with the Singapore Bicentennial year, the Singapore 200th Anniversary Room is dedicated to celebrating this milestone with select timepieces that pay tribute to the city-state and the region. Some of the exhibits are on loan from museums and private collectors from around the world.

Highlights here include a pocket watch depicting the port of Canton in enamel; a dome table clock with Thai ornamental motif; a pair of pendant watches decorated with regional flora and fauna created for the Chinese market; and a Patek Philippe table clock commemorating Singapore’s 50th year of independence.

Without the craftsmen, these precious objects would not exist. The human touch, after all, is the most important aspect in haute horlogerie. Which is why Patek Philippe is honouring their own master watchmakers and artisans with the Watchmakers Room and the Rare Handcrafts Room respectively, offering a glimpse into the intricate work and passion behind the scene.

Finally, because family is so important to Patek Philippe – the company is the last family-owned Genevan watch manufacture – Family Days will take place on two Sundays (Oct 6 and Oct 13). Between 10am and 5pm on each of those days, children will be greeted with a welcome kit before they are sent on a treasure hunt that lets them create their own watches inspired by the exhibition. Specially designed balloons, a Watch Tattoo station, and a colouring station are some of the offerings throughout the days.

The Watch Art Grand Exhibition runs from Sep 28 to Oct 13, 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands Theatre.

Opening Hours: 10am to 7pm (last admission 6pm). Except Oct 13: Exhibition closes at 5pm; last admission 4pm

Extended hours: 10am to 10pm (last admission 9pm) on Friday, Oct 4 and 11, and Sat, Oct 5 and 12

Entrance is free, but visitors must first register on www.patek.com to reserve tickets.

READ> Meet Eric Tortella: The Patek Philippe and Rolex expert you’ve never heard of

Source: CNA/ds

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