Recently, the prestigious Patek Philippe manufacturer held a unique exhibition in London, offering watch enthusiasts a rare opportunity to admire remarkable watchmaking creations up close. A look back at this captivating event.
From June 7 to 16, 2024, the London salons hosted the exhibition of the new collection « Rare Handcrafts 2024 » by Patek Philippe. This unmissable event allowed aficionados to discover pocket watches, wristwatches and clocks before their integration into private collections. An event that watch enthusiasts did not miss, as is the case with the Fratello editorial staff who offer us an immersive description of the event.
Artisans at work during the exhibition
Like every year, Patek Philippe has unveiled a range of watches marking a subtle balance between ancestral processes and watchmaking innovations. The “Rare Handcrafts 2024” collection perfectly illustrates this philosophy, highlighting exceptional techniques such as cloisonné enamel, miniature painting on enamel, flinqué enamel on hand guilloché, paillonné enamel, or even wood micromarquetry.
As a reminder, another exhibition, the collection “High Craftsmanship 2024”was presented in April in Geneva in the prestigious historic building on Rue du Rhône. Known for the diversity and originality of its decorations, this collection, like the “Rare Handcrafts 2024”, demonstrates dazzling artistic mastery, as evidenced by the photos captured by the Fratello editorial team. We can see that floral and animal motifs are omnipresent in the watches of this line.
Visitors had the chance to watch live demonstrations by artisan engravers and enamellers. These professionals offered a complete immersion into the watchmaking process, using five key techniques.
Marquetry
A well-known decorative technique in furniture manufacturing, marquetry uses wood as the main material. It consists of creating patterns by assembling pieces of cut wood to form the desired image. At the event, this method was applied on watch boxes and dialsbringing an exceptional artistic touch.
Stone setting
Although more explicit, the stone setting remains extremely complex. At the “Rare Handcrafts 2024” exhibition, this technique was skillfully combined with other methods, giving rise to real works of art.
The mesh
The exhibition, held in London, highlighted the art of enamelling. Among the many styles presented, Cloisonné and Longwy captivated attention with their exquisite patterns and vibrant colors.
Engraving and guilloche
Finally, engravingan artistic technique for creating complex and refined designs, was beautifully represented at “Rare Handcrafts 2024”. Guilloche patternwhich involves engraving repetitive patterns on dials and cases, has been enhanced by its association with enameling, giving the pieces an exceptional shine.
