Patek Philippe’s perpetual calendar chronographs routinely fetch six and seven figures at auction, so they tend to overshadow the brand’s other great area of expertise: its Rare Handcrafts collections. The brand’s annual spring exhibition of Rare Handcrafts at its salon in Geneva is a great opportunity to find out about the other half of the world’s most elite watch brand. It’s a brilliant display of watchmaking’s metiers d’art, in which Patek demonstrates, as it does with its complications, the highest standard. This year’s collection is a flourish of color and craftsmanship, with 65 new models, including 23 dome table clocks, 10 pocket watches and 32 wristwatches, rendered variously in grand feu cloisonné enamel, miniature painting on enamel, grisaille enamel, flinqué enamel, paillonné enamel, Fauré enamel, hand engraving, hand-executed guilloché work and gemsetting. It runs from Saturday April 18 to Saturday May 9, in Patek’s historic building at 41 Rue du Rhône. It’s best to register online to reserve a viewing.
The Macaw dome clock with cloisonné enamel and gemsetting, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
Among this year’s one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces is Patek’s first dome table clock set with precious stones. The unique piece, Reference 22000M-001, called Macaws, is decorated in grand feu cloisonné enamel depicting a multicolored flock of macaws in the the Amazonian forest. Cloisonné involves placing enamel within gold wire borders, and in this composition the outlines of the plants, flowers and macaws (also known as bird of paradise) called for about 20.75 meters of gold wire. To create the macaw’s feathers and all the nuances of the vegetation, the enameler worked with a palette of 48 colors. There are also four colors of miniature painting on enamel. Each enameled plate required from eight to 10 firings
The Macaw dome clock with cloisonné enamel and gemsetting, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
The chapter ring is set with 1,140 snow-set diamonds (13.82 cts), punctuated by 24 applied hour markers made of 12 baguette-cut black spinels (1.68 ct), six multicolored sapphires (0.72 ct), two tsavorites (0.24 ct) and four topazes (0.48 ct). It frames a dial center in cloisonnéenamel depicting a macaw in flight. The clock case is embellished with 225 multicolored sapphires (24.75 cts), along with 92 baguette-cut tsavorites (9.27 cts) and 87 topazes (8.48 cts) representing a rainbow effect. The jeweled clock feet are set with another 570 diamonds (6.7 cts).
The Flamenco pocket watch with cloisonné and flinqué enamel, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
Another outstanding piece is Reference 992/198J-001, a one-of-a-kind pocket watch called Flamenco, decorated in cloisonné and flinqué enamel, with miniature painting and hand engraving. It depicts a flamenco dancer performing under a spotlight, wearing an elaborate long red dress with subtle color shading.
The Flamenco pocket watch with cloisonné and flinqué enamel, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
The background is flinqué enamel, made by first applying a guilloché background in a sunburst motif and then several layers of translucent enamel, through which the guilloché pattern can be seen. For the cloisonné enamel, the enameler worked with a palette of transparent, opaque and semi-opaque enamels in 13 colors. The embellishment on the fan held by the dancer is created by miniature painting on enamel in five colors. The dial is also flinqué enamel, with hand-executed guilloché work in a circular wavy pattern that shines through translucent red enamel.
The Flamenco pocket watch with flinqué enamel dial, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
It comes with a yellow gold stand, decorated with a fan in plique-à-jour enamel and set with a red spinel cabochon. The oval base, in black obsidian, is set with a red spinel cabochon. A chain in yellow gold suspending a hand-engraved medallion representing a fan also accompanies the watch. It contains the manually wound caliber 17, with small seconds. Each of the 65 pieces is for sale. Prices upon request.
The stand features a fan in plique-à-jour enamel, from the 2026 Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts collection.
Patek Philippe
This article was originally published on Forbes.com