MILAN — Patek Philippe has inaugurated its seventh Watch Art Grand Exhibition, opening this week at CityOval in Milan, Italy’s, CityLife quarter.

The event, which opened on Oct 2 and runs through Oct 18, is the largest exhibition the manufacturer has ever organized, spanning more than 2,900 square meters beneath a 30-meter-high dome.

The exhibition features over 500 timepieces and other objects, including the brand’s entire current collection and 25 one-of-a-kind rare handcrafted pieces inspired by Italian culture, complete with live demonstrations by artisans.

Around 80 pieces from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva were brought to Milan for the show, including some of the oldest watches in the world and the first known perpetual calendar wristwatch, made in 1925.

A highlight is the Grandmaster Chime with 20 complications, or complicated functions, showcased in the super-complications section.

A new “Historical Owners” area displays a pendant watch presented to the United Kingdom’s Queen Victoria in 1851, and a 1901 pocket watch bearing the portrait of Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903).

The exhibition also marks the launch of seven limited editions for the Italian market, including a new instantaneous perpetual calendar chronograph and two World Time Minute Repeaters featuring cloisonne enamel dials depicting central Milan by day and by night.

Admission is free. The exhibition is running under the patronage of the Region of Lombardia, the Municipality of Milan, and the Swiss Consulate in Milan.