Some weeks are quiet for us watch geeks. Last week was not one of them. While brands kept releasing new pieces around the globe, Milan became the gravitational centre of it all. Milano Watch Week 2026 moved into Palazzo Mezzanotte on Piazza Affari from October 2 to 4. For the first time joined by After Time and bringing 55 brands together, from Greubel Forsey and MB&F to Dennison and Oris. That’s a big step up for an event that only debuted in 2024 on the Terrazza Martini. Across town, Patek Philippe opened its Watch Art Grand Exhibition at the CityOval, with more than 500 pieces on show until October 18 and seven limited editions made for the Italian market. Our favourite release of the week came straight out of that exhibition: a steel Patek Philippe Aquanaut in gradient blue. But plenty more landed that you might have missed, so keep reading.
Patek Philippe Aquanaut 5167A Milano 2026
Let's start with our pick of the week. The Aquanaut is already a collector's favourite, and this one only adds to the appeal. The reference 5167A has been the core men’s Aquanaut ever since it arrived for the collection’s tenth anniversary back in 2007. That’s why, for many collectors, the release of a new limited colourway is a genuine event. The sunburst blue dial keeps the signature embossed Aquanaut pattern but darkens to black at the rim, like deep water at dusk. A red minute track and red seconds hand add the energy, while white gold applied numerals carry luminescent coating.
The 40.8mm steel case stays a slim 8.1mm, water-resistant to 30m. Through the sapphire caseback, printed with “Patek Philippe Milano 2026”, you’ll find the self-winding calibre 26-330 S C with a 21K gold rotor, Gyromax balance, Spiromax spring and stop-seconds. It runs at 4Hz with 35 to 45 hours of reserve. Only 250 pieces exist, all for Italy. Patek’s site lists the price at $43,761.
Patek Philippe World Time Minute Repeater 5531 Milano 2026
At the other end of the scale sit two white gold 5531s, a reference that first appeared in 2017 for Patek’s New York Grand Exhibition. Each dial features a grand feu cloisonné enamel map of Milan, by day on the 5531G-012 and by night on the 5531G-013. Milan appears in red on the city disk, and the other 23 cities are written in Italian.
The clever part is the patented self-winding R 27 HU. Most world-time repeaters chime home time, but this one strikes the local time of whichever city sits at 12 o’clock. The 40.2mm by 11.49mm case has a hand-guilloché Clous de Paris caseband and comes with interchangeable gold or sapphire casebacks. Five pieces of each are being made, at €794,600.
Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis Light Turquoise
Gerald Charles, exhibiting at Milano Watch Week, added a summery new colour to its tennis line. The concept began during the pandemic, when professional players tested the watch mid-match, and it still shows in the engineering. The Darkblast Grade 5 titanium case weighs just 64 grams. The screw-down crown sits on the left so it never digs into the wrist during a backhand, and the watch is water-resistant to 100m.
The grainy turquoise gradient dial hides the ultra-thin automatic Swiss Manufacture 2.0 Calibre, with 50 hours of reserve and shock resistance rated to 5G. A matching Velcro strap completes the sporty look. Price: €24,400.
Porsche Design Chronograph 1 Utility for Hodinkee
Porsche Design and Hodinkee’s second collaboration swaps the racing theme of their 2024 chronograph for military style. The headline is the movement. Porsche Design and Hodinkee revived the legendary Lemania 5100 after two decades of absence. Now reworked and COSC-certified, it's called the WERK 01.340. It runs at 4Hz with 60 hours of reserve, and its central minute counter has a red tip shaped like a fighter jet.
The 40.8mm case is bead-blasted titanium, 15.41mm thick and water-resistant to 100m. A 24-hour register replaces the original AM/PM indicator, and the day-date display is bilingual German and English. It comes on a quick-release titanium bracelet and an Agave Green leather bund strap made from Porsche car leather. The run is 350 pieces, 100 sold through Hodinkee, at US$9,650.
Dennison ALD Checker
Dennison, one of the After Time exhibitors, turns its lugless ALD into a literal checkerboard. Pavé diamonds totalling 1.17ct of VS2 stones alternate with black onyx in three compositions, each named after a chess idea: Balance, Draw and Gambit. A Ronda quartz movement keeps the case razor-thin, and the black alligator strap closes with a diamond-set buckle. Price: £6,300.
NOMOS Club Sport Neomatik Worldtimer Dark
NOMOS switched its acclaimed worldtimer to dark mode. The glossy black dial gets heavy Super-LumiNova on the hands, city ring and home-time display. A central local-time display and small seconds sit beside a 24-hour home-time subdial with day/night colours. The 40mm steel case is just 9.9mm thick with a screw-down crown, 100m water resistance and a three-link steel bracelet. The in-house DUW 3202 delivers 42 hours of reserve. Price: €4,400.
Hamilton American Classic Cushion Collection
Hamilton revived its 1919 Cushion design, drawing on the 1926 Cushion Plain and Cushion Engraved references that Cillian Murphy wore in Oppenheimer. It comes in 30mm or 34mm, both just 8.1mm thick, in steel or yellow gold PVD, with small seconds at 6 o’clock. The new hand-wound H-42 calibre, based on the ETA 7001, gains a Nivachron balance spring and 57 hours of reserve. From £935, it’s the best-value release of the week and also one of my personal favorites.
Konstantin Chaykin x Atomic Heart Twins
Chaykin, also at Milano Watch Week, brought the ballerina robots from the video game Atomic Heart to his Wristmon series under an official licence. Each robot’s chest shows the hours and minutes and its face doubles as a moonphase. The 40mm titanium case is 12.9mm thick. Inside, the automatic K.18-25 pairs a heavily modified La Joux-Perret G200 base with a 68-component in-house display module and 68 hours of reserve. Price: CHF 20,000.
From £935 to €794,600: Why This Week Mattered
The takeaway is range. In seven days, collectors saw an enamel minute repeater approaching €800,000 and a Hamilton under £1,000. Heritage revivals sat next to video game licences. With Milano Watch Week growing fast and Patek choosing the city for its Grand Exhibition, Milan is no longer a side stop on the watch calendar. It’s a destination for every watch enthusiast.