World Watch Day 2026: Watchmaking as Living Heritage on 10.10

World Watch Day returns on 10 October 2026 with events across China, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland and the USA under the theme 'Time as Living Heritage'.

The Big Picture

• Returning on 10.10.2026, World Watch Day’s second edition is anchored to the theme “Time as Living Heritage”, bringing museums, schools, manufactures and collectors together across multiple continents on a single date.
• The inaugural edition reached more than six million people worldwide.
• Events span China, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland and the USA, from the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus to the Horological Society of New York.
• At 10:10 on 10/10, participants worldwide are invited to share a wrist shot using #WorldWatchDay.

On 10 October 2026, watchmaking culture goes on public display across seven countries simultaneously. The second World Watch Day builds on a first edition that reached more than six million people, this time organising its programme around a single question: how does horological knowledge survive and transform as it passes from one generation to the next?

The answer, across exhibitions, workshops, talks and digital commissions, is that it does so through practice. Craft is the common thread from Shanghai to New York.

Design & Mechanics

Among the most striking commissions is “Sundial”, a new work of art to be unveiled at Bund 33, Hantang Culture’s historic villa on Shanghai’s iconic Bund. Inspired by one of humanity’s earliest time-measuring instruments, the piece places an ancient visual tradition alongside an ancient craft one.

In Switzerland, the Musée d’horlogerie du Locle opens its restoration workshop, so visitors can observe the practical art of watch regulation rather than simply admire finished objects behind glass. At the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus, a special visit is planned. WOSTEP will release dedicated content at precisely 10:10 on 10/10.

Movement & Materials

Finland contributes one of the day’s more historically weighted moments: the Montandon Horological Society will present the Télémètre Montandon at the Finnish School of Horology, framing a historic instrument as a teaching object for the next generation of watchmakers.

In Osaka, the Hanshin Department Store hosts a public information hub connecting mechanical watchmaking to astronomy and physics, with Pim Koeslag, CEO and master watchmaker of Christiaan van der Klaauw, making a special appearance. In Sainte-Croix, Switzerland, MuMAPS and Association Mec-Art convene a round table on the transmission and future of mechanical arts.

Heritage & Lineage

Paris, Geneva and Florence each address the archival and cultural dimensions. At We Love Watches, held at the Maison de la Mutualité, speakers will examine watchmaking heritage and its role as a creative source. The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Geneva opens the day with a morning gathering for younger collectors, followed by themed talks. Florence’s Museo Galileo brings its Ruscitti Collection to a broader international audience through dedicated digital content.

In New York, the Horological Society of New York opens its library and watchmaking classroom to the public, with librarians on hand. The full programme and participating organisations will be published on worldwatchday.org from 10 September 2026. For context on comparable events shaping the international calendar, see coverage of Watches and Wonders and the Fondation Haute Horlogerie.

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