Key takeaways
• World Watch Day returns for its second edition on October 10, 2026, themed “”Time as Living Heritage.””
• The global event celebrates watchmaking craftsmanship, culture, and science through exhibitions, workshops, and digital projects across multiple countries.
• Watch enthusiasts worldwide are invited to participate at 10:10 on 10/10 by sharing wrist shots using the #WorldWatchDay hashtag.
Following the success of its inaugural edition, which reached more than six million people worldwide, World Watch Day returns on October 10, 2026 for a second international celebration of watchmaking culture, craftsmanship and the passing on of knowledge and skills.
Under the theme “Time as Living Heritage”, the 2026 edition will explore how horological heritage continues to evolve through craftsmanship, knowledge and creativity, and how it is passed on. World Watch Day brings together museums, watchmakers, manufacturers, schools, cultural institutions, collectors, media and enthusiasts around a common ambition: to celebrate the cultural, technical, scientific and artistic dimensions of watchmaking and bring them to the widest possible audience.
Taking place across several countries, the 2026 program will include exhibitions, talks, workshops, educational initiatives, museum activities, artistic commissions and digital projects. Together, they reflect the many ways watchmaking heritage is preserved, reinterpreted, and passed on.
At 10:10 on World Watch Day, watch lovers, brands, museums, media, retailers, clubs, and institutions around the world are invited to share a wrist shot and encourage their communities to join in, using the #WorldWatchDay hashtag.
Among the many events and initiatives planned for World Watch Day 2026:
CHINA – Hantang Culture will commission a unique work of art entitled “Sundial”, to be unveiled on 10 October 2026 at Bund 33, its historic villa in the heart of Shanghai’s iconic Bund. Inspired by the sundial, one of humanity’s earliest means of measuring time, the work will bring this ancient instrument together with an equally ancient artistic tradition. The result will be a contemporary exploration of the enduring relationship between time, craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Through the commission, Hantang Culture seeks to transform time from something measured by a watch into something experienced, embodied and passed from one generation to the next.
FINLAND – At the Finnish School of Horology, the Montandon Horological Society will present the historic Télémètre Montandon, highlighting both its technical significance and the importance of passing horological knowledge to a new generation of students.
FRANCE – At We Love Watches in Paris, held at the Maison de la Mutualité, a series of talks will explore watchmaking heritage, the role of history as a source of creative inspiration and expert perspectives on contemporary horology.
ITALY – In Florence, the Museo Galileo will present timepieces from its Ruscitti Collection through dedicated digital content for World Watch Day, bringing the collection to a wider international audience.
JAPAN – At the Hanshin Department Store in Osaka, a World Watch Day information hub will invite the public to explore the links between mechanical watchmaking, astronomy and physics. Pim Koeslag, CEO and master watchmaker of Christiaan van der Klaauw, will make a special appearance.
SWITZERLAND – In Geneva, the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire will be one of the day’s focal points. The program will begin with a morning gathering for a new generation of watch enthusiasts, followed by a series of talks exploring this year’s theme, “Watchmaking as Living Heritage”. In Sainte-Croix, MuMAPS and Association Mec-Art will host a roundtable on the transmission and future of mechanical arts and crafts. At the Musée d’horlogerie du Locle, visitors will be invited into the restoration workshop to discover the art of watch regulation. WOSTEP will mark the occasion with dedicated content released at 10:10 on 10/10, while the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet in Le Brassus will host a special visit.
USA – In New York, the Horological Society of New York will open its doors to the public on October 10 for World Watch Day. Visitors will be invited to explore its library and watchmaking classroom, offering a glimpse of how horological knowledge and skills are passed on. Librarians will be on hand to give tours and answer questions.
These are just some of the initiatives taking shape around the world for World Watch Day 2026.
The full program of events and participating organizations for World Watch Day 2026 will be available on worldwatchday.org from September 10, 2026.
We will announce additional events, collaborations, and participating institutions in the run-up to October 10, 2026.
Join World Watch Day and organize your own event on 10/10.
About World Watch Day
World Watch Day is an international initiative celebrated annually on October 10, or 10/10. The date nods to 10:10, the iconic position in which watch hands are traditionally set for display. Through events, exhibitions, conferences, educational activities and digital initiatives, it celebrates horological heritage, craftsmanship, science and creativity, as well as the passing on of knowledge, while bringing watchmaking culture to audiences around the world.
World Watch Day – one day, one community, one global celebration of watchmaking.
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