Only Watch sets Geneva date - Art & Auctions Arabian Knight, with its amalgam of exclusive interviews, special features and reports, highlights a wide range of influential personalities

Thu, Jul 6, 2017

Art & Auctions

Only Watch sets Geneva date

Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph … to mark 100 years since the Russian Revolution, Fabergé presents a special-edition chronograph that pays homage to the unfinished Constellation Egg of 1917.
DeWitt … featuring the case of DeWitt’s iconic Academia model, the watch proposed for Only Watch 2017 will display the dial imagined by its new owner and hand-crafted in the manufacture.
Bovet’s Secret Beauty … the geisha hand-painted on the dial of this timepiece combines different layers of traditional painting and Super-LumiNova, rendering this miniature work of art visible both by day and by night.
TAG Heuer’s Luxury Kit “Only Watch” Special Edition includes the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, the mechanical module Heuer-02-T Tourbillon in-house movement and an additional strap.
For its second participation to Only Watch, Speake-Marin offers a unique piece developed in collaboration with their ambassador Pierce Brosnan: the Resilience Love life.
Chopard is donating an exceptional creation in tribute to the world of motorsports: the Superfast 8 Hz Power Control Porsche 919 Only Watch 2017.
Joker … Konstantin Chaykin has adventured creation of a new fine movement spirit that is protean, ever spectacular and provocative.
Ulysse Nardin is presenting an exclusive Marine Tourbillon Only Watch timepiece designed especially for this year’s event.
Patek Philippe’s Reference 5208T-010 created for Only Watch 2017, stands out as the first and only version of this timepiece ever produced in titanium, a metal rarely used by the brand.
Jacquet Droz’s Grande Seconde Off-Centered Cuprite … fiery red color embodies all the passion dedicated to both the timepiece and the Only Watch project.
For Only Watch 2017, Andersen Genève has created its first bi-colour “Tempus Terrae” with a white gold bezel, a red gold case and a white gold hunter case back.
In cooperation with the American artist Hunt Slonem, Armin Strom has created a timepiece which represents a spectacular fusion of creative art and mechanical craftsmanship.
Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph … to mark 100 years since the Russian Revolution, Fabergé presents a special-edition chronograph that pays homage to the unfinished Constellation Egg of 1917.
DeWitt … featuring the case of DeWitt’s iconic Academia model, the watch proposed for Only Watch 2017 will display the dial imagined by its new owner and hand-crafted in the manufacture.

For the second time since its first edition in 2005, the world renowned biennial charity auction Only Watch will be held in Geneva, the epicentre of the world’s finest watchmakers.

On 11 November, the fundraiser for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy will kick off the autumn Geneva watch auction week, in presence of hundreds of connoisseurs, donators and collectors who will undoubtedly engage in strong bidding competition for the unique timepieces especially made by the finest watchmakers for the sale.

Christie’s will be conducting the auction for the first time.

PROMOTIONAL WORLD TOUR

Ahead of the auction, the 49 one-off models of the 2017 Only Watch collection will tour around the globe, thanks to Air France and Ferrari Group (world leader in logistics services), starting on 27 September in Monaco.

The Monaco Yacht Show will launch the journey by exhibiting the watches from September 27 to 30 within the show venue.

The collection will then be flown to Bangkok (October 02-03 /Christie’s), Singapore (October 05-06 /The Hour Glass), Dubai (October 09-11/Christie’s & Seddiqi), Hong Kong (October 23-24 /Christie’s), Taipei (October 26-27/Christie’s), New-York (October 29-30/Christie’s), Los Angeles (November 1-2/Westime), and finally Geneva (November 9-11/Christie’s).

A unique high end timepiece is already exceptional. For the 2017 edition of Only Watch, it has been proposed, whenever possible and according to the brand’s culture and desire, to combine the timepiece with a unique experience with either a brand ambassador or an exceptional event such as a film festival or fashion show.

Participating brands include Andersen Genève, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Audemars Piguet, Barbier Mueller, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Boucheron, Bovet Fleurier, Breguet, Carl F. Bucherer, Chanel, Chopard, Christophe Claret, Chronoswiss, De Bethune, Dewitt, F P Journe, Fabergé, Frédérique Constant, Girard Perregaux, H Moser & Cie, Harry Winston, Hautlence, Hermès, Hublot, Jacob & Co, Konstantin Chaykin, Laurent Ferrier, Jaquet Droz, Louis Moinet, Louis Vuitton, Maurice Lacroix, MB&F, MCT, Montblanc, Moritz Grossmann, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rebellion, Ressence, Speake Marin, Tag Heuer, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Voutilainen, Zenith. Special Projects: (Agenhor x Head/Haute Ecole d’Art et de Design – Genève), and Wostep (Ecole Horlogère – Neuchâtel).

Since 2005, the uniqueness of a project such as Only Watch underlines how great brands from luxury groups or independent craftsmen have achieved to unite in the pursuit of a common goal: financing research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This synergy, under the patronage and support of Prince Albert II of Monaco, driven by the enthusiasm shown by individuals within the brands and partners, shows a deep wish to help this noble cause.

In six editions, Only Watch has raised more than €25 million for Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (Monaco Association against Duchenne muscular dystrophy) helping make significant advances in research over a decade.

Only Watch auction will be held on November 2017 at 2.30 pm at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues in the Swiss city.