Only Watch, the biennial Charity Auction will take place on Saturday, November 9, 2019, in Geneva. Due to the efforts of Luc Pettavino, president of the Association Monégasque Contre les Myopathies and under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The Four Seasons Hotel Des Bergues will host the auction organized by Christie’s. 52 watch brands will participate in this 8th edition of the biennial.
Here our selection of some of the one-of-a-kind timepieces donated by the finest watch brands, for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Hublot
A partner of the biennial auction from the outset, Hublot has redesigned the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Sapphire Orlinski for Only Watch. A “Unique piece”. The white gold bezel, set with 54 baguette-cut topazes, echoes the facets of the 45 mm case. Entirely transparent, it reveals an open-worked architecture – a second nod to the work of the French sculptor – showcasing the gears, ”
tourbillon cage and power reserve. A stylized skeleton caliber merges into the transparent, rubber strap in the colors of Only Watch. The proud owner will have the opportunity to meet with Richard Orlinski at his art gallery in Paris, a place dedicated entirely to his work.
Bovet
With great technical mastery, the BOVET 1822 watchmakers create and orchestrate an enchanting universe. The engravers and miniaturist painters of the House then add their poetic touch. The dial of the timepiece is offset in the lower part of the case for intuitive reading of the time. The upper area shows a hemispherical moon phase. The dome of the moon phase indicator is engraved. The lower sections filled with luminescent material. Day and night, the reliefs of the moon reveal incomparably realistic shadow and light. A fairy on a crescent moon is delicately painted onto the hour and minute dial. It takes about 100 hours of focused work for the miniaturist to immortalize the subject.
Breguet
The Type 20 Only Watch 2019
In homage to both watchmaking and aviation, The Swiss brand is reissuing a unique version of its Type 20 pilot chronograph. The form is very faithful to the original from the fifties, both aesthetically and mechanically.
Its steel case preserves the historical diameter of 38.30 mm. The unique curved horns with lateral bevel, and the pear-shaped crown, typical of the first-generation military models delivered to the French Air Force and Naval Air Force. From this desire for accuracy, the new model is equipped with a bidirectional bezel without graduations, along with triangular markings for flight calculations.
The bronze-colored dial of the watch is inspired by the very rare civilian and military models.
Czapek
Based on Faubourg de Cracovie chronograph, this timepiece features a magnificent and deep black onyx dial beautifully offset by the chalcedony counters. Striped chalcedony adds to the piece an extraordinary feel. “The rarity of this semi-precious stone and its natural stripes convey a sense of immortal beauty.”
The onyx dial of the Faubourg de Cracovie Only Watch hosts the inscription “Courage every second” between 12 and 2 o’clock.
De Bethune x Urwerk
Two great independent watchmaking “Maisons” – De Bethune and Urwerk – joined their creative energies in bringing forth a timepiece. From the outside, a case that challenges established norms, fusing the design and function genetics of De Bethune and Urwerk. With its floating lugs and the singular vibrancy of blued titanium, the result of natural thermal oxidation at the masterful hands of De Bethune. Under the hood and curved sapphire crystal, a mechanical universe which amazes us with the one-off URDB01 caliber jointly developed for this very special auction. The crown at 12 o’clock, spherical moon phase, and Urwerk’s signature time indication with the now-famous satellite window in an arc that evokes the sun’s curvature.
Ulysse Nardin
Measuring a relatively small 42 mm, the sharp lines of the EXO-SKELETON X case are unambiguously on-trend. Its shape-within-a-shape geometry – an X formed by four indexes positioned behind a rectangle and within a circle – delights the eye. Inside and clearly visible beats one of the FREAK VISION’s greatest innovations. At the heart of this manufacture caliber UN-371. A super-light balance wheel in silicon, extra-wide, with nickel flyweights and stabilizing micro-blades.
Moser
To mark the occasion, the Schaffhausen-based Manufacture has created a unique piece. In a poetic tribute to the lunar body: the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Only Watch. The dial on this model is from Vantablack®, a super-black coating. It holds the world record as the darkest man-made substance.
It is composed of carbon nanotubes capable of absorbing 99.965% of light. Fascinating and mysterious, the Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept Only Watch reinterprets the moon phase in an understated way. An ode to the purity and the beauty of the moon.
MB & F
T-Rex is crafted primarily from palladium-plated brass, bronze, stainless steel, and Murano glass. The contrasting strength and fragility of the materials providing a challenge to balance when executing the bold design. Despite being completely fixed in position, the jointed legs of T-Rex suggest energy and a sense of motion. A combination of sandblasted and polished surfaces directs the way that light interacts with the body of T-Rex so that the clock seems light and agile. The clock ready to run off with its diminutive passenger to a land where the disease has ceased to exist.
Jaquet Droz
In 2019, Jaquet Droz has chosen to donate an exclusive variation of its new Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic. A piece that marks a watershed in the centuries-old history of the Grande Seconde. In this one-of-a-kind edition, the rail-track, the gold hour, minute and seconds hands, and the rolled-edge hand-made strap are all reinterpreted in red. Contrasting with the black ceramic of the case and hour ring, red has been chosen as the color of love — and the flag of Monaco, where the charity is based.
Christophe Claret
Born provocateur, Christophe Claret is now venturing into the perilous wilds of the tropical forests. The voluptuous undulations of a coral snake appear at the heart of the Maestro watch. This brightly colored, swift and incomparably aggressive snake appears ready to strike anyone who comes within reach of its toxic venom. Wrapped around the movement, its undulating hand-engraved body creates a powerful contrast between the tangy blue and orange brilliance of its scales and the matt black shade of the movement. Surging from the intricacies of the movement, between the hours and minutes hands, the MEMO function indicator and the sprung balance, the coral snake defies all challengers with its piercing eyes. A threatening and disturbing vision enveloping the horological mechanism with a dangerous aura of mystery.
