Patek Philippe and others auction watches for charity
Only Watch marks its 10th biennial auction
SIXTY-TWO one-of-a-kind mechanical timepieces in multi-coloured hues have been created for the Only Watch 2023 charity auction in Geneva in November. They recall all the colours this biennial event has used since 2005 to raise money for research on Duchenne muscular and genetic diseases.
The donors include brands such as Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, popular independents such as F P Journe, MB&F and H Moser, as well as upstarts like Czapek Geneva and Krayon.
With perhaps one exception, the watches will go on show from September in Los Angeles, New York, Monaco, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai and Geneva.
Patek Philippe, the single biggest fundraiser for the charity so far – in 2019, its Grandmaster Chime fetched a record 31 million Swiss francs (S$47.73 million) – has not revealed its watch yet, but has indicated that it’s a grand complication with a new movement and unique Only Watch design. It will be the first of a 30-piece limited edition recreated with Philippe Stern’s favourite grand complication for his 85th birthday. Stern was Patek Philippe’s boss before his son Thierry, now the president, succeeded him.
The Only Watch 2023 timepieces run the gamut, from basic time-only to highly complicated minute repeater watches with estimated values that range from US$16,500 to US$880,000. Here are some of the watches in the line-up:
Louis Vuitton’s Tambour Einstein Automata
It features a hand-engraved Albert Einstein in 18k white gold in his infamous pose – sticking out his tongue in a moment of levity – set against an enamel dial encased in stainless steel. Einstein’s famous mop of hair is crafted in steel with one particular lock, a disguised push-piece that makes the dial come alive at a push. Time on this 46.8-mm watch is revealed in the aperture on Einstein’s forehead.
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Estimate: US$374,000-US$484,000.
Gronefeld’s 1941 Principia Mandala
The simplest and least complicated watch made by Dutch watchmakers Bart and Tim Gronefeld in 2018, the 1941 Principia, is given a hinged hunter case back for the first time for Only Watch. Its dial showcases a vibrant and intricate mandala (the symbol of an ideal universe) design inspired by Only Watch’s colourful logo. Images of the Gronefeld brothers and their father Sief are engraved on the inside of the case back. This 39.5-mm time-only steel watch, powered by a hand-finished automatic movement, is paired with a salmon strap in two colours matching the dial.
Estimate: US$60,500-US$71,500.
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Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak skeletonised flying tourbillon in steel was launched last year for the Royal Oak’s 50th birthday. For Only Watch, it is repackaged in full white ceramic – including the bracelet – with a vivid blue inner bezel and openworked movement. The white gold hour markers and hands of the 41-mm gravity-defying complication are coated with luminescence for visibility in the dark.
Estimate: US$385,000-US$495,000.
Richard Mille Talisman Origine RM S14
A mysterious pendant nicknamed Talisman Origine inspired this unique necklace-watch, with the highest estimate for the auction (Patek Philippe’s grand complication probably has a higher value, but no details were given at the time of writing). The pendant is said to encapsulate the knowhow of an old Swiss tribe belonging to a long-vanished society, with mechanics, craftsmanship and spirituality combining to produce this shamanic relic.
RM S14 interprets what the pendant could have looked like aeons ago. Its case made of rhodonite, titanium and gold, is entirely hand-engraved and houses a skeletonised automatic-winding tourbillon movement. The necklace incorporates pieces of rhodonite, marble and Swiss vine wood.
Estimate: US$660,000-US$880,000.
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