Only Watch takes place every two years in September in Monaco under the Patronage of HRH Prince Albert II of Monaco. The Only Watch event exhibits unique watch making pieces especially designed for the occasion by the brands taking part, of which there are 40 this year.
The world’s finest watchmakers each create a unique timepiece and donate it to an auction in order to raise money for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This year the event will be held on September 28th at the Hotel Hermitage.
It’s an auction where some of the wealthiest watch collectors assemble, either in person, online or on the phone to bid for these magnificent timepieces. It’s a little like the watch making Olympics where watchmakers produce their best efforts for the cause.
These are just some of the spellbinding watches which will go under the hammer this year. Because the pieces are unique and for charity, the bidding can be heavy and competitive, which is the whole point.
The 2013 Only Watch collection will be showcased in major cities from September 6; this world tour will invite hundreds of enthusiasts, connoisseurs and specialists to admire the unique models up for auction.
Girard Perregaux Chrono Hawk
What they say: Sporty. Elegant. Modern. The Chrono Hawk Only Watch leaves nothing to chance, neither the design of its case, which associates bold edges and a round bezel, nor its face, which gives prominence to the measurement of short times. Its meticulous style, combining centuries of manufacturing tradition with a permanent commitment to innovation, is apparent in every detail of the design and manufacture of this watch.
Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic
What they say: The Laurent Ferrier Only watch for 2013 is the very first movement of the second version of its famous Tourbillon Double Spiral (double balance-spring tourbillon). It is duly numbered calibre “000” and housed inside a steel case shaped like a pebble (hence the French name galet), framing a unique sand-toned grand feu enamelled dial displaying a dainty dove. The Monaco coat-of-arms is painted in tone-on-tone shades on the small seconds display.
Cyrus Geneve Kambys
What they say: The design of this timepiece (available in titanium and black / red gold DLC titanium) was developed in perfect synergy with the brand identity, which places great emphasis on attention to detail. Recognisable as a CYRUS from first glance, it has a sleek design, where each element has been carefully weighed up and designed by our in-house team. A patented design, which perfectly moulds the shape of the wrist.
Julien Coudray 1518
What they say: From the ‘Draw me a happy child’ collection by the Children of the World. A mechanical movement made from solid 18ct Pd125 white gold, manual winding, hand-engraved and hand-decorated, enameled 18ct gold service indicator, power reserve of more than 55 hours, 34 jewels. The movement is hand-engraved and enamelled according to a drawing chosen from a drawing competition at a nursery school in Le Locle, Switzerland. The case made from solid 18ct Pd125 white gold 39mm/9.85mm, sapphire crystal and case-back with anti-reflection coating, solid 18ct Pd125.
DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Only Watch Skeleton Tourbillon High Jewellery
What they say: DeWitt reinvents the old traditional technology by making the skeleton movement DW 8028 with a vibration of 18’000 A/h, a variable-inertia balance, a 44° angle escapement and 72 hours power reserve. Entirely made at the Dewitt manufacture, this manually wound Tourbillon is equipped with a Swiss anchor escapement and a Straumann Hairspring® with Phillips terminal curve made out of an unbreakable, self-compensating, non-oxidizing, anti-magnetic alloy and sequenced at 2.5 Hz. The perfect homogeneity and incredibly precise flat rolling of the Hairspring (0,0001 mm) guarantee an extremely high precision to the mechanism.
Christophe Claret Pinball
What they say: This is a unique timepiece designed to reflect that most precious of children’s activities: Play. Taking its inspiration from pinball machines, Pinball is a highly distinctive interpretation of Christophe Claret’s X-TREM-1. The watch also features a tourbillon, that is mounted at a 30 degree angle. At that angle the tourbillon is simply more visible to the person wearing the watch and visual effects are key in a timepiece like the X-TREM-1. The folks over at Christophe Claret will mind the technical aspects and they are good at that. The new X-TREM-1 Pinball resembles the inside of a pinball machine, with bumpers, slingshots, balls and even a TILT button!
DeBethune DB28 Skybridge
What they say: DB28 Skybridge MC in platinum with De Bethune star-¬studded sky in blued mirror-¬‐polished titanium encrusted with white gold and diamond stars representing the sky as seen from Monaco on November 19, 1857.
Piaget Altiplano Skeleton
What they say: For this fifth Only Watch event, Piaget has interpreted its emblematic Altiplano Skeleton in a version that is as original as it is unique: the Piaget Altiplano 38mm Only Watch 2013 Skeleton 1200S. At the heart of this exceptional piece beats the world’s thinnest automatic open-worked calibre– the 1200S.
We will showcase more Only Watches as they are released.
