Only Watch Top 5: From surprises to worthy final bids

Diogo Costa
11 de nov. de 2017
4 min de leitura

Dear friends,

Another Only Watch by Christie's has ended today, in Geneva.

After several months of waiting and analyzing the exclusive and unique timepieces, today was finally the time to see for how much they would sell for.

As some of you know, I wrote about some of the models present on this year Only Watch, I wrote about the ones that caught my eye at first glance.

Like the JAQUET DROZ GRANDE SECONDE OFF-CENTERED CUPRITE, or the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak with perpetual calendar and moon-phase calendar in a full ceramic “body/casing” and with the beautiful skylight blue grand tapisserie.

You can read this articles right here!

Before we jump right into the top five I just want to make clear that the timepieces present for auction are indeed unique, but I see many people thinking that the whole watch is unique.

Most if not all timepieces present in the auction are unique due to the changing of one or more specific characteristic, this way making the watch unique.

Imagine the costs, time and investment that would be, for brands, to create a totally unique timepiece! We could’ve been talking about several hundred thousands of investment!

And the whole idea of Only Watch doesn’t needs 100% unique watches.

Only Watch is a biennial charity auction on which 99% of the money goes to support the research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Now that we know a little bit more about this honorable auction let’s see which are the 5 timepieces that I selected!

5. Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde off-centered cuprite

From the beautiful cuprite stone dial to the off-centered sub-dials, this was one of the timepieces that made me look deeper into the brand itself, only to find what would be one of my favorite brands at the moment!

The red-gold case and dial rings perfectly match the general aesthetics of this amazing timepiece!

Sold for: CHF 35,000 (Estimate CHF 30,000 - CHF 40,000)

4. Czapek Quai Des Bergues Nº25ETR

Czapek is definitely one of the brands that you can feel the quality on the first moment you get your hands on one of their models.

From their dial works to mechanical simplistic perfectionism, it's a manufacture that always seems to amaze me.

The Quai Des Bergues uses one of the most beautiful enamel technics, the "Grand Feu".

Grand Feu means Great Fire, that is used on the enameling process of this dial.

This one actually has an almost invisible surprise. If you look closely, right above the hands staff is a curved text saying "COURAGE EVERY SECOND", which brings a beautiful message to this already beautiful and classical timepiece!

Sold for: CHF 18,000 (Estimate CHF 12,000 - CHF 20,000)

3. Patek Philippe 5208T-010

I actually think there's not too much to talk about this specific watch, since it's one of the most popular lots.

Apart from being a Patek Philippe with the amount of perfect combination that they got us used to, its important to say that the only thing that makes this 5208T, is in fact the letter "T" that stands for titanium.

This reference was never been made in titanium, except for this time!

It's a grand complication made in my favorite color, blue.

It features a Minute repeater, Chronograph and a instantaneous perpetual calendar with day/night indication!

And if it wasn't enough it also features, in a more visual aspect of it, a hand-guilloched carbon-fiber pattern.

Sold for: CHF 6,200,000 (Estimate CHF 900,000 - CHF 1,100,000) this is when we all make that "surprised" face.

2. Voutilainen 28S

Mr. Kari Voutilainen is for sure one of my favorite watchmakers.

From perfect modern details to the usage of just the right amount of color its a unique timepiece featuring those beautiful hands and petit seconde sub dial!

I'm kinda of addicted to the way this ones are made, the craftsmanship behind the Voutilainen models is insanely good!

Sold for: CHF 75,000 (Estimate CHF 55,000 - CHF 85,000)

1. MB&F HOROLOGICAL MACHINE N°8 ONLY WATCH

If you're asking yourself why is the HM 8 on the first place this the answer:

This specific timepiece is the ONLY ONE, that relates the theme of the auction with the design of the watch itself.

A good design is a design that holds and transmits a message, that relates to something, that holds emotions and retains attention.

We all saw multiple great mechanical timepieces and visually intriguing too, in this auction.

Did you saw one that you immediately could say "that one is made in honor of the children"?

Apart from the HM8 I didn't.

The dial was actually made by a 15-year old child named Cassandra.

It is known that muscular dystrophy starts being noticed at the young age of 4 in most cases, and making a timepiece that holds such a strong connection to children its simply magical.

From the always surprising rotor, now in a fun purple color to the perfectly made white gold elephant, that elevates the overall look and exceptional craftsmanship of this timepiece, we can say with sureness that this deserves the first place on this TOP 5.

Sold for: CHF 210,000 (Estimate CHF 80,000 - CHF 100,000)

Here's a picture where the young artist, Cassandra is drawing the pattern present on the dial of this HM8.