Tourbillons and skeletons will be the feature of Ineichen’s upcoming auction on October 29th.
In looking ahead, Konstantin Chaykin says it must disagree with Ineichen on terminology, though.
The brand explained: “Tourbillons cause no issues, but skeletons and open-dial watches should be presented as two separate categories, since the latter’s movement itself is not skeletonized. This problem is not limited to Ineichen, the same mistake is widespread throughout the market in general, especially thanks to the bloggers who are often not interested in exploring the art of watchmaking and the existing, accepted terminology.
Adding: “In Ineichen’s defense, it must be said that they faced an exceedingly hard job of finding 50 amazing high-quality lots without deviating from the stated theme, which was nearly impossible. In any case, tourbillons, skeletons and open-worked dials beautifully showcase the mechanics of a watch, allowing the collector and afficionado to fully appreciate the fact that watchmaking is a way to turn a technical tool, by hand or using specialized machines and tools, into a genuine piece of art, all the more precious for the fact that its’ functionality is not lost but showcased as openly as possible.”
The auction house did go on to showcase the following highlights of the sale:
Daniel Roth Master’s Chronograph XV Limited Edition Ref. 447.X.70
This last aspect is especially evident in Daniel Roth Master’s Chronograph XV Limited Edition Ref. 447.X.70 (lot 27).
We’ve heard that in the late 1990s Daniel Roth together with Girard-Perregaux developed a new chronograph, caliber DR101, based on the Girard-Perregaux GP3000 (currently GP03300-0030) movement.
They installed the chronograph module under the dial, which watchmaker rarely do, and this opened several interesting opportunities. Especially today, then the elegant watches are often left uncovered from both sides, the dial and the caseback.
This was exactly what Daniel Roth did for some of the models with automated chronographs. Lot 27 is sure to attract attention thanks to both the open-dial design, a matching iconic Daniel Roth casing, a unique black dial with white markings and the fact that the model was released as a limited series of 15 pieces to commemorate the brand’s fifteenth anniversary.
De Bethune DBS ‘The First Generation’ Ref. DBS-W
Lot 29, De Bethune DBS ‘The First Generation’ Ref. DBS-W is also a real rarity. Most De Bethune creations fit the theme we’re interested in today, but this model is truly special. De Bethune is on the rise, setting new records at the auction market and closely following F.P. Journe. The early De Bethune models are especially sought after.
DBS ‘The First Generation’ is one of these early pieces. Ineichen managed to find one of the earliest models, created before the development of the triple shock resistance system. The watch is outfitted with a plain, or a monometallic balance, while later generations used more complex balances developed by Denis Flageollet.
This does not mean’ of course, that DBS ‘The First Generation’ is simplistic compared to the later generations. Just look at the clock hands, an avant-garde Breguet in a De Bethune interpretation. The fan-shaped counterbalance has a step profile, which De Bethune later abandoned for simpler flat counterbalances.
M.A.D.1 Red, MB&F project
If there is a lot that needs no introduction, it’s lot 42, the M.A.D.1 Red, a MB&F project. It’s insane. The main question is by how much the final price fill exceed the initial value. M.A.D.1 may well be the new “Rolex” of the secondary market.
“Joker Five” by Konstantin Chaykin
The same can be said about lot 43, the “Joker Five” by Konstantin Chaykin. Every year he introduces several new “wristmons”, following up on the original “Joker” design first released five years ago, in 2017. Just five years! Yet it seems a whole age has gone by, and it’s impossible to even imagine the world of watchmaking without the “Joker”. The “Joker Five” celebrates the five-year anniversary of the collection. Only 38 pieces were made.
It always seems there’s not enough of them, starting with the very first “Joker”, all 99 pieces were sold in a few days of exhibition in Basel in 2017. Mr. Chaykin, please, make at least a couple of hundred of classic “Jokers” with your own movement, we know you can handle it! He won’t… He’s more interested in making new and unusual “Wristmons”. “Joker Five”, for example, could have gotten the recognizable green eyes as an anniversary model.
But it didn’t, for most watch brands that would be normal and expected, business as usual. But not for Chaykin. He instead created an entirely new caliber. Some hints of it could be seen in the unique and mind-blowing Martian Tourbillon created for Only Watch 2021. Similar “smiling” calendar, similar open-dial design. As a bonus, DC Comics allowed the use of licensed character designs. Joker, welcome to Haute Horlogerie.
Arena Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Moon Phase Ref. ATM.X.75 ‘Platinum & Palladium’
Let’s finish our brief exploration of the open-dial watches at the Ineichen thematic sale with a model from a brand which may or may not be still active, Gerald Genra – the logic of the Bulgari group escapes us. The lot itself is lot 44, Arena Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar Moon Phase Ref. ATM.X.75 ‘Platinum & Palladium’.
While released at the time the original master already had nothing to do with the brand he founded, but you’ll have to agree, the spark of his talent still shines through. A very unusual, outwardly quite but internally tense, almost explosive combination of platinum and palladium, and, of course, the open dial.
This piece had us enthralled. It’s a parody of an open-worked dial. The dial is so overpopulated by sub-dials and indicators, that the movement with its intricate perlage, is barely noticeable. Red, black, white, and silver discs, cut through letters for days and month, blurred stars against the disk of the moon like on a “Hubble” photograph… truly magical.
