One of the watch world’s biggest charity fundraisers of the year, Only Watch in Geneva, will take place on November 9 with 52 watchmakers donating special edition timepieces that will be auctioned to raise money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Mega brands like Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe come together with independents including Cyrus, Urwerk and MB&F to produce one-of-a-kind timepieces that will be sold at auction by Christie’s at the iconic Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues.
Luc Pettavino, founder and organiser of the charity auction, says the event has raised over CHF40 million since it was launched in 2005, and expect this year to break all previous records.
“I am grateful to all the watchmaking groups and independent brands participating in this 2019 Only Watch edition demonstrating dedication and heart through their creativity and craftsmanship for this year’s auction which promises to be, once again, record-breaking,” Mr Pettavino says.
The 52 watch companies supporting Only Watch 2019 are:
Akrivia Genève, Andersen Genève, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Artya, Ateliers De Monaco, Audemars Piguet, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Boucheron, Bovet, Breguet, Carl F. Bucherer, Chanel, Christophe Claret, Cyrus, Czapek, De Bethune, Dewitt, Fabergé, Ferdinand Berthoud, F.P. Journe, Frederique Constant, Girard-Perregaux, Grönefeld, H. Moser & Cie, Hermès, Hublot, Jacob & Co, Jaeger-Lecoultre, Jaquet Droz, Konstantin Chaykin, L’epée, Louis Moinet, Louis Vuitton, Maurice Lacroix, Mb&F, Montblanc, Moritz Grossmann, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rebellion, Richard Mille, Rj, Singer, Speake-Marin, Trilobe, Tudor, Ulysse Nardin, Urwerk, Voutilainen, Zenith
There are also two watches made in collaboration between pairs of watchmakers, one from De Bethune + Urwerk, another from L’epée + MB&F.
Many of the watches are also sold with “experience days” such as factory visits, lunches with the owners and activities like Formula 1 track days.
One of the most valuable watches in the sale is from Patek Philippe, which is making a Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel for the first time (pictured top). It has an estimate of $2-2.5 million, but that does also include a visit to the watchmaker’s workshops and museum plus a private lunch with the company’s president Thierry Stern.
Click here to see all the watches.
Ahead of the auction, all the unique watches will be exhibited around the world at these locations and dates:
- MONACO (Monaco Yacht Show): 25-28 September
- DUBAI (Christie’s in association with Seddiqi): 1-3 October
- PARIS (Christie’s): 7-8 October
- LONDON (Christie’s): 11-13 October
- NEW YORK (Christie’s): 16-17 October
- TOKYO (Christie’s): 22-23 October
- SINGAPORE (The Hour Glass): 25-26 October
- HONG KONG (Christie’s): 28-29 October
- TAIPEI (Christie’s): 30-31 October
- GENEVA (Christie’s – Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues): 7-9 November
