Auctions are best suited to the sale of unique items which aren’t otherwise available on the market. For that reason, I always look forward to the interesting watches that are donated to the Only Watch auction series which is currently being run by the auction house Christie’s. Only Watch is an event that we’ve covered a lot over the years on aBlogtoWatch, and the next installment of the biennial auction sale will happen in Geneva on November 11th, 2021.
The Only Watch auction series isn’t as strong an event as it used to be, but its main theme continues to be respected. The idea is that watch brands submit unique watches made especially to become donated and sold at the auction. These are unique prototypes or are the first in a limited-edition series. The proceeds (minus a variety of fees, I am sure) are to be given to Association Monegasque Contre le Myopathies (AMM) whose goal is to fund medical research to help treat a kind of muscular dystrophy.
Only Watch is only as strong because the watches which are donated by watch brands. They are tax write-offs as well as a way to get publicity and an ego boost. Brands love to see their products go under the gavel and get bought up by collectors. With that said, there is nothing to stop brands from bidding on their own watches either directly or via a proxy. So, in my opinion, the actual numerical value of what the watches end up going for at the auction should be taken with a grain of salt. That same philosophy should be applied to the outcomes of any auction, as they merely represent what one buyer, who been present, was willing to do tomorrow.
This year, Only Watch chose to debut all of the watch auction lots on the same day, which is a departure from their more traditional tactic of slowly releasing watches on the several-week or several-month period. Nevertheless, certain brands didn’t quite obtain acts together and get stuff done promptly. I will go into that a bit more below. Another semi-new element to the auction is that many of the auction lots have an experience such as a trip or special meeting – combined with the watch, of course. These experiences (which are not attached to all the lots, should help spice up the bidding quite a bit once the experiences prove as interesting because the timepieces.
Last month, Ball Watch Clients are introducing their most recent version and supplying an exclusive pre-order price for watch fans to take advantage of. The Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DEVGRU is the newest addition to Ball’s Hydrocarbon line-up plus a watch which was developed with direct input in the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six — hence, the name DEVGRU. Like many of Ball’s previous advancements, you can anticipate robust construction, a tritium gas micro tube light show, and a sporty design you can take everywhere. However, what has got the Engineer Hydrocarbon DEVGRU so unique may be the new patented instance and motion technology that allows the watch to withstand a 10 meter free fall without damage.For many years, Ball’s SpringLOCK system technologies has served to protect their watches from immense force. In the Engineer Hydrocarbon DEVGRU, the machine has been redesigned and paired with a brand new SpringSEAL for enhanced precision and an elastomer ring to safeguard the movement. Specifically, the SpringSEAL is actually intended to guard the regulator assembly therefore it does not change upon impact and subsequently, this prevents the necessity to re-regulate the motion following a collapse. This works together with the elastomer ring — which comes in grey or red — that isolates and corrects the whole motion from impact.Compared to a number of the other versions within the group, the Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon DEVGRU is a little more restrained in terms of design. Because of the newest technology Ball has implemented here, the opinion is shock-resistant into 50,000 Gs and anti-magnetic into 4,800A/m. It’s also worth having a peek at the crown, that was also redesigned to further boost the watch’s protective features.
A total of 49 lots is going to be auctioned off during the event in November that, unfortunately, won’t be able to benefit from the glitz of having a celebration in Monaco itself. With that said, timepieces (well, the complete ones) will be traveling around the world “on tour” so that potential buyers can check them out. Follow the link above to see if you are in among the nine cities that will have the watches there for a few days at a time starting at the end of September 2021.
In the video that is embedded in this article, you can hear myself and David Bredan discuss all 49 of the watches/clocks. We spend just a couple moments on each to be able to bring you our take. This year’s lots aren’t bad as wearable items, but leave much to become desired when it comes to actually being interesting or unique. Allow me to go over some of the most interesting and important lots from Only Watch 2021. For a full list of the watches along with technical specifications and auction price estimates check out the watches at the Only Watch website.
Patek Philippe always uses this occasion to release a one-of-a-kind version with a titanium or steel case of the existing watch they produce and have produced. This year’s model is a bit more on the conservative side, but is very high-end and will easily be the auction’s top lot at a price that is almost guaranteed to be over a million dollars. The watch may be the Patek Philippe 5208T-010, which is a version in titanium on the blue cordura strap of their perpetual calendar chronograph minute repeater. At 42mm wide, this really is among the larger timepieces that Patek Philippe makes – and of course, it is considered to be a “grand complication,” meaning it is far more exclusive than more standard Patek Philippe products. The 5208 is a very nifty Patek Philippe, and this version – like several the titanium or steel models for just Watch – will be coveted by collectors.
Audemars Piguet provides a blue-dialed version of its all black ceramic Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar as the reference 26599CE.OO.1225CE.01. Audemars Piguet also points out that the caseback and the oscillating weight (rotor) around the movement are also ceramic – that we believe is a first for that ceramic Royal Oak models. It'll go for a fair amount of money, but nothing mind-blowing, in my opinion. This is just another uncommon (in cases like this, unique) watch for one of the world’s many Audemars Piguet fans.
The last Only Watch auction was the very first that Tudor participated in, and even though their watch was among the lowest when it came to the auction estimate, it went for a really high price. Once again, Tudor comes to Only Watch with a small change with an existing model which is a lefty version by having an olive green bezel and dial from the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze. They call it the Black Bay Bronze One, which is the reference 7925/001. It isn’t the most amazing thing in the world, but it is pretty and it should attract a price likely many times what the stock Black Bay Bronze goes for. With the Tudor watch comes the experience of being invited to the Tudor headquarters in Geneva – a place that is normally not open to guests.
Ulysse Nardin’s Only Watch 2021 entrant isn’t all that original either, but pleasant enough, having a steel-cased version of the Marine Tourbillon referred to as Ulysse Nardin Marine Tourbillon Only Watch. It has the same type of engraved after which blue enamel painted dial because this Ulysse Nardin Classic watch – so it ought to be truly striking in person. I would love one of these if I had the cash.
I have a feeling that the second best watch at Only Watch 2021 would be the piece submitted by F.P. Journe. Interestingly enough, there are two watches in the auction with movements made by F.P. Journe’s Geneva factory. The F.P. Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante (chronograph monopusher split second) is likely going to be very nice looking personally. It begins with a unique tantalum case that's 44mm wide (bigger than pretty much anything F.P. Journe makes) and it has a dial that is “blue chrome” with orange and yellow accents. The watch’s movement is further extremely beautiful being the caliber 1517 and was apparently developed only for the Only Watch 2021 auction. That makes it one of the few unique movements for the event. This watch has “500,000 bucks” written all over it.
