Results: Only Watch 2015 Raises $11 Million

Only Watch 2015 raised $11 Million over the weekend, twice the amount realized in the previous edition. The watch industry’s biggest names were together in one room over the weekend donated to raise awareness, and funds, to benefit research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research. Held in Geneva for the first time under the supervision of the Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, the charity auction saw Patek Philippe break the record for the most money raised by a single watch, thanks to a unique 5016A Grand Complication made for Only Watch 2015. All 44 lots were sold. Here are some of the highlights and the price they realized.

As expected, Patek Philippe raised the largest sum during this afternoon’s Only Watch charity auction, benefiting Muscula rDystrophy Research. However, no one expected it to raise quite as much as it did: a whopping $7.3 million. With one strike of the hammer, the unique reference 5016A grand complication made for Only Watch 2015 became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction, and the second most expensive timepiece behind a pocket watch made by the same watch company: the infamous Graves Supercomplication – which holds onto its title by some margin still. Sold for CHF7,300,000

A vintage-inspired Pilot watch at Only Watch? How odd, and how wonderful! Breguet has decided to unveil a one of a kind Type XXI 3813 made in platinum. The watch features a flyback function enabling an instant zero-resetting and restarting of the chronograph counter in one smooth move. Its beautifully textured and legible dial makes it a certain winner. The price of this watch will certainly take off quickly so make sure to sit tight when this lot is announced. Sold for CHF90,000

We met Melchior for the first this during Baselworld 2015, but the (not so) little guy is back for Only Watch 2015, and is suited for the occasion, with red shoulder blades. A 480-component mechanical table clock standing 30.3 cm tall and weighing 6.3 kg, Melchior brings out the inner child and, despite his heart of steel, provokes a smile in anyone he encounters. His body is composed of several moving parts including jumping hours and sweeping minutes, while a third dial in the abdomen provides information on his remaining energy. This unique piece is the 100th and final clock in the Melchior series. Sold for CHF75,000

Only a few months after it unveiled the Classic Fusion Enamel Britto, Hublot has decided to present a second model created in partnership with Brazilian artist Romero Britto. And this one’s even more vibrant than the original. This time, the ‘cloisons’ or cells have been sectioned to reveal the words “Only Watch” alongside the artist’s signature on the back. And for the very first time at Only Watch, this lot will be sold with an original piece of art signed by Britto of course. That’s two pieces of art for the price of one! Let’s see if the initiative is a success. Sold for CHF135,000

The thinnest mechanical watch ever made, the Altiplano 900P was launched in 2014 to celebrate the manufacture’s 140th anniversary. But Piaget has decided to brings its record-breaking watch back for Only Watch 2015, with a unique model with new red minute and hour hands and a special inscription at the back which reads: “Only Watch 2015, Unique Piece”. Sold for CHF75,000

The Stranger has delighted us over the years with some beautiful melodies, including Frank Sinatra’s “Stanger in the night,’ and Vivaldi’s “Violin Concerto in E.” For Only Watch 2015, the brand has decided to march to a different tune with Queen’s “We are the Champions,” rocking inside this musical watch. Its black titanium case and cherry blades set the mood. Sold for CHF120,000

For Only Watch 2015, Zenith is donating a unqiue version of this year’s El Primero “Lightweight” Tribute to the Rolling Stones, a watch that already has quite a few red accents on the chronograph hand and date. This time, the watch comes in a titanium black DLC case. The dial of this Limited Edition El Primero gives us a view of part of the movement along with the Zenith striking 10th sub dials, date display at 6 o’clock in addition to the hours and minutes at the center. Sold for CHF21,000

In search of a large donation, Bell & Ross has encased its gold into a pirate-themed treasure chest. The BR 01 Skull Bronze Tourbillon is a unique aged-bronze watch, made after the brand’s most iconic model. It features a hand-engraved gold skull inside a 46 mm case housing four complications: a tourbillon, a regulator, an accuracy indicator and a power reserve. Now that’s a treasure worth fighting for! Sold for CHF100,000

To encourage donations, IWC is innovating. For this year’s auction, the brand has developed solid boron carbide, a brand new material never before seen in the watch industry. The Ingenieur Automatic Edition Tribute to Nico Rosberg has been selected as the lucky recipient of the new material, which is almost as hard as diamond and as light as aluminum. Who said watch auctions were not meant for novelties? Sold for CHF25,000

If the Only Watch 2015 entry from Christophe Claret looks familiar, that’s because it borrows heavily from the Aventicum, a watch introduced earlier in the year. The Espoir & Paix once again features the brand’s mirascope technology to highlight an emerald set in the dial center. At the back, the watch features a portrait of Alfred Nobel with a green agate rim revealing the movement, as well as the names of the 129 Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Sold for CHF60,000

Laurent Ferrier introduced the Galet Square earlier this year, but already it is revisiting it for Only Watch 2015. This time, the Galet Square comes fitted with a special two-tone silvered sector dial typical of the late 1930s, and new lugs that appear straight to emphasize the watch’s singularity. Sold for CHF62,000

The Ocean Dual Time Retrograde Only Watch is the latest and most exclusive version of the brand’s dual time zone watch. For Only Watch 2015, the watch is engraved at the back with the words “Only Watch 2015 Unique Piece” and comes with a blue and black strap specifically designed for the auction. Sold for CHF50,000

Blancpain renewed its support for the Only Watch charity auction by presenting an exceptional and unique version of its Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar. A unique and exclusive horological complication developed by Blancpain, the Traditional Chinese Calendar pays tribute to this age-old culture in this symbolic model based on fundamental principles established for centuries and profoundly rooted in Chinese tradition. Sold for CHF80,000

Originally launched to celebrate the partnership between Chopard and Porsche Motorsport in the World Endurance Champion (WEC), the Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 was revisited for Only Watch 2015. Crafted from titanium and DLC, it boasts a 45mm-diameter case equipped with a flyback function and a mechanical Chopard movement. The “919” featured in the red rectangle in the 9 o’clock counter echoes the Porsche models competing in the World Endurance Championship. Even the rubber strap recalls the slick tires fitted on a performance race car. The watch is water resistant up to 100 meters. Sold for CHF20,000

For Jacob & Co.’s first participation in the Only Watch charity auction, the brand decided to revisit a model first launched in 2013. The Epic SF24 has undergone several facelifts to attain today’s look with Roman numeral hour markers and new opaline dials. The ingenious GMT mechanism remains the same: with home time on the dial, pressing the button on the left side of the display will change the cities – 24 of them with their local times. Sold for CHF50,000

Released for SIHH in 2014, the first Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées confirmed one thing: No one does skeleton watches quite like Vacheron Constantin! It’s a technique the brand has perfectly mastered. For Only Watch 2015, Vacheron Constantin offered a one-of-kind model with a deep red enamel chapter ring that confirms the color’s dominance at this year’s charity auction. Presented in an 18-carat white gold case, measuring 40 mm diameter, the Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées is a stunning dress watch. Sold for CHF140,000

This unique timepiece developed for Only Watch 2015 features a universal symbol of wisdom and knowledge to celebrate Vulcain’s time-honored watchmaking expertise. An emblem of wisdom and especially of fame from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance, he became a symbol of poetry and the creator of sources from which the poets draw inspiration, particularly in the 19th century. Pegasus is the subject of a very rich iconography, especially expressed in ancient Greek pottery and paintings, as well as Renaissance sculptures. Sold for CHF45,000

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