Only Watch 2017 and beyond

What’s Only Watch?

Only Watch is an auction which happens yearly in which watch manufacturers create a one-off watch to donate to the auction.  The proceeds are then donated for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  This year’s event was November 11 in Geneva and featured 50 Lots.  Here are our review of some our favorites from this year’s batch.

Our 2017 Favorites

The Tudor offering, a left handed Black Bay Bronze One with Khaki Green dial and bezel.  This went for 350,000 CHF.

Patek Philippe brought it with their titanium 5208T with hand-guilloched carbon-fiber pattern dial.   Sold for 6,2oo,000 CHF

F.P.Journe has developed an entirely new watch exclusively for Only Watch. . A case in Tantalum* of 44 mm, a pusher at 2h for the chronograph, a pusher at 4h for the rattrapante.  Putting an orange gator strap on this is perfect.  I’m in love with this watch.  If I could have any watch on planet Earth, this would be it.  This beauty went for sold for 1,15oo,000 CHF.  A steal.  You will see this watch again, on the auction block in the next ten years for 10x the amount of money.

The Konstantin Chaykin Joker.  Not too much to say other than this thing is bonkers.   It has a zirconium case, bright red dial ring and grey ‘face’ made of ruthenium and silver.  Sold for 45,00 CHF

Finally the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic. ‘Skylight’ unique royal blue Grande Tapisserie dial.  This watch gaveled at 800,000 CHF.  Yes, 800,000 for a blue dial 1-off variant of an 85,000 CHF watch (See below).  The dial on this thing is incredible compared to the stock (if you can even say that) dial.

Long-term thoughts on these one-off watches?

Some will appreciate nicely, others not so much.  The true gems which feature a completely different dial or metal are the winners here.  The dial on this year’s Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar really gripes me.  The estimate was CHF 80,000 – 120,000.  I really wonder if the winner didn’t realize the non-Only Watch version is literally 1/10th the price.  This watch might be resold for the gavel price in the future, say 200 years from now.   On the other hand the F.P. Journe was developed for this specific auction.  The case, dial, etc. make it super special, and it sold for just a bit more, and it’s an independent brand!

Final Thoughts

This in a fun exercise benefitting a great cause.  I am glad the manufacturers are all involved.  I’d like to see the owners of these unique pieces actually wear them.  That should be part of the fun of having a one-off timepiece.  I’m sure the winners of the lower end of the spectrum pieces will actually wear them.  I can almost guarantee you’ll never see the owner of that Royal Oak or the Journe wearing it.

*Tantalum is the exotic material Wolverine’s claws are made out of.**

**Wolverine’s claws are actually made out of Unobtanium. ***

***Unobtanoum is actually the fictitious material they are mining on          Pandora in the horrible 2009 movie, Avatar.