Only Watch Geneva is the world’s biggest charity watch auction, it is also a time where watch world titans come together to create exclusive one-off pieces. This is basically the most expensive auction lot this year.
The Geneva-based auction will show off 52 different watch brands and the crazy creations they all muster up. When you’re dealing with watches of this class, they even get their own world tour. Before the auction, which takes place on November 9, the watches will be taken around the world and shown off in different show rooms.
Thankfully, there’s a Dubai stop, October 1-3 in association with Seddiqi.
Here’s a look at the priciest watches you’ll soon be able to gawk at:
Jacob & Co Epic X Chrono Messi ‘Only Watch Special Edition’
Estimate: US $70,000 – US $100,000
When you’re willing to bid perhaps a 100k on a watch, you best hope it comes with some perks. Thankfully this Jacob & Co does, the winning bidder will have the opportunity to meet Lionel Messi. Not only this but you’ll be able to pose for pictures, get stuff signed and receive a portrait of you both rocking your Jacob chronos.
The watch itself is 47mm of white gold and titanium, with 36 blue sapphires and a super cool transparent, semi-skeletonised dial.
Christophe Claret Maestro Corail
Estimate: US $86,000 – US $106,000
Bumping up the estimate slightly, you start getting some crazy engravings and depth to your watch. This Christophe Claret boasts a three dimensional snake slithering in and around your dial, with orange and blue sapphire scales. Like the Jacob watch, it is partially skeletonised, meaning you can bask in the glory of the exposed mechanics and cogs.
Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Sapphire Orlinski
Estimate: US $160,000- US $180,000
Further proof that less is more, yet another skeletonised watch on the list. Hublot here is continuing its trend of creating watches entirely out of sapphire crystal, giving you a transparent watch. The piece sports a white gold bezel, 54 topazes and an exposed tourbillon cage and power reserve.
Not only does the winning bigger bag this sweet watch, they also get to meet Richard Orlinksi, the artist who collabed with Hublot on the piece. They will get to visit Orlinksi’s art gallery in Paris also, full of contemporary art.
Audemars Piguet Code 11.59 Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch Edition
Estimate: US $ 190,000 – US $240,000
Audemars Piguet’s Code 11.59 line is very much a departure from the usual for the brand. Most people who get an AP get a Royal Oak, a totally different style of timepiece to these more classic Code 11.59s.
This One Watch model skeletonising the piece, revealing all the intricate inner workings, as well as its impressive tourbillon. It sports a subtle octagonal case made of pink god, along with a white gold bezel, lugs and caseback.
Richard Mille RM 11-03 Automatic Flyback Chronograph McLaren
Estimate: US $220,000 – US $250,000
Name two of the coolest brands around and eventually McLaren and Richard Mille would pop up. The two have come together yet again to create this carbon fibre chorno, which takes a few design tips from McLaren cars. The titanium pushers are said to echo the McLaren 720S’s headlights, the titanium inserts mimic an F1 air-intake snorkel and the watch itself uses the McLaren logo.
The owner will also receive from McLaren a tailor-made official driver’s racing overall, a ‘Pure McLaren Experience’ driving day with test pilot Bruno Senna, as well as a private tour of the McLaren Technology Centre.
F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue
Estimate: US $300,000 – US $600,000
Behold, a watch that didn’t get the memo about skeletonising. The Journe has a blue chrome dial, a first for the brand. It boasts hours, minutes and seconds, a second timezone, sunrise and sunset indicators, day and night indicators, moon phases and a power reserve indicator. It’s also an annual calendar, because why not.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime
Estimate: US $2,000,000- US $2,500,000
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Back
Truly the grandmaster of the lot and of the brand itself, Patek here has unveiled one of its most intricate current models in steel for the first time.
Boasting two dials in rose gold and black ebony. The reversible case is adorned with a hand-guilloched hobnail pattern. This grand complication features 20 complications in its steel case, including no fewer than five chiming modes, two of which are patented world firsts: an acoustic alarm that strikes the preselected time and a date repeater sounding the date on demand.
The owner also gets to have a sit down lunch with the brand’s president, gets to visit the Patek workshops and a visit to the brand’s museum.
