One-Off Wonders

Every two years, a special auction takes place in Monaco under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II. Forty of the world’s biggest names in watchmaking come together in a extraordinary collaboration: presenting one-off pieces to be sold for the benefit of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (AMM). The watches are either unique, or the first piece of the collection, and are often specially engraved for the occasion. As expected, the idea of having an “Only Watch” has attracted the attention of watch lovers around the world, particularly in Hong Kong. Our city was one of the stops of a travelling exhibition that also went through Bangkok, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan, and Geneva.

Only Watch started in 2005 as a fundraising project of Luc Pettavino, the long-time head of the Monaco Yacht Show – that is, until last year when he stepped down to focus on the AMM and other non-profit work. The foundation’s main goal is to fund research on a rare disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), which is an inherited form of muscular dystrophy that leads to rapidly degenerating muscle tissue. It afflicts one in 3,600 male infants and has no known cure. Pettavino’s son, Paul, was born with the disease. So far research has been able to improve the quality of life of those afflicted with DMD, but medical science has yet to find a way to repair the gene defect.

Now on its fourth run, Only Watch raised €4.563 million for the cause, adding to the €6.95 million already earned through the previous auctions. Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and HSH Prince Albert II were among those present at the Salle Belle Epoque of the Hermitage hotel in Monaco on 23 September as 40 unique watches found their way onto their owners’ wrists. We take a look at a dozen of the most innovative, dramatic, and popular (exceeding estimates) timepieces from the auction.

Audemars Piguet
Jules Audemars Gstaad Classic Chronograph 2011

This watch may not have a hexagonal bezel, but with its 41mm case and robust dial design, the Jules Audemars Gstaad Classic Chronograph 2011 was definitely one of the most dashing pieces in the lot. Housed in a pink gold case unique to the Only Watch edition (the regular version is in titanium), the timepiece was designed in a combination of silver and anthracite, a chronograph, with a tachometric scale on the border of the dial, a central sweep seconds hand, subsidiary dials for the seconds, and a 30-minute register. Originally created for the 2011 edition of the bi-annual Gstaad Classic car rally, which Audemars Piguet sponsors, the model features a specially engraved caseback and a brown crisscross overstitched strap that reinforce the vintage car theme. The watch fetched a handsome €38,000 (from a wish price of €35-45,000) at auction.