The fight against Duchenne muscular dystrophy knows no boundaries: the 33 unique timepieces to be featured at Only Watch 2013, are about to make an epic 8-stage journey.
From 30 August to 28 September 2013, the dates set for the grand auction at Monaco’s Hôtel Hermitage, the 33 unique watches will be completing their very own world tour before succumbing to the bidding frenzy. These exceptional pieces will thus set out to capture the hearts of international collectors all over the planet in their own bid to promote the fight against muscular dystrophy.
Between 25 and 28 September, they will be back in Monaco as part of the Monaco Yacht Show, the world’s premier showcase for super yachts. They will then be visible in the Salle Belle Epoque in an exhibition held under the High Patronage de H.R.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Among the visitors, often identified by the brands themselves or the Antiquorum auction house, are Collectors and informed amateurs, who include some of the most important in the world.
A feminine presence
This year, the Only Watch exhibition is marked by a marked feminine presence. Of the thirty or so manufactures united by this biennial adventure, 6 have chosen to design and craft a unique watch intended for ladies. Will these models succeed in winning the hearts of the ceremony-goers? One thing is certain, they will all illustrate one of the thriving trends in current watchmaking, namely the growing fascination among a feminine clientele for watch complications, due to their complex mechanisms or discreet adornments. This phenomenon points to another widespread trend, the return to less ostentatious dimensions. Watch diameters of less than 40 mm are now being seen, as well as a tendency towards a neo-vintage flashback to the original iconic lines of former years when the standards of classic watchmaking were being set.
100% of funds raised to be donated
The record 4 million Euros raised at the 2011 are yet to be beaten! As in past editions of Only Watch, the sums collected at this 5th edition will be donated in their entirety to the fight against muscular dystrophy, mainly to finance research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare neuromuscular auto-immune disease, and an extremely disabling disorder that affects one in 3,500 boys, i.e. approximately 250,000 children, teenagers and young adults around the world.
‘The funds raised by Only Watch enabled the Monaco Association against muscular dystrophy to finance more than a dozen teams around the world working on approaches to cell therapy, gene therapy and the exon jump. The task ahead is still immense’, concedes the highly motivated and appreciative Luis Garcia, research director at the CNRS and scientific co-ordinator of ICE, a concerted international research programme on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In this very human adventure, where the notion of time is vital in saving lives, Only Watch celebrates these tremendous efforts every two years by uniting the key Swiss watchmaking workshops at a very worthwhile auction event with a high media profile.
August/September 2013: World Tour Only Watch
Tokyo (30 August at Mandarin Oriental Hotel) - Singapore (6 & 7 at The Hour Glass) - Hong Kong (9 & 10 at Antiquorum - Shanghai (12 & 13) - Beijing (14) - New York (16 & 17 at Antiquorum) - Geneva (20 & 23 at Antiquorum) - Monaco (25 to 27 at the Monaco Yacht Show).
33 watchmaking brands, each one unique
Backes & Strauss, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Breguet, Chanel, Chopard, Chronoswiss, Christophe Claret, Corum, Cyrus, Delacour, Dewitt, De Bethune, Frédérique Constant, Girard Perregaux, Harry Winston, Hublot, Ikepod, Jaquet Droz, Julien Coudray 1518, Laurent Ferrier, Louis Vuitton, Maurice Lacroix, Montblanc, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Armin Strom, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, Zenith.
Practical information
ONLY WATCH, fifth edition
September 28th 2013, 11 a.m. (gmt +1), Hermitage Hotel, Monaco
Event under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco
Organized by the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophies, The Monaco Yacht Show, Antiquorum Auctioneers.
