Since its first springtime events, the Fine Watch Club has invited its members to enjoy a backstage view of Baselworld, Only Watch, the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and the Watch Photo Awards ; to tour the Manufactures of Bvlgari, Jaeger-LeCoultre, TAG Heuer, Vacheron Constantin and Zenith ; as well as to visit the Patek Philippe and Frédérique Constant museums, while meeting a number of watch brand managers. Its gallery in Geneva is hosting its first encounters this winter. In 2020, rumor has it that the brand-new Audemars Piguet and Omega museums may well be on the schedule, as well as much more confidential discoveries and “automobile-horological-yachting” events. The mission of the Fine Watch Club is to open wide the doors of the watch industry for its members and to bring them experience and rarity, not only through events but also through watches that cannot be found elsewhere.
Investing for pleasure
While pleasure and confidence in the brands and watches selected by the Fine Watch Club guide the choice and production of the limited editions, particularly in the quality of their aesthetic approach and technical content, this does not preclude the principles of sound advice and reasoning, quite the contrary. The first three limited editions initiated with luxury brands by the international watch owners’ club relate to models whose value has been clearly recognized by collectors and professionals in the sector. The first buyers of Fine Watch Club watches have thus been able to rejoice in their investment.
The GPHG label
Within this context, it is well worth recalling that Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Automtaic Titanium won the Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève in 2017, and its chronograph version is now also a prize-winner in the Chronograph category of the 2019 edition. This fifth world record for thinness set by the Octo Finissimo collection further reinforces the desirability of this iconic line, which is highly prized by real collectors, who are well aware of Bvlgari’s watchmaking expertise while being won over by its avant-garde aesthetic. A 12-piece limited edition of this successful model is thus a reliable bet.
The conclusive test at auction
Likewise, the Fine Watch Club managed to convince Zenith to produce especially for its members a steel case in the El Primero 50th anniversary collection equipped with the new A386 caliber, normally housed in precious metals only, as well as to endow it with an exclusive dial for a 24-piece limited edition – and all at the very affordable price of CHF 8,900. One month after this launch, collectors demonstrated their enthusiasm for the Zenith El Primero Only Watch which was auctioned by Christie’s at more than three times its estimate (CHF 75,000); as well as for the one-of-a-kind platinum model designed with Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo, which reached a record CHF 250,000. How could one go wrong with the one offered by the Fine Watch Club ?
Finally, also during the prestigious Only Watch biennial auction (see the complete analysis here), Maurice Lacroix was another one of the brands whose model went under the hammer at more than three times its official estimate: its Aikon sold for CHF 17,000. With its CHF 3,300 price tag, the Aikon Automatic Chronograph created in a 24-piece limited edition by Maurice Lacroix for the Fine Watch Club is a real opportunity, especially since it is offered with a steel bracelet plus an easily interchangeable carbon-printed rubber and leather strap, along with an exclusive dial and engraved caseback, in only 24 copies. This is the first time that Maurice Lacroix has produced such a limited special series. Definitely another reason justifying the Swiss club’s #getwhatyoucant hashtag.
With the Fine Watch Club, there’s no longer any need to choose between following your head or your heart.
