Let’s begin by getting one potential misconception out of the way: OAK has no connection with a certain well-known watch range originating in Le Brassus. It’s an acronym for “One of A Kind”, and the exhibition scheduled to take place from 19 to 25 May 2022 at the London Design Museum (before embarking on an international tour) could not be more aptly named. This impressive collection of timepieces is owned by Patrick Getreide, a French businessman (and, incidentally, the most prolific buyer at the Only Watch auction, with 10 models to his name), and is the result of a lifetime of collecting – 40 years, to be exact.
The OAK Collection numbers over 160 vintage and contemporary watches in excellent condition, one-of-a-kind unique pieces, ultra-rare limited editions, and watches that belonged to celebrities such as Eric Clapton and Jean-Paul Belmondo, among others. The oldest watch in the collection is the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. minute repeater, a gold pocket watch from 1927, which was commissioned by the eponymous American banker. The newest is the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-014 of 2021 with its famous green dial. The most complicated is the Patek Philippe Reference 5208 which has a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar and a chronograph.
The exhibition is split into eleven sections – seven devoted to Patek Philippe, one to F.P. Journe and Voutilainen, and three to Rolex.
1) Patek Philippe Calatrava: 20 models on display, including references 530A, 570J, 570R and 1504
2) Patek Philippe Chronographs: 29 timepieces including references 130J, 530R and 1436
3) Patek Philippe Graves-Fullerton: watches that belonged to Henry Graves Jr. and his grandson, Reginald H. Fullerton
4) Patek Philippe Nautilus: this section includes 16 models from the collection designed by Gérald Genta
5) Patek Philippe perpetual calendars and complications: the fifth section presents haute horlogerie timepieces including the references 1518R, 1518 and 2499J
6) Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts: this section is desdicated to decoration, including engraving, enamelling, guillochage and marquetry. Reference 5089G will be on display
7) Patek Philippe World Time: references 2523 and 2523J can be admired in this section
8) New Age Independants : two of the most accomplished master watchmakers of the last 20 years: François-Paul Journe and Kari Voutilainen
9) Rolex GMT-Master: eleven of these models, designed to provide an easy-to-read time zone display, will be on show with the OAK Collection
10) Rolex sports chronographs: eight of the 13 watches are vintage (including a 1961 Cosmograph Daytona) and five are contemporary
11) Rolex sports watches: the nine watches in this section include Explorer and Submariner models
See you in London, from 19 to 25 May!
