Saturday 9th November was the apex of a journey on which the watch industry has embarked on with Only Watch over the past 12 months. A journey which started on July 1st by unveiling the names of the participating watch brands. This was followed by the world tour exhibition starting at the Monaco Yacht Show in September and lasted seven weeks travelling around major cities including Dubai, Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei. An extraordinary program which underlined the ever-growing interest for the one-of-a-kind pieces donated by the brands.
Under the High Patronage and in presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Only Watch held its eagerly-awaited 8th auction of unique timepieces at the Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues Geneva.
The 50 one-of-a-kind timepieces were auctioned by the prestigious auction house Christie’s in a packed and dynamic saleroom, attended by international supporters, collectors, philanthropists, watchmaking manufacturer representatives and press. The sale took over two hours as interest in each lot was overwhelmingly high and concluded with a record-breaking result.
After an introductional speech given by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, Luc Pettavino, founder of Only Watch, President of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and 2019 recipient of the “Prix Spécial du Jury du Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève” reminded the audience about the good cause that would benefit from the proceeds of the auction. The auction started in a breathtaking atmosphere and lasted two hours cadenced by intense bidding sessions.
The auction included a Patek Philippe lot (28) that was auctioned for the historic amount of CHF 31'000'000.
The record-breaking amount is a strong signal of hope for researchers, patients and families touched by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (genetic disease that affects 1 in 3,000 male births) around the world. Thanks to very significant investments made by Only Watch (among others) over the past decades, the research is reaching clinical trials, a critical and cost-demanding stage.
