The occasion of a charity watch auction may be the time to increase our own awareness of the present and the various opportunities around us to do good wherever we can. However, when it comes to raising funds for a good cause, sometimes it helps to harness the goodwill that comes with a big dose of nostalgia and our personal connections to stories from the past. Check out five watches from this year’s edition of Only Watch that transport us into a bygone era.
Ateliers de Monaco
Tourbillon Oculus 1297 Only Watch
All the timepieces of Ateliers de Monaco have an old-world feel, due to their use of the heraldic motifs of the Monegasque royal family (such as the lozenge) and the highly classical Roman numerals and dauphine hands. Emphasising this quality in their contribution to Only Watch 2019 is — rather ironically — a modern compound material that resembles the sort of gold-veined black marble you might find on a mediaeval fantasy film set. A variant of forged carbon with added gold filaments, the case material of the Tourbillon Oculus 1297 Only Watch bears a unique pattern of exposed gold elements, a direct result of its manufacturing process.
RJ
ARRAW 6919 Only Watch
The unusual bezel on the ARRAW 6919 is typical of the RJ approach to incorporating milestone historical events within their timepieces. Within the clear acrylic ring is embedded parts of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, allowing you to literally wear a piece of history on your wrist. The Only Watch edition substitutes the inner dial ring depicting a starry background with a ring bearing a 3D applique of the Apollo 11 command and service module (CSM) and the engraved coordinates of the Earth launch site and Moon landing site.
Singer Reimagined
Track 1 Only Watch Edition
Marco Borraccino, the designer and co-founder of Singer Reimagined, is clear about his inspiration for the Track 1 chronograph, which won the Chronograph prize at the 2018 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Its tonneau case, pump-style pushers and dial elements owe much to iconic chronograph designs of the 1960s and 1970s. Evoking a far more ancient time, however, is the case material of the Track 1 Only Watch Edition, a dark PVD-coated Damascus steel that revives the legendary metallurgical work of the Near East.
Speake-Marin
London Chronograph Only Watch Edition
The design of the London Chronograph draws heavily on historical watches, from the drum-shaped case and straight lugs to the poire hands and deeply faceted onion crown. Even its movement alludes to a time before the so-called “modern age” of watchmaking, a period often defined as the post-quartz era. The Lemania 92 is a more robust, higher-volume calibre than others in its famous family of chronograph movements. Popular in mid-century watchmaking, the Lemania 92 is rarely seen now and makes a welcome reappearance in the Speake-Marin contribution to Only Watch 2019.
Tudor
Black Bay Ceramic One
Aficionados of vintage Tudor have embraced the Black Bay collection (introduced in 2012) with ardent passion, and it’s easy to see why. The Black Bay is not a straightforward reissue of Tudor’s most collectible archival pieces, but a strong and coherent assemblage of the best-loved elements from their past, such as the oversized winding crowns and “snowflake” hands. Offering the Black Bay in high-tech ceramic for Only Watch 2019 is a smart move, given the excitement over the PVD-coated Black Bay Dark (2016), but it’s also a statement about Tudor’s ability to move into the future whilst still honouring its rich past
