Last Saturday, November 6th, 2021, the 9th edition of Only Watch was held during an auction-packed weekend in Geneva. The Only Watch Charity Auction was the end of a journey that started on July 1st with the presentation of 53 unique timepieces created especially for this occasion. The grand total for the whole of Only Watch was nothing short of spectacular, raising CHF 30’000’000 for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
This year, the timepiece auctioned by Ulysse Nardin for Only Watch was not a wristwatch but a surreal high-flying clockmaker’s object, a work of art, a fusion of design and architecture, a toy, quite simply. The UFO presented for auction is a table clock in a “unique piece” version with an orange hued theme. Ulysse Nardin made a name for itself in the early 20th century with its marine chronometers. The UFO doesn’t sail the seven seas but pays homage to marine chronometers that were set on gimbles to counteract the effect of the ships’ motions at sea.
At an estimated starting bid price of 60’000 to 80’000 CHF, the orange version of the UFO achieved CHF 380’000 last weekend. This amount will help to support research into neurodegenerative diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy. “The 75 pieces of the original UFO were sold out in 21 days” explained Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin. “The winning bidder had the luck to acquire the only piece left in the world!”
