Yesterday in Monaco, the Only Watch 2013 auction was held and the results are in. The event is meant to raise money for a medical charity, to which 100% of the proceeds go. Each of the watches submitted are totally unique and donated by the participating brands. People get very interested in the results, as it is not only a sign of the economy when it comes to Monaco’s wealthy elite (and others), but also the interest people have in specific brands and models. The total yield of Only Watch 2013 was 5,066,000 Euros (most of which is thanks to a single watch).
For 2013 there were some major winners and losers. All the lots sold of course, with some going over estimate, and some under estimate. Most of the lots however sold within the estimated price, and those aren’t covered in this article. So let’s take a look at the major winners and losers of the 2013 Only Watch auction. This article will only cover select lots, and for a full list of all the watches that were up for auction you can see our original Only Watch 2013 article here.
Winners:
Maybe my preferred variant of this DeWitt Academia Out Of Time watch is the model together with the royal blue dial. Boy, does that you look trendy. The odd movements on the dial mixed with the identifying instance and loud dial make for a decidedly “courtly” wrist statement. Every, I feel, has its own significant place in the group, and I need to say that although this view will not have an Academia-style case, the DeWitt Academia Out Of Time looks very unique among the bigger DeWitt watch collection.Above, I mentioned that DeWitt makes all their own movements. It’s quite impressive what the small brand does at their factory, and accurate enough, they create all their own things. For that reason, their movements frequently have a very first appearance to them , even for those that are basic. Inside the DeWitt Academia Out Of Time is your DeWitt grade DW1201 automatic. Power reserve is a decent 65 hours, and also the movement is created from 217 components. I enjoy the design of the movement which exposes the gears with a more grand perspective compared to a lot of others, and has that cool art deco-style automatic rotor design with the castle-style crenelation about its edge to mimic the “columns” on the face of the watch case.The DeWitt Academia Out Of Time comes only in 18k rose gold (for now) at a 42.5mm wide case. That really makes it among the smaller DeWitt watches out there (for men). The circumstance is 12.85mm thick, and there is black rubberized inlaid into the face of the case to further emphasize the “DeWitt imperial pillar” theme that’s there. Or you might view the side of the situation as looking like a row of angular (gold) robot teeth. Weird or not, I enjoy details like this as well as the detailing and assorted finishing on the lugs.
1. Patek Philippe 5004T
I’d like to say “wow, wow, wow,” but the super price fetched for this unique titanium Patek Philippe watch isn’t completely surprising. We first covered the Patek Philippe 5004T watch here in more detail. The no-longer-being-made 5004 series was always a winner at auction, but this version is perhaps the last of its kind and the only one ever produced in titanium. Sure to be an auction favorite (again) sometime in the future, the yield for this watch accounted for over 3/5ths of the total auction yield for the entire event. Getting almost $4,000,000 alone. Estimated price: 400,000 – 600,000 Euros. 2013 actual auction price: 2,950,000 Euros
2. Chronoswiss The Three Apes
The uniquely engraved dial and design made this Chronoswiss extra-special. I think at first glance many people felt it was something from Vacheron Constantin with a hand-made dial such as that which uses monkeys to portray the concept of “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil.” Estimate price: 22,000 – 32,000 Euros. 2013 auction price: 42,000 Euros
3. Girard-Perregaux Chrono Hawk
New for 2013, it looks like Girard-Perregaux’s updated Hawk (Chrono) watches are going to do well. This unique black and red model beat estimates by an impressive margin. Estimated price: 14,000 – 18,000 Euros. 2013 auction price: 32,000 Euros
4. Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral
A purist favorite, the still new Laurent Ferrier brand has classic watch lovers perpetually enthused with their Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral. This unique model narrowly beat estimates, but that is impressive for a small brand. Estimated price: 100,000 – 120,000 Euros. 2013 auction price: 130,000 Euros
5. Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Seconde Mysterieuse
A quirky modern watch with a cool seconds hand, this unique all-black Masterpiece Seconde Mysterieuse watch shows that Maurice Lacroix is hot right now. Estimated price: 15,000 – 20,000 Euros. 2013 auction price: 30,000 Euros
6. Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture
Aside from a few small differences such as “Only Watch” on the dial, this version of the new for 2013 Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer Manufacture with an in-house made chronograph movement is very similar to the retail version. Nevertheless, the strength of the brand shows as it beat price estimates. Estimated price: 30,000 – 40,000 Euros. 2013 auction price: 45,000 Euros