ONLY WATCH 2019:

Patek Philippe Sets New World Record


The Only Watch 2019 auction was held on Saturday, November 9 by Christies’ in Geneva, Switzerland. The 50 one-of-a-kind watches made for the biennial auction were auctioned off to support the research into the cure of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Luc Pettavino, founder and organiser of Only Watch (and winner of the 2019 GPHG Special Jury Prize): “What we do together on Only Watch is not just wishful thinking or good intentions. We are acting. The funds that we have raised over the past seven editions have been an incredible enabler for researchers all around the world to develop their science and get closer to a therapeutic solution for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. They have been used in the creation of biotech companies dedicated to drug discovery and preclinical development, they financed academic research.”

The Only Watch auction has been held biennially since 2005. To date, the charity auctions have raised more than $40 million, and this year’s sale has just added CHF 38,593,000 to that total. Main reason:

 

A New World Record

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 (the only stainless steel version of the Swiss manufacturer’s Grandmaster Chime) was not only the most talked about timepiece in the auction, the watch, equipped with a reversible case, two dials and 20 complications, sold for CHF 31,000,000 to an Asian collector, making it the most expensive wristwatch in the world.

 

The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime (Ref. 6300A-010) was created specially for Only Watch 2019. It stands out as the first and only version of this timepiece ever produced in stainless steel. 

 

Launched in 2014 on the occasion of Patek’s 175th anniversary, the Grandmaster Chime became part of the manufacture’s regular collection in a white-gold version in 2016. The most complex Patek Philippe wristwatch features 20 complications, including five acoustic functions, two of which are patented global premières: an alarm that strikes the preprogrammed alarm time and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand. The double-face case with the guilloched hobnail pattern is endowed with a patented reversing mechanism.

“Patek Philippe thanks customers, watch enthusiasts, and collectors for their trust in the course of the Only Watch auctions; they have been backing the rising prices and have invested considerable amounts in support of struggle against muscular dystrophy.”

 

6 Key Takeaways From The 9th Only Watch Auction

  • this year’s sale total was CHF 38,593,000, making it the biggest watch auction ever
  • 99% go directly to fund research into Muscular Dystrophy
  • the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A sold for CHF 31,000,000, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a wristwatch at auction
  • the Ref. 6300A also represents 80% of the total revenue of Only Watch 2019
  • 16 lots went for a lower hammer price than the estimate (see list below for all results)
  • with CHF 350,000, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One ended up being the watch with the biggest difference between hammer price and high estimate (it sold for more than 60 times its pre-auction estimate)

Scroll down for a closer look at how the participating brands performed:

 

Only Watch 2019 Results: Top 20

The 20 most expensive watches in 2019

 

Only Watch 2019 Auction Results: All Watches

(In descending order, prices are in Swiss francs, include the buyer’s premium and are rounded to the nearest franc)

Brand & Model High Estimate Hammer Price
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime 3 000 000 31 000 000
F.P. Journe Astronomic Blue 600 000 1 800 000
Audemars Piguet Code 11:59 Tourbillon 240 000 1 000 000
Akrivia Chronomètre Contemporain 60 000 360 000
Tudor Black Bay Ceramic One 5 500 350 000
Richard Mille RM 11-03 250 000 320 000
De Bethune and Urwerk Moon Satellite 150 000 300 000
Louis Vuitton Escale Spin Time 100 000 280 000
Bovet Récital 23 “Hope” 80 000 280 000
Hublot Tourbillon Sapphire Orlinski 180 000 240 000
Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune 55 000 210 000
Breguet Type 20 50 000 210 000
Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 1 200 000 150 000
Chanel J12 inséparables 27 000 130 000
Boucheron Ajourée Amvara 40 000 130 000
Czapek Faubourg de Cracovie 36 000 110 000
Voutilainen TP1 Pocket Watch 70 000 110 000
Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph 48 000 100 000
MB&F + L’Épée & T-Rex Tom & T-Rex 40 000 85 000
Zenith El Primero A386 45 000 75 000
Jacob & Co. Epic X Chrono Messi 100 000 75 000
Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire 69 000 70 000
Konstantin Chaykin Joker Selfie 24 000 70 000
Christophe Claret Maestro Corail 106 000 70 000
Fabergé Winter 70 000 70 000
Andersen Genève “Montre à Tact” 55 000 70 000
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi ScubaTec 30 000 60 000
Frederique Constantin Meteorite Tourbillon PPC 36 000 60 000
JLC Master UItra Thin Perpetual Enamel Chestnut 70 000 60 000
Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Blue 25 000 55 000
Armin Strom Pure Resonance 55 000 50 000
Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 50 000 48 000
H. Moser Endeavour Perpetual Moon Concept 45 000 48 000
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Barakuda 20 000 45 000
Singer Track 1 55 000 45 000
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic 35 000 45 000
DeWitt Academia Slide 80 000 45 000
Louis Monet Memoris 40 000 42 000
Cyrus Klepcys Alarm 47 000 42 000
Moritz Grossmann Réserve de Marche Classique 50 000 36 000
Ulysse Nardin Exo-Skeleton X 45 000 35 000
Artya Son of Earth Precious Butterfly Engraved 35 000 27 000
Trilobe “Les Matinaux” 12 000 26 000
Arnold & Son DSTB 38 000 26 000
Girard Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 16 000 24 000
Ateliers de Monaco Tourbillon Oculus 1297 70 000 24 000
Rebellion Re-Volt 55 000 24 000
RJ Arraw 6919 21 900 24 000
Speake Marin London Chronograph 30 000 20 000
Maurice Lacroix Aikon Mercury 15 000 17 000

Source: Christie’s / Only Watch

Leave a Reply