Mission accomplished for Antiquorum, Luc Pettavino and the 35 brands that each donated a one-of-a-kind (or first of limited series) model for Only Watch 2007, held during this year’s Monaco Yacht Show. They jointly raised almost fifty per cent more than the previous edition in 2005. The one-of-a-kind models by Patek Philippe and DeWitt alone brought in almost one million euros just between the two of them, while the new “Mille Starck”, a combination of talents that took first place in 2005 and third this year, earned even more than in the previous edition. The next is scheduled for 2009.

In 2005 at the first edition of Only Watch, the RM005 by Philippe Starck created a sensation by easily fetching the highest price (€285,000) ahead of two one-of-a-kind models by Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin (which tied at €120,000), followed by a gem-set Jaeger- LeCoultre Reverso (€110,000). In all, the 34 models exhibited at the Monaco Yacht Show had sold for a total of €1.907). There are three possible explanations behind this significant rise from one edition to another. First of all, the world economic situation: there have never been as many millionaires on earth, and yacht builders and watchmakers are among the first to benefit. Both groups were present in large numbers in Monaco on this particular occasion. Secondly, the success of the first edition naturally drew more participants to the latest one. The travelling exhibition preceding it was even better run and collectors were looking forward to this year’s auction with growing impatience and were prepared to spend even more. Finally, the brands themselves have got caught up in the excitement. The major media coverage of this event and the huge concentration of international fortunes present in Monaco for the world’s most luxurious yacht show had particularly impressed them in 2005. Those who saw a noble cause to be defended the first time around, also discovered a showcase far more impressive than anything comparable. This meant that even more brands were eager to invest in the creation of one-of-a-kind watches, while devoting more time to this project. Collectors’ high expectations were thus quite logically rewarded.

For Brandon Thomas, horology expert at Antiquorum, the prize for the warmest heartfelt gesture goes to Louis Vuitton. The Louis Vuitton product and communication teams invited Paul Pettavino, a young boy suffering from this disease, to spend several days at the workbench in their Parisian workshops. They reviewed the archives of the prestigious leather goods manufacturer in order to choose the parts and the colour of the model and its presentation box, and the youngster himself designed the motif appearing on the mini trunk. Another Antiquorum expert, Thomas Perazzi, sees the models selected for the auction as following into three categories: technical watches, jewellery models, and must-have items for devotees of a particular brand (such as the Royal Oak Offshore Volcano N°1 by Audemars Piguet).

Prior to the auction, a one-of-a-kind titanium watch by Patek Philippe was expected to fetch a record price, while the Richard Mille by Starck watch and the Incognito by DeWitt and Wilmotte also appeared liable to make a strong showing. Brandon Thomas pointed out during the run-up: “It’s the very first publicly available titanium Patek Philippe watch – to my knowledge there has only been other, which was made to order and thus private – and it is a one-of-a-kind model. One of our Asian clients comes especially to Monaco for this occasion, and we are in constant phone contact with many others around the world”. Moreover, the creations by the Mille-Starck and DeWitt-Wilmotte pairings, in addition to their undeniable intrinsic technical qualities, feature the advantage of being immediately perceived as one of a kind, which further heightens their attractiveness to collectors. According to Brandon Thomas, “This time, the RM is more Mille than Starck than in 2005, even though Starck’s influence is immediately recognisable in the strap”. As far as the DeWitt is concerned, brand enthusiasts long to get hold of a concept watch of this kind, particularly within a setting such as the Monaco Yacht Show and the Only Watch auction. The same reasoning was likely to apply to De Bethune, even though brand awareness is still well below the level of its extraordinary know-how. Prior to the sale, Antiquorum experts estimated that the one-million mark would already be reached with just the three above-mentioned models.

Among the “small brands” hoping to appeal to collectors, Antiquorum experts saluted the innovation highlighted by Frédérique Constant in its Heart Beat Manufacture model, which incorporated glass into a movement for the very first time (a Zerodur balance wheel). “It’s been 150 years since glass was used in watch or clock parts and research has been seeking a way of making antimagnetic parts. Frédérique Constant has made the most of the latest technological breakthroughs to create this silicon escapement and this Zerodur balance wheel”, commented Brandon Thomas. “Collectors should be impressed”.

Now firmly ensconced by Antiquorum in the luxury temple of the Monaco Yacht Show, Only Watch should continue to chart a fair course in the forthcoming years while maintaining a cruising speed of one edition every two years. A new date in the watchmaking calendar is born.