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Our 10 favourites from Only Watch 2017

The annual charity auction to raise funds for research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy will be returning on 11 November, and along with some fantastic one-off timepieces, some unique once-in-a-lifetime experiences will accompany them. Here are our top 10 watches from the sale…

Ressence

In collaboration with Hodinkee, the Ressence Type 12OW was created to honour those fighting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, with each layer of its sintered titanium case representing a milestone towards a cure. With hints of green throughout — the colour of hope — this watch is more than deserving of its 18,000–22,000-euro estimate.

Girard-Perregaux

A reinterpretation of the iconic model from the 1970s, the 42mm Laureato 2017 Special Edition is an absolute vision in bronze. With a complementary slate grey dial and chocolate brown alligator skin bracelet, this watch is worth every euro of its 14,000 to 17,000 estimate.

Montblanc

Inspired by Montblanc’s illustrious heritage, the 44mm 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Unique Piece pays tribute to the 1858 Chronograph Tachymeter Blue Limited Edition 100 by featuring the monopusher chronograph calibre. Estimated at 26,000 to 32,000 euros, this is the first to pair a bronze case with a vintage graduated green dial and matching green alligator strap.  

Zenith

Taking the charitable occasion very seriously, Zenith has dedicated its new 44mm, black DLC titanium Defy El Primero 21 (est. 11,000–17,000 euros) — which features a new 1/100th of a second chronograph movement and double chain structure with two regulators — to Only Watch, incorporating the name on the caseback and the yellow from its logo throughout.

Tag Heuer

Not just a watch, Tag Heuer’s one-off contribution is a special-edition ‘Only Watch’ luxury kit. Estimated between 14,000 and 23,000 euros, the kit includes the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45, which can be interchanged with the module Heuer-02-T Tourbillion (also included), and an additional strap — all featuring Only Watch’s signature yellow.

Louis Vuitton

The Rubik’s Cube-esque 41mm ‘Black & Fire’ Escale Spin Time is truly hypnotising. Finished in vibrant red, orange, and yellow, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton’s newest horological piece (est. 46,000–73,000 euro) is the embodiment of world travel, with a globe featured in the centre of the sapphire crystal and an Ardoise Taiga leather trunk accompanying the timepiece.

Frederique Constant

This 42mm Manufacture Perpetual Calendar, estimated at 15,000–24,000 euros, is simply out of this world. While the 8K polished rose gold 42mm case is rather breath-taking, it’s the one-of-a-kind meteorite dial, the stones of which were found in the desert of Namibia, that is truly astonishing. 

Blancpain

The Fifty Fathoms of 1953 was a horological masterpiece that had a great impact on the underwater explorers of the world, being the first ever modern diver’s watch. Estimated between 9,000 and 15,000 euros, the black-and-yellow 40mm Tribute to Fifty Fathoms is a beautiful reinterpretation of this iconic timepiece. 

Patek Philippe

Nothing but the blues for the 42mm Reference 5208T-010 (est. 822,000–1m euros), with its blue dial adorned with a hand-guilloche carbon-fibre pattern and blue Cordura bracelet. It’s the first and only version of the Reference 5208 Triple Complication wristwatch — which features a minute repeater, a monopusher chronograph, and an instantaneous perpetual calendar displayed in apertures along an arc — to ever have a titanium case.

Hublot

The Big Bang Unico Sapphire Usain Bolt features a 45mm sapphire case with green and gold accents on its skeleton dial, as well as a lightning bolt and a silhouette of the “Fastest Man on Earth’s” legendary victory pose. Estimated at 46,000–73,000 euros, the watch has two bracelets — a transparent strap and yellow-gold calfskin strap with an image of the Jamaican flag.

Photos: Only Watch

More information about the Only Watch charity auction can be found on its dedicated website