This year more than sixty watchmakers have created timepieces for the Only Watch charity auction, which begins Sunday, November 5, in Geneva. Christie’s will auction these incredible one-of-a-kind watches to raise funds that benefit research in the battle against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
While you may have seen a few of the watches set for auction earlier this year when Only Watch announced them, we thought you’d enjoy seeing many of these impressive designs again just ahead of the event.
The watches are currently touring the globe. After a visit to Los Angeles last week and New York until September 17, the tour will visit Monaco next, followed by stops in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Dubai and back in Geneva. See the Only Watch website for tour dates and details.
We continue our series by highlighting the F. P. Journe entry, called Chronometre Furtif Bleu, a time-only watch that features an unusual blue enamel dial within a complete tantalum case and bracelet.
The Chronomètre Furtif is so-named in reference to the difficulty of reading the time if the watch is not facing you. Unusually, the blue enamel dial reveals the frosted numerals only in the reflection of light.
In addition, the moon phase and power reserve indications are integrated into the movement and visible only on the back. The idea here to make a watch with indications primarily enjoyed only by its owner.
At the heart of this watch is a new hand-wound mechanical movement, Calibre 1522 in 18-karat rose gold with direct central seconds, a first for F.P.Journe.
Oris expands its dive watch collection with the AquisPro 4000m, a particularly deep-dive model that also offers an extra-long five-day power reserve.
The new Oris AquisPro 4000m.
Not only is the AquisPro 4000m the most water-resistant diver’s watch we’ve seen from this independent Swiss manufacturer, but its also the sportiest Oris watch to include Oris Calibre 400, a superior automatic mechanical movement that boasts the aforementioned five-day power reserve, plus strong anti-magnetism and chronometric accuracy.
At 49.5mm in diameter, the watch is a wristful, but given its 4,000-meter water resistance rating, thin is out of the question. Check out any of the other Oris dive models for your day-to-day nautical watch needs.
With this new watch, you’ll get professional level features such as the Oris Rotation Safety System bezel, which will lock the unidirectional bezel in place. Also note the serious security folding clasp extension system, which allows the wearer to easily adjusted for length to better fit over a wetsuit.
The watch’s titanium case frames an easy-to-read blue gradient dial with a seaworthy wave pattern.
Oris fits a blue ceramic insert with the requisite minutes scale into the unidirectional bezel and caps off the case with a blue rubber strap.
Very nice. Price: $6,200.
Recycled net dials
In addition to the new AquisPro 4000m, Oris is also partnering with Bracenet to create new watch dials from recycled fishing nets. The first watch made using the technology is the Oris X Bracenet, an Oris Aquis model outfitted with the swirled, pearlescent blue, green and white dial.
The two new Oris X Bracenet models feature dials made using recycled fishing line material.
Oris explains that to create these dials Bracenet warms small green, blue and white fishing net ‘offcuts’until they melt into a sheet of colorful material. Bracenet then sands the sheet until it’s 0.3mm thick, which Oris then cuts and places into each watch.The material contains no additives, fillers or glues and no two dials are the same.
Oris will offer two stainless steel versions of the watch, one with a 43.50 mm case and a second with a 36.50 mm case. Each is outfitted with Sellita-based Oris automatic mechanical movements and each features the full set ofAquis dive watch specifications (see below for details.). Price: $2,600.
Case:Multi-piece 49.50mm titanium case, lockable Rotation Safety System bezel, ceramic bezel insert, sapphire crystal domed on both sides, anti-reflective coating inside. Case back in titanium, screwed with special engravings.Stainless steel screw-in security crown. Water resistance to 4,000 meters.
Movement: Automatic Oris Caliber 400 with 120 hours of power reserve. High-level anti-magnetic protection.
Dial: Blue gradient with printed wave structure, Super-LumiNova indices. Center hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date, fine timing device and stop-second.
Strap: Blue rubber with titanium security folding clasp with extension.
Price: $6,200.
Specifications: Oris X Bracenet
Case: Multi-piece 43.5mm and 36.5mm stainless steel with sapphire crystal and screwed, see-through mineral caseback glass, special engravings on case. Stainless steel screw-in security crown with crown protection. Water resistance to 300 meters.
Movement: Automatic Sellita-based Oris 733 with 38-hours of power reserve.
Dial: End-of-life fishing net material melted and sanded to create unique pattern.Hands and indices filled with Super-LumiNova. Center hands for hours, minutes and seconds, date window at 6 o’clock, instantaneous date, date corrector, fine timing device and stop-second.
Bracelet Multi-piece stainless steel metal bracelet, security folding clasp (43.50 mm version comes with clasp extension).
Zenith presents two encore editions of its colorful Defy 21 Chroma, a white ceramicDefy 21 watch from 2022 characterized by a rainbow of colors on its dial and on its visible high-frequency movement components. The Le Locle manufacture unveils the Defy 21 Chroma II, a new edition of the watch, which Zenith is offering in a black ceramic case and a white ceramic case.
On the black ceramic Zenith Defy 21 Chroma you’ll find hues based on the primary colors.
The newest models, which maintain the original’s 44mm case diameter, offer their own range of colorful accents. On the black ceramic edition you’ll find hues based on the primary colors.
On the white ceramic Defy 21 Chroma Zenith emphasizes brighter colors like blue and pink.
On the white ceramic version the accents are brighter, emphasizing blues and pinks. On both, colors mark the hours and the 1/100-of-a-second scale and then continue to the crown’s rubber grip ring and the strap.
The color show continues within the movement, where Zenith has applied a different metallic color to each bridge, each coordinated with the adjacent dial marker color. From the clear sapphire back you can see more hues, notably the blue-colored oscillating weight and a colorized escapement bridge.
The movement here is Zenith’s 1/100th of a second chronograph movement, the El Primero 9004 automatic (the El Primero 21), which features two independent regulators and gear trains for the timekeeping and chronograph functions, operating at frequencies of 5Hz (36,000 VpH) and 50Hz (360,000 VpH), respectively.
Zenith is offering each model as a limited edition of 500 pieces. Price: $15,600. We expect these colorful models to sell quickly given the strong response to the original edition, which Zenith reports sold out of its 200-piece production run not long after its debut during LVMH Watch Week in 2022.
Specifications: Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Chroma II
(Reference: 49.9014.9004/01.R953, white ceramic model)
Movement: El Primero 9004. Frequency of 36,000 VpH – 5Hz (Watch) and 360,000 VpH – 50 Hz (Chronograph) with a power reserve of 50 hours (Watch) and 50 min (Chronograph). Certified Chronometer.“Rainbow” PVD-coated bridges and special blue-colored oscillating weight with satined finishings.
Functions: Hours and minutes in the centre. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. 1/100th of a second Chronograph: Central chronograph hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 60 second counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph power-reserve indication at 12 o’clock (approx. 50 min).
Case: 44mm matte white ceramic with flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides; caseback also with transparent sapphire crystal. Water resistant to 100 meters.
Dial: White open-worked with rhodium-plate, faceted and coated with rainbow varnish. Hands also rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with colored varnish.
Bracelet: White rubber strap with rainbow stitching. Titanium double folding clasp.
Price: $15,600
Specifications: Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Chroma II
Movement: El Primero 9004. Frequency of 36,000 VpH – 5Hz (Watch) and 360,000 VpH – 50 Hz (Chronograph) with a power reserve of 50 hours (Watch) and 50 min (Chronograph). Certified Chronometer. “Rainbow” PVD-coated bridges and special blue-colored oscillating weight with satined finishings.
Functions: Hours and minutes in the center. Small seconds at 9 o’clock. 1/100th of a second Chronograph: Central chronograph hand, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 60-second counter at 6 o’clock, Chronograph power-reserve indication at 12 o’clock (approx. 50 min).
Case: 44mm black micro-blasted ceramic with flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides; caseback also with transparent sapphire crystal. Water resistant to 100 meters.
Dial: Black open-worked with rhodium-plated hour markers, faceted and coated with “Rainbow” varnish. Hands are rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with colored varnish.
Bracelet: Black rubber strap with rainbow stitching. Titanium double folding clasp.
The precision craftsmanship and materials required to created a Japanese Katana sword inspires three new U.S.-exclusive Grand Seiko watches.
Grand Seiko SBGA489 and SBGA491.
The debut trio offers a choice of stunning deep red, green or black dials, each framed in a 40mm diameter by 12.5mm stainless steel case. Each features a stainless steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp, a dual-curve sapphire crystal and a clear sapphire case back exposing the superb Spring Drive Automatic Caliber 9R65 (see specifications below).
The new Grand Seiko SBGA493 is a limited edition of 500 pieces.
Grand Seiko explains that the high-carbon steel known as kawagane used for the outer sharp edge of katana sword inspired the black dial of SBGA489 debut model. Similarly, dial artists echoed the strong inner core of the blade (the shingane) when creating the dark green dial of SBGA491.
For the limited-edition model SBGA493 with the striking red patterned dial Grand Seiko specifically references “the determination and fiery spirit needed to craft the blade.
The deep red color with yellow gold-tone accents is influenced by the heated blade during the forging process. The pattern emulates the radiating sparks created when the hammer strikes the blade.”
Grand Seiko is issuing the red-dialed edition (SBGA493) as a limited edition of 500 pieces available in September, each priced at $6,000. The black-dial model (SBGA489) and the green-dial model (SBGA491) are priced at $5,600, and both are available now.
Specifications: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection 44GS USA Exclusive
Movement: Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 Driving system: Automatic Power reserve: 72 hours Accuracy: ± 1 second per day (± 15 seconds per month).
Grand Seiko Automatic Spring Drive 3-Day Caliber 9R65.
Case:40mm by 12.5mm stainless steel case with dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, see-through screw case back, water resistance to 100 meters and superior magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m.
Dials: Textured deep red (SBGA493), black (SBGA489) and green (SBGA491).
Bracelet:Stainless steel with three-fold clasp and push-button release. Kimono fabric strap included with SBGA493, the limited edition model.
Prices: $6,000 (SBGA493) and $5,600 (SBGA489 and SBGA491).
Porsche Design celebrates the 60thanniversary of the Porsche 911 with a new anniversary edition of its original Chronograph 1, the first blackened steel Porsche Design watch from 1972.
The new Porsche Design Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T.
The new model, the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T, is a flyback chronograph that features design elements and colors that specifically pay homage to the Porsche 911 S/T 2.4.
Porsche Design is reserving the new watch for the owners of the newest Porsche 911 S/T.
The car is known for its lightweight design concept, which is why Porsche Design built cases for the new watch in lightweight uncoated and sandblasted titanium, and in two hues: Ceramica (high gloss) or Brilliant Silver.
The black dial of the new watch, framed by a black bezel ring, mimics the car’s instrument panel, as does the green and red minute scale, which includes a red 60 to echo the look of the car’s retro rev counter.
The dial of the new Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T also features a day display in both German and English with the date colored in a brilliant phosphorous green. The white stop-seconds hand, which echoes the rev counter pointer, is coated with a generous amount of SuperLuminova.
Finally, Porsche Design has copied the font used to indicate the car’s gear shift pattern and applied it to the dial on the new watch, specifically on the chronograph sub-dials. The shift pattern itself can also be found on the dial.
Inside Porsche Design fits its excellent COSC-certified Porsche Design WERK 01.240 with flyback function and specially designed rotor available three options: high-gloss, silver or black. The movement is visible behind a sapphire crystal caseback.
Porsche Design offers the Chronograph 1 – 911 S/T in a Heritage version that incudes a Classic Cognac-colored genuine leather strap and a winding rotor on the back that features the Porsche crest. The S/T version includes a black leather strap and the S/T-branded rotor. Both versions come with the additional titanium bracelet.
All watches will have the limited edition number (of 1,963) engraved on the back of the watch. Porsche Design is also including a range of accessories with each watch, including a plaque featuring the 911 S/T image and the individual limitation number.
The black dial of the new watch, framed by a black bezel ring, mimics the car’s instrument panel, as does the green and red minute scale, which includes a red 60 to echo the look of the car’s retro rev counter.
