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.
Balmont, a new France-based maker of affordable adventure watches, hits the road with two impressive models built with solid 40mm steel cases and plenty of panache.
Balmont’s BDX debut models.
With four different dial options, the watchmaker’s BDX series offers somewhat dressy dials that nonetheless front an automatic watch designed to confront darkness, heavy rain and multiple shocks.
Balmont fits each watch with an automatic Soprod P024 caliber tested to -7/+7 seconds per day and offering a 38-hour power reserve.
Framed with a stainless steel case water resistant to a full 200 meters, and capped with a large screw-down crown, the BDX offers a generous application of luminous material on the dial’s hands and markers, all protected by a sapphire crystal and a clear sapphire caseback.
And to underscore its adventure-focused mission, Balmont provides a second strap (nylon) with each watch, which arrives on a leather strap.
Balmont offers its BDX with a choice of a ceramic-coated black, silver, slate or white dial, each priced at $715.
Limited Model
In addition to its ongoing BDX series, Balmont supercharges its debuts the LAX001, a special model offered as a limited edition of 100 pieces. As its name implies (LAX is the Los Angeles airport code) the Balmont LAX001 features a classic so-called California dial that mixes Arabic and Roman markers, all of which glow brightly with SuperLumiNova BGW9 and C3.
The LAX001 retains the same technical specifications as the BDX, but comes on a cognac-colored Italian suede strap to more closely align with its California dive-model references. The supplied second strap is black nylon.
The watch’s dial is also sportier than the dial of the BDX with railroad track markers just inside the bezel and a glowing marker triangle rather than the brand’s logo at 12 o’clock.
Interestingly, the limited edition LAX001 also retains the same $715 price tag as the ongoing BDX model. I suspect the watch will quickly sell out after its September release date.
Miami-based ArmourLite Watch Company debuts the Isobrite T100 Naval Series, a trio of solid, eye-catching 300-meter dive watches.
One of three new watches in Isobrite T100 Naval Series. Pictured is the Naval Mariner.
Known for its highly shatter-resistant Armourglass crystals and luminous dials that feature Swiss-built tritium self-illuminated micro-tube watches, ArmourLite offers sports watches under its own name and under the Isobrite monicker.
The watchmaker offers the new Isobrite T100 Naval Series in three models: a blue-dial Naval Mariner, the black-dial Naval Amphibian (above) and the all-black Naval Destroyer.
The Naval Destroyer
ArmourLite builds each 44mm watch in the series using 316L stainless steel, which frames sixteen tritium markers that glow to provide more than ample illumination for evening and underwater visibility.
Each features a high-end unidirectional sixty-click ceramic bezel, a screw-down, double-gasket crown and a solid engraved caseback.
ArmourLite fits a reliable Swiss-Made Ronda 715Li quartz movement (with a 10-year lithium battery) inside, fully protected with a 300-meter water resistance rating.
The Isobrite T100 Naval Series combines specifications rarely seen in a steel-bracelet watch priced at $595. And at $549 on a rubber strap, it’s an even stronger high-value option for weekend boaters and divers.
During Geneva Watch Days Greubel Forsey introduced two of its Balancier Convex models in all-new carbon cases, each now measuring smaller in diameter than their existing titanium versions.
The new Greubel Forsey Double Balancier Convexe Carbon, with its 42.5 mm carbon case.
The new cases give these complex open-work watches a sleeker, sportier look when compared to their earlier counterparts. The Convexe collection is meant to be this high-end maker’s contemporary ‘daily wear’ collection, and these debuts certainly underscore that direction.
The new Greubel Forsey Balancier Convexe S² Carbon, now available in a 41.5mm carbon case.
Greubel Forsey explains that making its new carbon cases required a new technical approach that includes higher temperatures and greater pressure. Since the undulating Convexe case is anything but conventional, the company’s case-makers applied eight times the amount of pressure to create these cases when compared to the amount needed to create standard cases.
Double Balancier Convex
Now measuring 42.5 mm in diameter, 1mm smaller in diameter than an existing titanium version of the watch, this newest Double Balancier Convex retains its trademark dual and inclined balance wheels linked by a spherical differential (between 6 and 7 o’clock.)
Look for two versions of the new watch. One features an iridescent green finish matched with blue accents and a red tip on the power reserve display.
The second version of the debut is darker, with contrasts provided primarily by the signature Greubel Forsey hand-finished movement that boasts top-level mirror polishing, sharp internal angles, straight and circular-grained surfaces, and curved hands with luminescent tips.
Greubel Forsey will make the Double Balancier Convexe carbon in twenty-two pieces of each variation (black and green with matching strap). Price: $392,000.
Balancier Convex S2
Greubel Forsey has redesigned the Balancier Convexe S2 to account for its all-new carbon case. Now fit into a 41.5mm diameter size, smaller than existing 46.5mm models, the newest edition displays a noticeably tighter set of components, which accounts for its more compact look on the wrist.
The watch’s signature double open-work arched bridge remains as the watch’s beautifully polished centerpiece, again framing the wheel train below to appear as if it is suspended in air. The architectural layout, set within the undulating Convexe case shape, features three large hand-decorated bridges and a newly blackened twin barrel cover with relief engraving.
Greubel Forsey notes that even within the new carbon-cased model, the watch has retained its traditional case, lug and crown finishes.
The watchmaker will produce the new carbon-cased Balancier Convexe S2in two limited editions of 22 pieces each, the small seconds with blue or black treatment, matching textured rubber strap, and a titanium and carbon buckle. Price: $290,000.
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).
