India Luxury Market
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The Only Watch auction has broken all records and gathered €5,060,000 after auctioning 33 of the most exclusive timepieces by Swiss watch makers. The Only Watch auction is a charity auction, held in Monaco to benefit research for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 33 of the top swiss watch makers offer their unique creations for this outstanding task. This is the 5th year of the auction and here are LuxuryVolt’s favourite timepieces from the collection. The auction was held on September 28, 2013
Blancpain Women Only Watch
The beautiful dove on the watch is made of white mother-of-pearl. This serene design is made especially for the Only Watch 2013 auction. The watch functions on a self-winding movement. Diamonds surround the dial and depict the hours too. Strap is white alligator. Back side has a sapphire crystal glass to make visible the oscillating weight bearing another dove engraving.
De Bethune Skybridge
A gorgeous night-sky blue, with stars that could not have been better represented in a watch dial. The watch design is dedicated to the night sky of November 19, 1857, the National Monegasque Feast Day. Its case diameter is 43 mm and is made of titanium.
Chanel Premiere Flying Tourbillon
The signature camellia, CoCo Channel’s favourite flower, adorns the dial of this watch, in white gold. 169 diamonds adorn the hands, flower and frame of the dial. The tourbillon is hidden behind the flower motif and can be seen rotating. The Premier Flying Tourbillon originally has diamonds on the front frame too. But a special version has been created for Only Watch auction with a black high-tech ceramic bezel.
Louis Vuitton Tambour Spin Time Regatta
What a stunner this one is. The 18K cold is designed with Paul Pettavino, the son of the president of The Monaco Association Against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophies. The watch is dominated with 18K gold. Dial is Blue sunray. Movement is Tambour Spin Time.
Hublot Classic Fusion With Red Ceramic
Sold for €100,000. For the 5th edition of the Only Watch auctions, Hublot has created a bright coloured ceramic, a first for the watch maker. The ceramic forms the 45 mm diameter of the dial frame. Inside is a skeleton work of art- the tourbillon looks so different and contemporary . The classic fusion watch is held by black alligator straps.
Harry Winston Midnight Big Date
Polished in 18K rose gold, the 42mm diameter watch runs on self winding mechanism. It has just one diamond placed above the date area, to depict Mr Winston’s habit of having one of his precious gems in his pocket at all times. The Midnight Big Date has 70 hrs of power reserve.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5004T
A watch who’s movement is controlled by 407 parts meticulously finished by hand has to be a rare creation. It was the most wanted watch at the Only Watch auction 2013 and sold for €2,950,000.
The movement of the watch that needs such intense work is called Nouvelle Lémania. Another aspect that makes this watch unique is that it is the first Reference 5004 watch made in titanium.
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Seconde Mystérieuse
The watch is christened Mystérieuse because of the ‘Mysterious’ way in which time is tracked, on this watch. The mysterious hand marks out a linear reading of the seconds. Large seconds display with black background and black/grey print . The off-centred hours and minutes dial is engraved and free of any numerals. The hours are read from the two hands at 2 o’clock.
*Images: Harry Winston, Chanel, Hublot, De Bethune, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Blancpain, Patek Philippe, Maurice Lacroix
Shilpa is a world renowned journalist and an expert in decoding India and Asia’s luxury markets for global readers. Her original, in-depth reports and analysis are frequently featured in prestigious international titles across the UK, China, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Oman.
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