In Part 2 of our top 10 picks for this year’s Only Watch, we look at the next 5 pieces that are the most unique and deserving of the Only Watch moniker.
A little over a week ago, the Watch Advice team sat down to look at all 62 Lots that will make up this year’s Only Watch – the charitable auction that raises money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – a disease affecting 1 in 3500 boys that progressively weakens all their muscles, including the heart, the loss of the ability to walk and global autonomy as they get older.
We selected 10 pieces that were the most unique, those pieces that we felt the brands who made them pushed the boundaries in terms of either out of the box thinking, or something very different in design or materials to what they would normally do. If you missed our first article, then you can read Our Top 10 Picks For Only Watch 2023: Part 1 here. Now, onto part 2!
Lot 39 – Louis Vuitton Tambour Einstein Automata
Why We Love It
Louis Vuitton have been doing some out there pieces recently, remember the Tambour Opera Automata released earlier this year? LV’s high watchmaking via their La Fabrique du Temps is out there, and this piece is no exception. It incorporates a lot of artisanal techniques such as the micro-sculpture and grisaille enamel on the dial, and depicts the likeness of Albert Einstein in one of his most notorious photographic and mischievous portraits, sticking his tongue out in an unexpected moment of levity.
Being part of their Automata collection, it has the LV 525 calibre Automata mechanism featuring 4 animations, jumping hours, retrograde minutes and power reserve indicator so you can see how much of the 100 hours you have left!
Full Details: Only Watch – Louis Vuitton
Lot 41 – Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece
Why We Love It
Maurice Lacroix normally play in the mid range luxury segment and not normally a brand you would think producing a skeletonised hand-wound movement in a completely clear, hand finished sapphire case and crown. The movement also showcases the Only Watch 2023 colours across the off-centre dial’s periphery and indices, and on the bridges and plates.
This style of watch and the techniques used are a first for the brand, showcasing Maurice Lacroix pushing their boundaries here. The open-worked design allows the wearer to see the regulating organ, the mainspring in various states of tension, the gear train and even the keyless works. This puts Maurice Lacroix into the realms of high horology!
Full Details: Only Watch – Maurice Lacroix
Lot 55 – TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds
Why We Love It
The Monaco isn’t a new watch for TAG Heuer, it’s a classic. But what this watch is, is a first on many levels for TAG Heuer. The new TH81-00 is a first for TAG – an automatic split-seconds chronograph, is one of the most complicated chronograph complications on the market today. This is housed in a re-designed case inspired by the original 1969 model, but this time TAG Heuer have constructed it from texturised Titanium, designed and made in-house at the TAG Heuer Institute. Oh, and the movement, it’s also titanium!
This watch has been two years in development and showcases that TAG Heuer is really starting to look to both its past and future when it come to it’s watches, not just high level pieces. Well done TAG Heuer!
Full Details: Only Watch – TAG Heuer
Lot 58 – Tudor Prince Chronograph One
Why We Love It
This a little left of field this one. The Tudor Prince isn’t in the current Tudor line up, but it was up until 2000. For Only Watch 2023, Tudor has gone back in time to 1976 and brought the Tudor Prince Chronograph back to life, updating it substantially for 2023. This time, the brand has gone out on a limb and created their Only Watch version in full 18k yellow gold, compete with the oyster bracelet and patented T-fit clasp.
The chronograph movement is first for the brand however, with a brand new MT59XX prototype chronograph calibre built from the ground up and fully in-house. With a -2/+4 secs per day accuracy and their standard 70hr power reserve, this is a movement you will start to see filtering down eventually to the Black Bay Chrono, or maybe a re-birth of a classic is in store?
Full Details: Only Watch – Tudor
Lot 60 – URWERK Space-Time Blade
Why We Love It
We love this because, well it’s just cool. The Space-Time Blade is a 1.67m tall clock that tell the time with hours, minutes and seconds, and in addition, tracks the speed of the Earth’s rotation through space. This links nicely back to their watch pieces, like their UR-100 with the revolving satellite display and distance travelled on Earth and distance travelled by Earth.
The tube is made in collaboration with Dalibor Farny, the company behind the Nixie Tube clocks, which this consists of eight individual tubes in the blade, and connects to the bronze pedestal. This is one piece that would look great in the corner at night, with each tube emitting an orange glow.
Full Details: Only Watch – URWERK
So, there you have it – this rounds out our Top 10 picks for Only Watch 2023 with what we think are the most unique creations put forward by each brand participating this year. If you’re wanting to check out more of each Lot, then head to onlywatch.com/collection for the full collection. And if you missed Part 1 on our Top 10 picks, then check it out here.
