As a physiology major in university, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy played a large part in our studies. A genetic disorder affecting mainly boys, its effect on growing children is devastating, as muscle membrane proteins are unable to repair effectively. Currently, gene therapy is undergoing trials in patients, and it has shown some promise in increasing muscle strength – however, there is still much work to be done in this field in order to develop new therapies for this affliction. 

Every two years, the watch world together with the Association Monegasque contre les Myopathies, works on an auction where all proceeds go to funding research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – as of early 2021, over 70 million Euro has been raised to benefit children afflicted by this disease. It is an opportunity for brands and independent watchmakers to put forward their wildest watches, ranging from prototypes, to altered colour schemes for familiar pieces, all the way to new movements and complications.

For someone who studied physiology, and has delved into the mechanisms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, it is truly enlightening to see the watch world come together for such a noble cause. It is one of the rare times we see the industry so united, and we think there is no better cause than this for them to create these one-offs.

Our founder Adi Soon has written about his picks for Only Watch – here are my fantasy picks if I had the wallet to help raise money for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Akrivia – Chronometre Contemporain II

A darling child of the independent watch scene, Rexhep Rexhepi begins a new chapter in his career with the Chronometre Contemporain II. Retaining the lauded classical aesthetics of the first version of his Chronometre Contemporain, the watch is built from the ground-up as an entirely new timepiece.

A dial with a two-stage production process of grand-feu enamel, followed by a translucent champagne-coloured flinque enamel graces the front of the watch.l  The case, hewn from 950 Platinum respects traditional craftsmanship, and is produced in 14 parts by Jean-Pierre Hagmann – a boitier/casemaker by trade who has been lauded for his minute repeater cases, manufacturing for numerous brands in the past and is now working with Rexhepi. The “JHP” hallmark on the lugs signifies its provenance, and each of these lugs are individually soldered to the case.

Housed within its platinum case is a manually wound movement that is aesthetically similar to what was housed in the previous Chronometre Contemporain, however it now incorporates a dead-beat seconds mechanism, as well as being certified by the Besancon Observatory. This watch also includes an experience of visiting the Besancon Observatory – undoubtedly a package that represents fine watchmaking as a whole, in its craftsmanship and its history.

Blancpain – Tribute to Fifty Fathoms No-Rads

Proving to be incredibly popular amongst watch fans, the Tribute to Fifty Fathoms series of watches looks back into the archives, and revives key models that were instrumental in forming the evolution of the modern dive watch. At Only Watch 2021, the No-Rads has been brought back with orange-coloured accents on the dial and bezel to match with the theme of the auction – this can look like an attractive pumpkin-like patina, which vintage enthusiasts are sure to enjoy.

This version for this edition of Only Watch also removes the date window, cleaning up the dial and making it more symmetrical – this is, however, not how the original was presented, but will be sure to please those that love a cleaner aesthetic. The orange colour scheme extends down to the No-Rads symbol at 6 o’clock – instead of yellow and red, it is now orange and yellow. Powering this version of the watch is the Blancpain Calibre 1154, with a custom-engraved rotor commemorating Only Watch 2021.

Chopard – Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Only Watch

For fans of Switzerland, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono Only Watch is the brand’s familiar sports watch, but with the addition of a natural Swiss granite stone dial from the Graubunden region of the country. Speckled with blue and green inclusions, the dial echoes the view of the Alpine region from the sky.

Naturally, in order to view the beauty of the stone dial, the sapphire crystal has the brand printed onto it. The 44mm case is made from Lucent Steel, the same as in the main line collections where a portion of the steel used is recycled – this steel is also harder than traditional 316L Stainless Steel used in many watches. Housed within the fantastic steel case is the Chopard 03.05-C movement, for which 3 patents are filed for the chronometer certified movement, and the watch is delivered on a calfskin strap with a titanium inlay.

Czapek – Antarctique Rattrapante “Sunrise”

ISOCHRONO are very much fans of this new release from Czapek, and we wrote about it extensively earlier this year. This version of the Antarctique features an orange colour that is CVD coated, done in partnership with Positive Coating.

The movement itself is also the fruit of a partnership – with Chronode, no less. The SHX6 movement displays the entire split seconds chronograph mechanism on the dial side, to display the beauty of its finishing, and the mechanical interactions each component plays when the chronograph is activated.

Housed in Stainless Steel, and measuring in at 42.5mm, the Antarctique Rattrapante “Sunrise” also features chronograph subdials and a minutes track in fume coated sapphire crystal – the minutes track also features a hidden message from 0-10 seconds – “Courage Every Second” – a message that is fitting for an auction that benefits Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 

DeBethune/Voutilainen

On the surface the entry from DeBethune and Kari Voutilainen represents a collision of worlds, with a stark juxtaposition of classic and modern watchmaking in one watch. In reality, the duo of Denis Flageollet and Kari Voutilainen is closer than one might think – they both had the same teacher when they attended watchmaking school, and hence, each side represents their vision of watchmaking.

Kari Voutilainen’s side of the watch continues his very classical interpretation of watch dials, with multiple forms of guilloche visible on the dial, and heavily stylised Breguet-esque hands. Denis Flageollet’s side, on the other hand, displays the hyper-modern watchmaking that DeBethune is famous for – Star Trek-like shapes for the movement components, and skeletonised bridges to expose more of the mechanisms lying underneath.

Voutilainen’s side uses the Isogone display, where a minute ring revolves with the minutes hand. This means that hands will always line up at the hour, be at 90 degrees for 15 minutes past the hour, 180 degrees for the half hour, and 270 degrees for 45 minutes past the hour – the idea being that the display of the hands remains consistent throughout the hours. This side also features a large deadbeat seconds hand. DeBethune’s side involves a rotating minute hand at the periphery of the dial, and the hours indicator curiously positioned where the balance wheel is located – an unusual arrangement, but nonetheless an attractive one that leaves the construction of the movement to speak wonders for the watch. The calibre OW21 housed within has a 4 day power reserve, and features a titanium balance wheel as well as a silicon escapement.

FP Journe x Francis Ford Coppola – FFC Blue

Taking an incredible 7 years from conception to development, the FFC Blue was inspired during a dinner between Coppola and Journe, with Coppola asking if there was any possible way for a watch to tell the time with a hand – and not in the sense that we are used to in watchmaking. Journe took the inspiration of this display from a mechanical hand created by Ambroise Pare, the father of modern surgery, and had to devise a way to display all 12 hours with only 5 fingers.

Furthermore, this is powered by a version of the Octa 1300 movement, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Housed within a weighty tantalum case, the movement is crafted entirely of rose gold, and the rotor is engraved with the names of Ambroise Pare, Francis Ford Coppola, and of course, FP Journe.

The minutes are displayed on a disc on the periphery of the dial with a blued triangular arrow, and of course, the “digital” hours are indicated by the blue hand in the centre of the dial. Whilst we can certainly think of ways that this watch can be even more provocative through the use of its middle digits, this watch is certainly provocative enough with its radical display of time, and incorporation of automata in its construction.

Girard-Perregaux – Casquette, Only Watch Edition

It’s back to the future for Girard-Perregaux at the 2021 edition of Only Watch, as the brand works with Bamford Watch Department to unveil a new version of the famous LED watch from 1976. The watch uses a new movement that utilises an LED display, just like the original Casquette, but protects this in a case of forged carbon and titanium.

Titanium pushers are used to activate the display – just like in the 1970s, LED displays still utilise a lot of power, and the pushers activate the display on demand. Undoubtedly, this is a great way to get vintage vibes from the 70s, whilst retaining an essence of modernity in the form of the case.

Krayon – Anywhere

Featuring a lacquer dial with a mosaic effect, the Krayon Anywhere for Only Watch 2021 features an interpretation of Claude Monet’s “Impression, rising sun” on its Metiers d’Art dial. Distinctive for being the only watch with its Equation of Time and Sunrise/Sunset function capable of being set for any location on Earth, the buyer of this watch will be able to choose the location upon purchase.

The watch also features an incredible amount of fine finishing on the movement – as a prototype, it is finished excellently with manually executed bevels, many of them internal bevels.

MB&F HM10 Panda Only Watch

The shape of the “bulldog” lent itself well to an iteration of this watch in Panda form, with its rounded edges and organic forms. To further the Panda aesthetic, titanium ears were added to domed upper sapphire crystal, the upper case was reworked in stainless steel to accept a black and white lacquer finishing, and a silicon nitride ball was used for its tail. As the Panda is always munching on bamboo, the teeth remain underneath the “eyes/hour and minutes indicators” of the panda – this also serves to indicate the power reserve. To top it all off, the Panda motif is further reinforced with a black and white velcro strap.

Patek Philippe – “Complicated Desk Clock”

For those that managed to procure the entire collection of Patek Philippe watches (including the elusive Nautilus 5711/1A), Patek Philippe dug deep into its archives and based their Only Watch 2021 entry on a clock owned by a famous collector. Originally delivered in 1923, the original clock was ordered by James Ward Packard, and now resides in the Patek Philippe Museum.

The modestly named Only Watch 2021 clock is a veritable horological beast, hewn from Sterling Silver, with vermeil decorative elements and American walnut furniture. Driven by the Calibre 86-135 PEND IRM Q SE, the clock boasts a power reserve of 31 days with power reserve indicator, a perpetual calendar, jumping seconds and a week indicator shown through a red window at the periphery of the dial. Its precision in construction utilising its Gyromax balance wheel and a 28,800 vph oscillation frequency, the clock is adjusted to within +1/-1 seconds per day – an amazing rate of accuracy for a mechanical clock, and we can expect nothing but the best from Patek Philippe.

Speake Marin – Dual Time Openworked Only Watch The Sun

With the world awakening from its pandemic slumber, it could be said that the Speake Marin is a watch for the times. Equipped with an in-house dual-time movement (the SMA02), the watch is ready to accompany its wearer on journeys across the world.

Contrasting with 42mm DLC coated case is an orange dial that is the thematic colour of this year’s edition of Only Watch, not only representing hope and progress in the world of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research, but also a reminder of the reemerging world.

TAG Heuer – Only Watch Carbon Monaco

A modern reinterpretation of the “Dark Lord” Monaco, the watch takes its inspiration from this vintage model of the 70s, and utilises modern materials to update its look and feel, whilst incorporating thoroughly modern features in its movement construction. The case is made from forged carbon, and the Only Watch 2021 thematic colours of orange stand out against its dark skeletonised dial.

The movement features a ‘gratte’ finish to echo a finishing flag that brings to mind its racing heritage, and the rear of the watch features the largest sapphire crystal case back to ever be featured on a Monaco. Within the forged carbon case is the Heuer 02 in-house movement, that is curiously fitted with a carbon hairspring – continuing the theme of carbon within the movement. It is fantastic to see that the carbon hairspring has made its way back to a production watch, and we can only hope that it is a signal for things to come.

Zenith x Felipe Pantone – Defy Double Tourbillon Felipe Pantone

All of your chromatic dreams come true – Defy Double Tourbillon Felipe Pantone brings the artist’s chromatic artistic inspiration to the wrist in an amazing 46mm sapphire case. A rainbow for the wrist, the multi-coloured finishings are applied to an El Primero 9020 movement that features one tourbillon for timekeeping and one for the chronograph itself, beating at 5Hz and 50Hz respectively. Accompanying the watch will be an artwork made by the artist himself. Two whirlwinds are better than one, and with this watch and the accompanying artwork, it will undoubtedly be a colourful one at that.

With this being said, the one element that has been the talk of our industry, especially in the first half of 2020, was that of the tradeshow. Adi Soon, our editor has written extensively about his opinions on the demise of Baselworld (see his article: The Golden Goose (Baselworld) is Finally Dead), as well as the writer of this article (see Martin Goh’s article: Opinion – Baselworld’s Demise and the Meaning of Privilege).

The future of the watch industry tradeshow seemed very much in doubt last year, with cancellations and “postponements” being a result of the global health crisis – however, one tradeshow went ahead, and showed the possibility that brands bring the impetus needed to a digital version of a tradeshow, and this was Watches and Wonders, formerly the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH).

Four brands that arguably have the largest pull factor to the show – Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe and Rolex effectively heralded the death of Baselworld, with many of their executives expressing their dismay at the fair. In particular, Thierry Stern of Patek Philippe summed up their feeling as such: “Today Patek Philippe is not in line with Baselworld’s vision anymore, there have been too many discussions and unsolved problems, trust is no longer present”. As Wined Dined and Timed has written, much of the industry is based on gentlemen’s agreements, agreements that were very much violated during the “postponement” phase of Baselworld during the pandemic.

However, the 2020 edition of Watches and Wonders proved that a digital watch tradeshow can exist, and be successful. Furthermore, a press release dated in November 2020 from the organising committee of Watches and Wonders also shows the future of the watch tradeshow – with the continued pandemic raging in Europe, a digital version of the show was a no-brainer. Curiously, the 4 brands that were supposed to have a show concurrent to Watches and Wonders have now signed on to exhibit at Watches and Wonders – Chanel, Chopard, Patek Philippe and Rolex. This not only demonstrates the viability of the digital tradeshow, but also the level of trust between the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie and the 4 brands that left Baselworld. There is also no doubt that these brands will bring many more visitors to the digital tradeshow, given that their presence at Baselworld drew most of the crowds for watches.

There is no doubt that brands have changed their ways of communication during the pandemic, and rightfully so. However, I do not believe that a digital-only tradeshow or unveiling will be the way of the future. There will always be a place in the luxury industry for physical gatherings, and where possible, these will occur so that journalists and enthusiasts can touch, feel and experience the product. Watches are a part of the luxury industry that still needs physical presence for the watch to have an effect on the viewer, and so I believe that tradeshows will go back to being physical tradeshows when possible, but include much more digital interactivity than ever before. Unveilings may be made live, like with the recent Hublot x Murakami piece that was released at LVMH Watch Week in 2021, and keynote speakers may feature again, like at SIHH 2019 (recommended viewing: https://youtu.be/M9Pqi-QMoQw – Max Busser’s Keynote at SIHH 2019). 

The operation of a simultaneous digital and physical tradeshow will bring much more attendance through the following means – journalists and enthusiasts are brought together in one place to broadcast the new releases, and watch connoisseurs on far-flung sides of the Earth can enjoy the media and created content at their convenience. In this way, it is really a win-win situation for all parties involved – even the brands get more impressions on their pieces. Now, it just comes down to how much the brands are willing to invest into such an omni-channel experience. We can only hope that the brands see the value in this omni-channel method, from first viewing (online through watch media or through advertising) all the way to final purchase that can occur months or years down the line.

Speake-Marin One & Two Openworked Dual Time

This is definitely a collection that has marked a clear transition away from the off-the-shelf movements of the brand’s standard watches, moving towards specially developed in-house calibres with special features that offer more horological interest to buyers.

This year, Speake-Marin has doubled down on this direction, extending its Openworked range with a new watch that is decidedly more high-end than the rest, the “One & Two” Openworked Tourbillon with a 60 seconds Flying Tourbillon.

The aesthetics of the new watch are mostly the same as the time only and dual time versions before, and that is on account of the fact that all of them have movements that are related in their structure. This new one, with an off-centred, flying tourbillon at 1.30 o’clock, where the small seconds complication would be located on the previous “One & Two” watches, is the new SMA05 Calibre.

From the dial of the watch, the 3Hz (21,600 alt/h) flying tourbillon is visible, with the cage covered by the iconic Speake-Marin rotor shape in black as a reminder of the Speake-Marin logo. Also visible is the micro-rotor for automatic winding at 5 o’clock and the 72 hour barrel at 10 o’clock.

Given the space constraints that existed in the base calibre, the tourbillon is necessarily quite small, yet it is still plainly visible and adds something special to the collection. Speake-Marin claims that the tourbillon gives the watch a +/- 4 second per day accuracy, which is sort of within, yet not really matching up to COSC certification (at +6/-2 seconds a day). That being said, it is quite uncommon for a brand to claim accuracy performance with regards to tourbillons, even though this is their raison d’être, so it is a welcome move on their part. It does invite people to test the claim however, so we’ll see if it stands up in real world use if we have the chance.

While the headline feature is the flying tourbillon, the new watch features a new version of the brand’s signature “Piccadilly” case. While the new case looks to the naked eye to be the same as the original, some subtle changes have been made. For example, it allows straps to be integrated closer to the case. Also the signature onion crown has been moved further into the case. Lastly, the bezel and caseback slightly overlap the central case section, with a new box crystal allowing a reduced overall thickness, while making the profile of the watch very attractive.

A word on the name of the collection. Now, I’ve written about this before, and it bears repeating again since it can be a little confusing. The “One” and “Two” in the name of the collection refers to the case metals offered, with rose gold being “One”, and titanium being “Two”. This fact coupled with the watches coming in both 38 and 42mm case sizes means that there can be some confusion on what is exactly available and what the name of the collection refers to. I’m helping you to clarify this in case you are thinking of buying this watch, or indeed any of the others in the “One & Two” collection.

So Speake-Marin, please do try to clarify these facts in your press release or at least modify the name of the collection to something that is easier for people to understand. I think that it does no favours to people who might be attracted to the aesthetics and horological merit of the collection, and then be stumped by something so confusing.

The One&Two Openworked Tourbillon is a limited edition of 10 pieces in each case metal (rose gold or titanium), with 5 in a 38mm case and 5 in a 42mm case. That means a total of 20 watches in case it’s not clear.

All in all, it’s a nice release from Speake-Marin, and I’m keen to have a look at the physical watches themselves as I was impressed by the Dual Time last year. This collection deserves to be more well-known than it is currently based on what it offers, and I hope that the brand will be able to make a case for it among watch buyers in the future.

[ninja_tables id=”5447″]

The One & Two Openworked watches that appeared in 2017 as the J Class One & Two was easily one of the best launches from Speake-Marin in recent times. It was the start of something important for the brand, as these watches were, in aesthetics and complication, the ideal candidate to become a foundational model upon which a nice collection could be built.

With a small seconds sub-dial in a totally new position, at 1.30 o’clock, a micro rotor on the dial side and a skeletonized in-house and COSC Certified Calibre SMA01, these watches had, in my opinion, the prerequisites to become future icons for the brand, something which Speake-Marin has not had in a real way for an entire watch, even when considering the distinctive Piccadilly case.

At SIHH 2019, we find the promise of the collection’s original intent marching forward with the new One & Two Openworked Dual Time, one of the best surprises of the fair. I rationalised that a nice collection could be built from the original watches, but even so, when one looks at the original One & Two Openworked watches, it is quite an exercise to think of a way to incorporate new complications into the design, since each element seems to have a rightful place on the dial.

Well, Speake-Marin must have considered this fact even when the original watches were designed, for it is amazing that barely two years later at SIHH 2019, they have released a new variation of these watches that come with not one, but two new complications, all placed in a way that does not disrupt the lines of the original design. For this reason, it’s not hard to see why the new Speake Marin One & Two Openworked Dual Time ranks as one of the best releases I’ve seen at the fair this year.

Looking closely at the watches, one finds that the GMT function is displayed via a ring around the micro-rotor, a position that makes sense since this is the complication that you will be using most often while travelling, to track home time.

Note that this GMT function of this watch is the proper type, or a Real GMT, in that when you pull out the crown to adjust it, the main hour hand jump in one hour steps, instead of the little triangle within the GMT sub-dial. This is the proper way, since as you land in a new timezone, you allow the main hour hand to jump to the correct local time, while the 24 hour display in the GMT sub-dial remains constant to your home time.

What about the date? Well, blink and you might miss it. In this case, the date is a retrograde one that functions via a little bracket that moves on a curved track running along one side of the small seconds sub-dial. Sure, it is a little small, but it makes sense in the context of the design, since it is there when you need it, and of “disappears” when you don’t.

Certainly, since this watch priorities the GMT function, when you use this watch in its intended way, when travelling, it is the main time, and the GMT time that are the ones you’ll look at more often. The date can be relatively small in this case, since in the hierarchy of information that you need to get from the watch, you will use it less times. Perhaps once or twice a day in my experience, for example when you land in a new place and need to look at the date to fill up an immigration form.

The new watches come with a variant of the original Calibre SMA01. This time it is the Calibre SMA02, having the same self-winding movement with micro-rotor, and adding the retrograde date and Dual Time indication via an in-house design module. Note that unlike its predecessor, this new movement is not COSC Certified, though given the pedigree of the original, it’s not hard to imagine that the new variation will display similar levels of performance.

Now a word on the name of the collection as it relates to the watches. The collection is called One & Two, and the convention follows from original One & Two Openworked watches. In that instance “One” refers to variants in a Rose Gold case while “Two” refers to variant in a Titanium case. At the moment the One & Two Openworked Dual Time comes only in a Rose Gold case, either a 38 and 42mm case size. However it is not hard to imagine that a Titanium version will be announced soon, also with the aforementioned two cases sizes. This Rose Gold Edition you see here however is in a Limited Edition of 20 pieces in each case diameter. Truth be told, the naming convention is a little confusing, but it’s a small thing considering what the watches bring to the table in terms of looks, complication and utility. Either way, I’m looking forward to have one of these on the wrist while travelling, since they really deserved to be tried out and worn for their intended use. I’ll see if I can get one from Speake-Marin to do so for a more well-rounded review.

[ninja_tables id=”1589″]