Messages: 25832 Location: Washington, DC
Registered: November 2003
INDUSTRY NEWS – Only Watch 2007 – DeWitt Shatters Auction Records
Fri, 21 September 2007 09:11
“INCOGNITO 2008”, THE UNIQUE AND MYSTERIOUS WATCHMAKING CONCEPT DEVELOPED WITH ARCHITECT JEAN-MICHEL WILMOTTE, WENT UNDER THE HAMMER AT 400,000 EUROS, WITHOUT BEING PRESENTED!
“Sold for 400,000 Euros !”. Never before had bidding on an invisible watch reached such dizzying heights within the setting of the Only Watch operation, a charity auction organised in Monaco and initiated by the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy. “Incognito 2008”, an avant-garde watch concept developed by the House of DeWitt and renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, literally shattered auction records by reaching second place. The result is all the more exceptional in that this unique creation was… absent from the sale! After fierce bidding which started at 100’000 Euros, the DeWitt creation was finally snapped up by Mr. Jimmy Tan (Prince Jewellery and Watch Company), one of the best-known Hong Kong distributors of Haute Horlogerie.
Eager to focus on the heart-felt gesture by underscoring the primacy of the aims pursued by Only Watch, DeWitt wished to wager on the buyer’s commitment to the charity operation as well as on his confidence in the innovative capacities of the Haute Horlogerie brand. The gamble paid off, since “Incognito 2008” will be handed over to its owner at the start of next year, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the House of DeWitt.
Exceptions are and will always be the rule at DeWitt.
For its second participation in Only Watch, held in Monaco on September 20th, DeWitt chose to present a concept that is absolutely unique in several respects: a world first in both form and content! “Incognito 2008”, an exceptional horological creation and authentic machine of future time, has been developed to celebrate the anniversary of the Brand that will be entering its fifth year of existence in 2008.
Time and Creativity, mental architecture and spatial construction united in a vision for tomorrow… This “machine” of future time was developed by two exceptional friends: a creative designer and a renowned architect. Jérôme de Witt and Jean-Michel Wilmotte have “merged” their thoughts in developing a timepiece featuring an exceptional design and truly avant-garde technology. Unprecedented, highly technical and unmistakably exclusive, this expression of the Art of Horology is equipped with a flying tourbillon regulator endowed with a 21-day power reserve. The supporting structure of the mechanism, made from a lithium-aluminium alloy with a density of 2.6 g/cm3, is framed by a spectacular exterior crafted from equally distinctive materials echoing the completely innovative design of the model. Everything about this extraordinary futuristic creation evokes the most cutting-edge high-tech industries.
Sold in Monaco yesterday for 400,000 Euros – it was estimated at between 380,000 and 420,000 Euros, already one of the highest evaluation among the auction lots – this unique and mysterious project will be unveiled well after the bidding in January 2008, to the delight of the collector who has shown such great trust in DeWitt several months before being able to satisfy his curiosity and discover a masterpiece of avant-garde contemporary Haute Horlogerie.
Conceptual daring is an integral part of the DeWitt philosophy, as confirmed by all the creations launched by the brand and representing major landmarks in the recent history of avant-garde Haute Horlogerie. The mysterious timepiece designed for Only Watch is thus entirely in keeping with this recurrent rule applied by DeWitt.
This incredible challenge was grounded upon the absolute trust that the bidder was able to place in DeWitt and its capacity of surprising connoisseurs by its exceptional creations. On a deeper level, the challenge relates to the priority the brand wished to give to the heart-felt nature of supporting a noble cause, which indeed overrides any other considerations in light of the objectives pursued by this operation.
All of which explains why DeWitt, in agreement with Prince Albert II of Monaco, Only Watch and Antiquorum, took the daring decision to unveil the watch only after the auction, thereby symbolising the importance of the priority commitment to the cause promoted by the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy.
- Jorge Merino