The 2011 Only Watch Auction raises EUR 4.5 Million
In the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Ronnie Wood, guitarist of the Rolling Stones, the Salle Belle Epoque Room of the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco was transformed into an auction room with global bidders contending for the 40 lots of unique watches.
“Raising EUR 4.5 million at the auction is more than exceptional. Only Watch 2011 is the culmination of an excellent collaboration between the watchmakers, partners, media and organisers. However, it is first and foremost a stunning collaborative project achieved by those from different horizons funding research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy,” declared Luc Pettavino, President of Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and Founder of Only Watch.
His son, Paul, 15, who is affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy said, “Only Watch is a fabulous event. The amount raised today is twice more than the funds collected at last edition in 2009.”
The total proceeds will enable continuous and increased financing of research and organisation of the round tables of the ICE scientific project (International Collaborative Effort). “Thanks to Only Watch we are able to finance the ICE programme, started in 2008. This programme gathers together 15 international teams of researchers, clinicians and scientists who work on therapeutic solutions to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and specifically on Exon skipping, gene and cell therapies. The success of Only Watch 2011 goes beyond our hopes and will undoubtedly allow us to finance clinical tests and develop new research projects,” explained Luis Garcia, Director of Research at CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research).
The auction concluded a worldwide summer tour exhibited in Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Geneva and Monaco.
“The amazing outcome achieved today is the result of the perfect synergy between 40 of the most prestigious and innovative watchmakers united to auction an exceptional collection of one‐off pieces, an intensive world tour organised in the right locations to reach the watch aficionados and most specialised connoisseurs and the continuous and considerable efforts to increase the collectors awareness on this project,” commented Julien Schaerer, Managing Director and Auctioneer at Antiquorum Geneva, co‐organisers of the 2011 edition with Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and the Monaco Yacht Show.
“It is just fantastic. The Monaco Yacht Show has supported the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies since 2001 and co‐organises the thematic Only Watch auction since its first edition in 2005,” concluded Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director of the Monaco Yacht Show.