Over the past few weeks we’ve featured a number of the incredible watches that will be up for auction at this year’s ‘Only Watch’ charity event in Monaco.

Prior to the event itself there’s a roadshow for a lucky few to get a sneak peek at the watches before they disappear (probably) forever.

Full details follow.

[Press Release] On September 22, 2011, the Principality of Monaco will stage the world-famous charity watch auction ONLY WATCH. Under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II, 39 unique timepieces will be sold by leading horological auction house Antiquorum.

The auction, held at 4 pm (GMT + 1) at the Hotel Hermitage, will draw international luxury watch connoisseurs as well as online and telephone bidders.

The entire proceeds of the auction will be donated to support research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

For this fourth edition of the charity auction, 39 of the most prestigious and innovative Swiss watchmakers have each created a unique and special timepiece: AUDEMARS PIGUET – BELL & ROSS – BLU – BLANCPAIN – BOVET FLEURIER – BREGUET – CELSIUS X VI II – CHANEL – CHAUMET – CHOPARD – CORUM – DE BETHUNE – DELACOUR – DEWITT – FRANCK MULLER – FREDERIQUE CONSTANT – GIRARD-PERREGAUX – GLASHÜTTE ORIGINAL – HARRY WINSTON – HERMES – HUBLOT – IKEPOD – JAQUET DROZ – LAURENT FERRIER – LOUIS VUITTON – MAURICE LACROIX – MB&F – MONTBLANC – PATEK PHILIPPE – PIAGET – RICHARD MILLE – ROMAIN JEROME – TAG HEUER – ULYSSE NARDIN – URWERK – VACHERON CONSTANTIN – VAN CLEEF & ARPELS – VULCAIN – ZENITH

Only Watch: The Summer World Tour
From August 30 to September 17, the Only Watch 2011 collection will be showcased in a world tour that will visit most of the world’s luxury watch collecting capitals: Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan and Geneva (see detailed world tour schedule below).

The tour will close in Monaco with a two-day exhibition (Sep. 21/22) at the Monaco Yacht Show. The world’s leading Superyacht show is co-organizing Only Watch, together with the Monaco Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Antiquorum.

This impressive world tour is made possible by the support of the following partners: The Hour Glass Singapore, the CITIC Group (for Shanghai and Beijing), The Hour Glass Tokyo, Westime Beverly Hills, the Consulate General of Monaco and the Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York, and Orologeria Verga in Milan.

Only Watch exists only because of the creativity, the time and dedication, the expertise, and the quest for excellence of exceptionally motivated teams devoted to an extraordinary project.
Some of the world’s most innovative and renowned watchmakers have once again volunteered their help to support research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a highly debilitating neuromuscular disease that affects one boy in 3,500 – approximately 250,000 children, teenagers and young adults around the globe.

Since the last edition of Only Watch, in September 2009, 2.5 million Euros were donated to 15 scientific partners and their teams, including 90 researchers and clinicians in 5 countries (France, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States).This is a rare opportunity to contribute effectively to exploring and developing new therapeutic treatments for this disease.

For Luis Garcia, Research Director at the CNRS Paris, who has been working on Duchenne muscular dystrophy for over ten years, Only Watch has played a decisive role in research, giving major financial support. The funds collected at the last auction went to support research that accelerated clinical developments on Duchenne muscular dystrophy over the past two years. Notable among these were the launching of several clinical trials on exon skipping, some of which are already entering phase 3. “For all these research efforts, the synergy of various scientific approaches, co-ordination between the various teams, and collaborative partnerships have all been decisive. In the name of all researchers and clinicians, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the high-end watchmaking industry for its extraordinary collaboration on this fantastic scientific and human project.”

Extracts from a speech by Luc Pettavino, President of the AMM (Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy) and initiator of Only Watch, made at the launching ceremony of Only Watch 2011 (Geneva, Nov. 29, 2010) in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Presidents of the participating watch brands: “Thanks to all those taking part in Only Watch, and in particular to HSH Prince Albert II; thanks to Antiquorum and the Monaco Yacht Show for jointly organizing this event along with the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy; thanks to you the watchmakers. Your presence is stimulating because we are all so eager to see these unique pieces which are a result of your know-how, creativity, and striving for excellence. Your presence is heartening because it shows that you were wisely able to turn professional competitiveness into a beneficial ambition and enthusiasm for a noble cause. Your presence is moving because while you may not be personally affected by this disease, your generosity and good-heartedness will help to save lives”.

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco then made the concluding remarks, warmly thanking returning participants for their loyalty, and welcoming the newcomers to the Only Watch adventure. He compared the participants of this unique project to links in a chain in which each individual link plays an important role, to raise a maximum amount of funds that will be donated entirely to research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

ONLY WATCH 2011 AUCTION: 22 September 2011, 4 PM (GMT +1), Hôtel Hermitage, Monaco – www.onlywatch.com
Organized by the Monaco Association against Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies, AMM), the Monaco Yacht Show, and Antiquorum Auctioneers.

World Tour Schedule:

Singapore – 30 August
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (tbc)
Malmaison by The Hour Glass
270 Orchard Road,
#01-01 Knightsbridge
Singapore 238857

Hong Kong – 1 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Antiquorum Auctioneers Ltd.
9 Queen’s Road, Suite 704
Central, Hong Kong

Shanghai – 3 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Antiquorum Shanghai
Room 4106B, Bund Center Office Tower,
222 Yan An Road East,
Shanghai 200002

Beijing – 5 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location to be confirmed

Tokyo – 7 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Hour Glass Tokyo
Royal Crystal Ginza
5-4-6 Ginza Chuo-ku
Tokyo 104-0061

Los Angeles – 9 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Westime Beverly Hills
254 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, California 90210

New York – 12 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Antiquorum Auctioneers
595 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022

Milan – 15 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Orologerio Luigi Verga
Via Mazzini angolo via Dogana 3
20123 Milano

Geneva – 16 & 17 September
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Antiquorum SA
2, rue du Mont-Blanc
1211 Geneva

Monaco
21 September: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
22 September: 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Monaco Yacht Show
Port Hercule – Principauté de Monaco