FX.co ★ Watch for six million francs: watch auction's records

For the second time in a row at Only Watch, a Patek Phlippe watch was the top star. The unique titanium Minute Repeater Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Patek Philippe 5208T watch made for the 2017 Only Watch, took the top bid, with a hammer price of CHF 6.2 million, with the experts' estimation of from 900,000 to 1.1 million. This difference was compensated by a visit to the workshop and the museum of the brand, as well as a personal meeting with Patek President Philippe Thierry Stern. History does not record what they discussed.

Ranking as the most expensive F.P. Journe watch sold at auction to date, the F.P. Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante watch achieved a hammer price of CHF 1.15 million. It was sold for three times its estimated price, which was expected to be between CHF 200,000 and 400,000 CHF.

Coming in third with a hammer price of $800,000, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Only Watch has a unique color combination. The Royal Oak case, bezel and bracelet are all created in black ceramic. The watch was expected to fetch between CHF 80,000 and 100,00, so it achieved at least eight times its expected estimate.

One important result is the new world record for a Tudor wristwatch. The previous record was set at Only Watch 2015, when the unique Black Bay One sold for CHF 375,000, more than 100 times is low estimate. It was the first and only unique-piece watch made by Tudor. The second unique-piece watch by Tudor, the Black Bay Bronze One with left-handed crown, sold today at Only Watch 2017 for a whopping CHF 350,000, once again destroying its estimate.

This year, the Russian actor Konstantin Chaykin took part in the auction for the first time. His "Joker" watch was bought for CHF 45,000, exceeding the initial cost (10,000-15,000) by three times. The watch changes its "mood" every minute, "Joker" manages to make thousands of different grimaces for 24 hours. On the rim of the case, there is a symbol of luck - a "big five" poker hand.

An MB&F Horological Machine No. 8, in white gold with titanium and a sapphire crystal engraved with a drawing created by a 15-year-old artist, sold for $210,907 (CHF 210,000). Inspired by the Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am)—a turbo-charged car racing series that began in 1966 and ran for two decades—the HM8 evokes the silhouettes of the Porsche, McLaren, and BRM sports cars that dominated the competition. The model, which boasts a 42-hour power reserve, pays homage to the series with two distinctive features: a fully visible movement that has been flipped around so the rotor sits on top(calling to mind the cars' giant, exposed engines), and polished roll bars (milled from a solid block of grade 5 titanium) that taper at the back for a sleek and memorable aesthetic. To read the time, simply look to the vertical displays on the “dashboard” of the watch, where optical prisms reveal the bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes.

Hublot prepared the Big Bang Unico Sapphire Usain Bolt watch for the Only Watch auction. The case is made of sapphire crystal with gold details. Gold was used to cover the marks and arrows, in addition, screws on transparent whitish are also made of this material. The clock was named after the athlete Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals at the Olympics in Rio. His portrait can be seen at 9 o'clock. The watch was estimated at CHF 50,000-80,000 but went under the hummer for 150,000.

The next unusual lot was WESTEP Watch Reference 100. It was created by the graduates of the watchmaking school WOSTEP in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The watch with the W-01 caliber with manual winding in a 54 mm steel case is decorated with 16 signatures of the school graduates. Its final cost, CHF 50,000, exceeded the initial, 10,000-22,000, by half.

Both prominent names in independent watchmaking but with drastically different styles, Urwerk and Laurent Ferrier have come together to create the Arpal One, a unique wristwatch for charity auction Only Watch 2017. Their joint product - The Arpal One - became one of the most expensive at the last auction. It was sold for CHF 100,000 with the estimated price of 50,000-70,000. The watch case is made of Arpal + material, which was designed specifically for novelty. It contains 75% of precious metals and, compared to white gold or steel, is more resistant to wear and scratches.

The price of Breguet Classique Quantique Perpéturel En Ligne Only Watch 2017 exceeded the mark of CHF 100,000 by 10,000. The initial cost was CHF 80,000-100,000. The watch is presented in a case of yellow gold and equipped with a linear perpetual calendar, the self-winding movement is decorated with hand-made engraving. The owner of the watch had the opportunity to visit the workshop of the brand, accompanied by a guide.