Only Watch 2023 presents its catalog of 62 incredibly exciting unique pieces that will be auctioned in Geneva on November 5, 2023. (Discover the full collection in our photo gallery above). This biennial auction has a mission: To create beauty to do good and, more specifically, to raise funds for Duchenne muscular dystrophy research. To date, the organization has raised more than 100 million francs, giving the Monaco-based charity the means to fund dozens of scholarships and studies, support doctoral and postdoctoral students, and dramatically accelerate the quest to find a cure. As in previous editions, the Only Watch 2023 auction will take place under the high patronage of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, who has been an avid supporter of the cause.
Only Watch 2023 (full collection in photo gallery) © GMT magazine
WorldTempus caught up with Only Watch founder Luc Pettavino along with Monegasque Muscular Dystrophy Association CEO Tess Pettavino to find out more about the 2023 edition.
Only Watch 2023 (full collection in photo gallery) © GMT magazine
WT: When you started talking to brands in 2022, did you foresee this edition being so exciting?
LP: I feel more and more that there is a renewed energy for Only Watch as the project gets stronger and brighter in terms of creativity, the depth of the innovations presented and also the fundraising. But it’s true that this year is very special: there’s a pretty big increase, once again!
Yeah, I think we started feeling that as soon as we had our meetings with everyone, right after the auction. I think there are multiple factors: the fact that it’s an anniversary edition (the 10th Only Watch), that our theme is technicolor, that it comes after two editions that were already amazing in terms of the level of watchmaking and ingenuity. The great thing about Only Watch is that the dynamic feeds on itself: the better the collective does, the more motivation there is for the next edition to surpass, for us to surpass ourselves. The previous edition was so high in terms of the quality of the watches present. I am convinced that this is what has fueled everyone’s desire to give it their all for this 10th edition which, so I agree, will be very exciting.
Only Watch 2023 (full collection in photo gallery) © GMT magazine
WT: Only Watch is an exceptional platform for brand awareness. Some brands even leverage Only Watch visibility to gauge the potential success of new complications/products. When do you think this side of Only Watch started to get really strong?
LP: I think the phenomenon has been more visible in the last two editions, but it was very progressive. We mustn’t forget that Only Watch is now an ongoing 18-year story. And step by step, thanks to the authentic and renewed commitment of all, we have created together this platform where desirability fuels a virtuous dynamic. And the more desirable and visible it becomes, the more we support the cause: raising funds for research into a therapy for Duchenne and genetic diseases. I think consistency here has been key and I am grateful to everyone who has come on board and adhered to this principle.
Only Watch 2023 (full collection in photo gallery) © GMT magazine
WT: In 2021, there was news of clinical trials and the hope of a cure, which is incredible progress. How important is it to continue raising funds and awareness for the cause, and what might the future of Only Watch hold as we reach the day when a cure is finally found?
In fact, Only Watch’s mission is to raise funds for research to find a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (a genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 3,500 children) and the progress this project has made possible at this level it is quite impressive.
On the occasion of the latest 2021 Watch, some of the researchers we fund, through a charity-owned and patient-oriented biotech, were applying for authorization for a phase 1 safety trial for a drug .
Only Watch 2023 (full collection in photo gallery) © GMT magazine
