PHILLIPS to host 3rd Charity Auction for Pierre Amstutz Fund at GWD on September 6

On Saturday, 6 September 2025, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will host a live charity auction at Geneva Watch Days to benefit the Pierre Amstutz Fund, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting apprentices at the Geneva School of Watchmaking. Now in its third consecutive year, the charity auction has become a fixture of the Geneva Watch Days calendar and a show of solidarity within the watch community.

The auction will take place inside the official Geneva Watch Days pavilion at La Rotonde du Mont Blanc and will begin at 6:30 PM. Attendance is by invitation only. Led by Phillips senior consultant and auctioneer Aurel Bacs, the sale will offer a curated selection of unique objects and once-in-a-lifetime experiences donated by watch brands and partners of the Geneva Watch Days organisation. No watches will be auctioned, and 100% of profits generated will go to the Pierre Amstutz Fund.

Founded in 1824, the Geneva School of Watchmaking – known locally as l’École d’Horlogerie de Genève – is the oldest watchmaking school in Switzerland and one of the most respected institutions of its kind in the world. Its alumni include some of the most influential watchmakers of the modern era, such as Christophe Claret, Roger Dubuis, Franck Muller, and Rexhep Rexhepi. The school recently relocated to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva’s watchmaking hub, home to brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin, and Laurent Ferrier.

The Pierre Amstutz Fund was created in memory of the school’s former director and exists to help apprentices facing financial hardship complete their training under good conditions. Beyond covering material needs, the fund fosters community within the school, strengthens bonds between students and teachers, and supports outreach to promote careers in watchmaking and micromechanics. It also facilitates mentorship from graduates – ensuring knowledge is passed down to future generations.

This initiative is one of many that reflects the deep ties between Phillips and the wider watchmaking industry. While Phillips is best known for its record-breaking auctions of collectors’ timepieces, we also play an active role in championing the craft and culture of horology. In 2024 alone, Phillips helped raise over USD $13.5 million for charity, and in recent years, has partnered with F.P. Journe, Patek Philippe, Universal Genève, A. Lange & Söhne, Richard Mille, Zenith, Grand Seiko, Casio, and Panerai to auction unique timepieces for charity.

Over the past decade, Phillips has hosted some of the most important charitable events in the watch world, including Only Watch (2015), TimeForArt (2022 and 2024), and the 2025 sale of 11 unique timepieces to benefit the Philippe and Elisabeth Dufour Foundation. In addition to supporting charity, Phillips has mounted several high-profile museum-quality exhibitions: WATCHMAKERS: The Masters of Art Horology (2018), Made in Germany: A Tribute to the Early Lange 1 and Datograph (2022), 250 Years of Urban Jürgensen (2023), and most recently, Independent Spirit (2025).

Watchmaking thrives when its people do. That’s why Phillips supports the institutions, students, and makers shaping its future.

Thanks to the generosity of brands and collectors, the Geneva Watch Days charity auction has raised over CHF 100,000 in each of the past two years. This year, the goal remains the same: to help future watchmakers stay in school, finish their training, and carry the craft forward.