The Swiss Institute announces the second edition of TimeForArt, a benefit watch auction, hosted at Phillips in New York on December 7th, 2024. Building on the success of the inaugural 2022 event, which raised $1.2 million, TimeForArt continues to support contemporary art by auctioning unique timepieces from leading watchmakers. All proceeds, including Phillips’ Buyer’s Premium, directly fund the Swiss Institute’s art programs and exhibitions. This year’s auction will include 25 watch brands showcasing their artistry through collaborations with artists, bespoke craftsmanship, or through technological innovations. Prior to the auction, a global preview of select timepieces is scheduled in cities like Singapore, London, Geneva, Hong Kong, and New York. Let’s have a look at the proposed pieces from Speake Marin, Ressence, Perrelet, Ferdinand Berthoud, Armin Strom.
Speake Marin Promenade à New York
The watch, a part of Speake Marin‘s “Art Series” Collection and named “Promenade à New York”, features a mother-of-pearl dial hand-painted with an autumnal scene of Central Park’s Gapstow Bridge. It showcases the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and is inspired by President and CEO Christelle Rosnoblet’s personal memories of New York.
In terms of design, the watch includes the iconic Piccadilly case made from grade 5 titanium, known for its resistance to corrosion and comfort on the wrist. The case measures 42 mm in diameter, is water-resistant to 3 ATM, and is powered by Speake Marin‘s in-house self-winding SMA03 movement, featuring a micro-rotor and offering a 52-hour power reserve.
Handcrafted with meticulous detail, the SMA03 caliber contains 147 parts, a tungsten micro-rotor, and is capable of running at 4 Hz. The Promenade à New York piece is accentuated with polished and rhodium-plated hands, including a small seconds hand shaped like a topping tool – one of the brand’s distinctive signatures.
The “Promenade à New York” watch is a one-off piece with an estimated bid price ranging from CHF 40,000 to CHF 80,000. Additionally, Speake Marin under the leadership of Ms. Rosnoblet has continued its legacy of horological innovation, having developed a total of 12 in-house calibres since its inception in 2002.
Ressence x Shantell Martin ENJOY LIFE
Ressence‘s unique piece for the “TimeForArt” charity auction titled “ENJOY LIFE”. This one-off Ressence TYPE 1 Squared watch features a white dial as a canvas for Martin’s signature black line drawing. The artist, known for her expansive and interactive works, has adapted her style to the smaller scale of a watch dial for this project.
The Ressence watch is designed to allow art and time to coexist harmoniously on the wearer’s wrist, with Martin’s minimalist artwork encouraging the enjoyment of life. The timepiece displays hours, minutes, seconds, and days through Ressence‘s patented ROCS 1.3 system, which removes traditional watch hands in favor of rotating discs.
The TYPE 1 Squared model for the auction has technical specifications including a customised 2892 base calibre with self-winding and 36 hours of power reserve, enclosed in a glass pearled grade 5 titanium case with 1 ATM splash resistance. It comes with a black calf leather strap and is light on the wrist, weighing 64 grams.
Ressence founder Benoît Mintiens praises the collaboration with Shantell Martin and the shared vision with her art. Shantell Martin expresses excitement about the collaboration, highlighting the watch as a vessel for art, innovation, and connection.
Perrelet Turbine The Dial Artist
Perrelet has created a special one-off piece from their Turbine collection, which is artistically enhanced by Chris Alexander, also known as “The Dial Artist.” This exceptional timepiece features a hand-painted dial that includes motifs such as stars, skulls, and hearts, with elements of green and turquoise luminescence. It showcases Perrelet‘s patented Turbine technology, which involves 12 blades made of light anodized aluminum rotating under the pressure of the wearer’s arm movements, revealing the underlying patterns.
The Turbine is not only aesthetically playful but also demands precision and balance during assembly, and its perfect rotation showcases the expertise of Perrelet‘s master watchmakers. The watch case echoes the Turbine EVO design and is made from black DLC grade 2 titanium, measuring 41 mm in diameter and featuring a unique sapphire crystal case back engraved with specific details for the event.
Powering the watch is Perrelet‘s in-house P-331-MH self-winding movement, which is Chronofiable® and COSC certified, indicating high precision and reliability. It has a 42-hour power reserve and features high-quality finishing, with the Perrelet logo on the open-worked oscillating weight.
The “Perrelet x The Dial Artist – Time for Art Edition” comes with a black rubber strap with a black DLC-coated pin buckle and is estimated to fetch between USD $5,000 and USD $10,000 at auction. The watch will be presented in a premium box including a travel pouch and a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 3SPC
Chronométrie Ferdinand Berthoud has unveiled a special limited edition of five timepieces named Chronomètre FB 3SPC.4 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of ART IN TIME Monaco, an exclusive space run in collaboration with galerie horlogère. For the first time, the Chronomètre FB 3SPC is available in sandblasted titanium. The collection won the Chronometry Prize at the 2023 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève and it boasts a mechanical movement with a cylindrical balance-spring, chronometer-certified by the COSC.
The anniversary series features a 42.3 mm diameter case, is 9.43 mm thick sandblasted titanium casing, a white rhodium-plated movement that complements the white dial and inner bezel ring with blue numerals and minutes track. Each of the five pieces comes with three interchangeable straps (blue rubber, blue alligator leather, and grey alligator leather), all with sandblasted titanium pin buckles. The backs of the cases are engraved with ‘Art in Time’, ‘5th Anniversary’, and ‘One of Five’. The very light case, rubber strap, and exclusive colors impart a modern touch to the traditionally crafted collection. The watch has a water resistance of 30 meters
The movement, Ferdinand Berthoud Calibre FB-SPC, is manually-wound with a diameter of 34 mm, has 47 jewels, operates at a frequency of 21,600 vph (3 Hz), and has a power reserve of 72 hours. Technical characteristics include a slip-spring barrel, a variable-inertia balance with adjustment screws, and a cylindrical balance-spring with hand-crafted Berthoud terminal curves. It also features a stop-seconds mechanism activated by the crown. The mainplate and bridges are made of sandblasted nickel silver and are hand-finished to the highest watchmaking standards. The watch is officially chronometer-certified by the COSC.
Armin Strom x Franz Gertsch Mirrored Force Resonance Lapislazuli
The Swiss watch manufacturer Armin Strom has collaborated with the legacy of renowned Swiss artist Franz Gertsch to create a unique edition of the Mirrored Force Resonance watch for the TimeForArt 2024 auction. This one-of-a-kind watch features a dial made with ultramarine pigment from lapis lazuli, a material used by Gertsch in his famous ‘Blue Phase’ works, symbolizing the intersection of art and precision craftsmanship.
The dial of the unique edition Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Lapislazuli watch is one of the standout features, characterized by the use of a real ultramarine blue pigment derived from the lapis lazuli gemstone. This decorative stone is notable in fine watchmaking for its distinct deep blue color and has been used historically by artists for its vibrant hue. The choice of ultramarine for the dial draws a direct connection to artist Franz Gertsch’s use of this pigment in his ‘Blue Phase’ artworks. To maintain the authenticity and significance of this connection, the ultramarine pigment applied to the dial of the watch originates from the same source of lapis lazuli that Gertsch used for his paintings.
The Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance watch is known for its technical innovation, including a patented resonance clutch spring that synchronizes two balance wheels for improved stability and precision. The specific model made for the auction includes a 43-mm stainless-steel case and a manual winding mechanism, with a power reserve of 48 hours. It also showcases the resonating balance wheels on the dial side.
This collaboration not only recognizes Gertsch’s artistic contribution but also celebrates the shared commitment to craftsmanship by the Michel family, founders of the Museum Franz Gertsch and long-time supporters of Armin Strom. The charity auction aims to support contemporary art, melding it with the tradition of Swiss watchmaking.
