Laurent Ferrier and URWERK – Arpal One – Only Watch 2017

Laurent Ferrier and URWERK – Arpal One – Only Watch 2017

Only Watch Partnership

Now presenting its 7th Edition, Only Watch is a biennale auction of unique timepieces that has raised over 25 million Euros to date. Under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and following the initiative of Luc Pettavino, President of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies, Only Watch is an international watchmaking charity event.

All of the funds collected from the sale of the watches are donated in their entirety to scientific and medical research. The exclusive watches will embark on a world tour starting in the charity’s hometown of Monaco, and then continuing to Asia, the Gulf, the United States and Europe, before the final auction in Geneva on November 11th 2017.

Arpal One, a unique watch signed 

Laurent Ferrier and URWERK
For Only Watch 2017

July 2017 – It’s neither a Laurent Ferrier watch nor an URWERK, yet the signatures of both firms appear on its back. The existence of this unexpected watch defies logic because it is the joint effort of two watchmaking companies that couldn’t be more different. Each bases its identity on the opposite ends of watchmaking’s stylistic spectrum. On one side, the expression of time-honoured traditions; on the other, an anarchic effort to overturn conventions. Laurent Ferrier and URWERK have created a piece of work that is unique, for only one-of-a-kind watches qualify to be sold at the Only Watch auction in aid of the battle against Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

This remarkable watch also offers a unique opportunity to witness two independent brands working together to produce a watch for the Only Watch 2017 sale. Laurent Ferrier has forged an enviable reputation as master of the definitive watch in the classic style. URWERK, on the other hand, has spent the last 20 years challenging the watchmaking world with its bold originality. The result of this extraordinary association is in front of your eyes.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

Let’s deal with the case first. You can well imagine the perfect, almost aerodynamic, curves coming to life in the confident strokes of Laurent Ferrier’s pencil. “It’s a cleanly cut watch. My friends know my love of cars, a predilection expressed in this watch. This new creation is like streamlined coachwork, fluid and without any affront to the eye,” he explains. Such a design demanded a special material. “For that we turned to the Cendres+Métaux company in Biel.” 

 

The case was shaped from an exclusive alloy called ARPAL+, specifically developed for this unique watch. ARPAL+ consists of 75% precious metals and resists wear and scratches better than white gold or steel. Its colour never fades, nor does it oxidise. This alloy was first developed for the electronics industry where it is much appreciated for its strength and because it is easily worked.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

The polished case of the Only Watch by Laurent Ferrier and URWERK is what first catches the eye. It reflects light like no other and seems to sparkle. In contrast, URWERK’s movement was created with every restraint. Unlike the case, it is almost self-effacingly colourless. 

 

The four hours satellites are in a matt pearly grey with diamond-polished outlines while the hours and minutes markers are painted in white SuperLuminova. “We undertook this project with the greatest respect for each other’s work” Felix Baumgartner declares. “We held a great number of operational meetings, setting up a dialogue and developing a friendship that is apparent in the final result. We were aiming for subtlety rather than performance” he adds.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

The time is shown by four satellites, each bearing three hours numerals, which successively sweep past the track of minutes. This original and intuitive way of telling the time is aided by a cover in polyetheretherketone, a thermoplastic known as PEEK, which hides the satellites that are not engaged in indicating the time. The satellites turn on a hidden carrousel, at the heart of the successive passage of the hours. It’s no easy job to engineer the smooth and silent revolutions of a module that weighs 500 times as much as a conventional set of hands.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

Martin Frei has the final word on this remarkable venture: “Throughout the undertaking we complemented one another perfectly, sending the ball back and forth. For example, the cabochon winding crown recalls the stripes of our satellite hours. There are many subtle ways in which we refer to each other’s stylistic codes. While URWERK has opted for discretion, Laurent Ferrier has raised the tone. The result is perfect equilibrium.”

Every two years, the leading names in watchmaking get together to raise funds for research into muscular dystrophy. Each company gives of its best to create a unique watch to entice an enthusiastic, demanding and generous gathering. This year, Laurent Ferrier and URWERK have subscribed to this remarkable initiative.

The story started behind the watchmaking scenes. It was in November 2015 at a watchmaking exhibition like many others, thousands of kilometres away from Geneva. There, two watchmakers, exiled from the cocoons of their respective workshops, made a tentative effort to escape the crowds and take a break. Slightly bewildered by friendly bustle, they sought refuge under a staircase. They hardly knew each other, though their paths had crossed, but destiny seemed to have brought them together. Thus did Laurent Ferrier and Felix Baumgartner meet.

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

“We simply introduced ourselves,” recalls Felix Baumgartner. “Of course, I knew him by sight and something about him. But there, we seemed to be alone in the world, lost in a bubble, and so we got to know one another.” Laurent Ferrier picks up the story: “I’m rather shy by nature, but I quickly found common ground with Felix. The place was peculiar, but the time was right.”

Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO

Their friendship was to blossom into a joint project — to build a bridge between two watchmaking companies and thereby to create an exceptional watch for a noble cause. Combining tradition with daring innovation was like mixing oil and water. But that is precisely what URWERK’s Martin Frei likes doing best. “When I learned about the project, I was immediately enthusiastic. Bringing together two visions, two cultures and two generations in a single creation seemed to me a splendid stylistic exercise.”

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Model: Arpal One by Laurent Ferrier and URWERK for Only Watch 2017
Unique piece


Movement   
Calibre: Selfwinding UR5.03 governed by a double turbine
Jewels:    52
Frequency: 28,800v/h – 4Hz
Power reserve: 48 hours
Materials:
Satellite hours turned on Geneva crosses in beryllium bronze;
Orbital structure in PEEK (Polyetheretherketone); Carrousel and triple baseplate in ARCAP. 
Finishes:
Circular-grained baseplate, sandblasted satellites, brushed carrousel, chamfered screw slots.
Indications   
Wandering hours, minutes. Numerals painted in SuperLuminova
Case
Materials: Arpal+
Dimensions: Width 40,9mm, length: 60,8mm, height: 20,7mm
Glass:    Sapphire crystal
Water resistance: Pressure tested to 30m/3ATM
Strap:
Sand-coloured leather, hand stitched with matching thread

• Limited Edition: Unique Piece – Only Watch 2017

WHERE CAN I SEE
THE ONLY WATCH COLLECTION
BEFORE THE AUCTION?

• HONG KONG: 23-24 OCTOBER

Christie’s Hong Kong
22nd Floor Alexandra House
18 Chater Road Central, Hong Kong
Opening hours: 10:30 am - 5:30 pm
Contact: Cissy Ngan
cngan@christies.com
(+852) 2978 6711

• TAIPEI: 26-27 OCTOBER

Christie’s Taiwan
13f, Suite 1302, No. 207, Sec. 2,
Tun Hua South Road, Taipei 106
Opening Hours: 11 am - 6 pm
Contact: Teresa Hsu
thsu@christies.com
(+886) 223 220 008

• NEW YORK: 29-30 OCTOBER

Christie’s New York
20 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York, NY 10020
Opening hours: 10 am - 6 pm
Contact: Elisa Catenazzi
ecatenazzi@christies.com
(1)212 636 2329

• LOS ANGELES: 1-2 NOVEMBER

Westime Sunset
8569 Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA
Opening hours: 10 am - 6 pm
Contact: Laura Q. Hughes
laura@westime.com
(+1) 310.205.5555

• GENEVA: 9-11 NOVEMBER

Four Seasons Hôtel des Bergues
Quai des Bergues 33
1201 Geneva Switzerland
Opening hours: 10 am - 6 pm
Contact: Charles-Henri Gounod
cgounod@christies.com
+41 (0)22 319 17 26





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Media contacts:
Laurent Ferrier: Ms Jessica Gasser
T: + 41 22 716 3387    email : jeg@laurentferrier.ch
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URWERK: Ms Yacine Sar     
T: +41 22 900 2027     email : press@urwerk.com
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