For the second edition of TimeForArt, the biennial watch auction supporting contemporary art and artists, some 25 esteemed watchmakers have joined forces to present one-of-a kind timepieces that will be sold to the highest bidder.
Organised by the Swiss Institute, a non-profit contemporary art institution founded in 1986 to promote experimental and forward-thinking art, this year’s auction will be held on Dec 7 in conjunction with the New York Watch Auction: XI at the Phillips Auction House, in association with Bacs & Russo.
This year’s event is set to showcase contributions from 25 distinguished watchmakers and notably, 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Swiss Institute’s educational initiatives.
Under the theme “Artists for Artists,” the auction showcases watches that are either collaborations with renowned artisans and contemporary artists, or examples of innovative craftsmanship.
Let’s take a look at a few of the unique watches:
Armin Strom’s Mirrored Force Resonance Lapislazuli incorporates ultramarine pigments from the lapis lazuli semi-precious stone.
Armin Strom Mirrored Force Resonance Lapislazuli
The late Swiss artist Franz Gertsch was a painter and printmaker who was known for his large format photorealistic portraits and detailed studies of nature. This unique timepiece draws inspiration from Gertsch’s “Blue Phase” painting, incorporating ultramarine pigments from lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone that’s a metamorphic rock made up of several different minerals.
The watch has a 43mm stainless steel case with a striking ultramarine blue dial crafted from genuine lapis lazuli pigments. Armin Strom collaborated with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH)-owned dial specialists ArteCad to achieve consistent colour intensity in ultramarine.
At its heart is the in-house calibre ARF21, a manual-winding movement with a 48-hour power reserve. This movement exemplifies Strom’s dedication to mechanical precision and hand-finishing expertise. The clutch spring keeps both balance wheels synchronised for enhanced stability.
Another key design feature is that the watch’s movement components are also painstakingly hand-decorated, enhancing the resonance mechanism’s visual appeal. This movement’s layout is designed to showcase its mechanical intricacies, with the dual-balance resonance mechanism visible from the dial side.
This artistic movement design aligns rather well with the watch’s tribute to Franz Gertsch’s legacy, making it as much a piece of art as a device for timekeeping.
The HYT S1 Titanium TimeForArt 2024 perfectly displaying an intriguing and revolutionary movement.
HYT S1 Titanium TimeForArt 2024
This is definitely a unique timepiece, crafted specially for a unique cause. Of course, the watch company itself is no stranger to doing things its own way, ever since it was founded in 2012 by Lucien Vouillamoz in Neuchatel, Switzerland. After all, they have envisaged a unique way to tell time using liquid!
At the heart of the one-of-a kind timepiece lies the calibre 501-CM, and since there’s no dial, one gets a perfect view of the intriguing and revolutionary movement that could be best described as delightfully functional kinetic art.
The 352-part hand-wound movement beats at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), features 41 jewels and offers a generous power reserve of 72 hours.
While HYT has shown its commitment in the past to haute horlogerie-level finishes and decorations, this watch’s fine sandblasted and brushed finishes, alongside the black coating of the movement, appear much more contemporary.
And yes, perhaps “futuristic” would be the correct term to describe the two bellows that would expand and contract to show the hours through a black fluid!
Maurice Lacroix’s Masterpiece Skeleton ‘With What Eyes?’ has 43mm bronze case beautifully contrasted against polished and brushed surfaces.
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Skeleton “With What Eyes?”
This bronze timepiece has a skeletonised movement that was specially created by acclaimed Mexican artist Rodrigo Hernández for the iconic brand, definitely as a statement and a means to uplift contemporary art to even greater heights.
Apparently, the watch’s outstanding design is supposed to explore the question: “Are humans the only dreamers on Earth?” As such, the key to this ambiguous query is the design of two monkeys crafted in bronze gazing at each other, symbolising Hernández’s vision and connection to the natural world.
Meanwhile, hand-engraving techniques have been used to create the timepiece’s dial that’s positioned at the centre of the watch. The 43mm watch case, made of not-so-hard bronze, beautifully contrasts against polished and brushed surfaces, adding plenty of visual depth. The juxtaposition of finishes enhanced the design tremendously, giving the watch a warm, golden appearance.
