The fourth edition of the Geneva Watch Days exhibition is just around the corner, and the Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo team is excited to unveil a surprise event for this year’s attending collectors.
On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, inside the official Geneva Watch Days pavilion on La Rotonde du Mont Blanc, Phillips will host an exclusive charity auction with all proceeds going to benefit a social fund for the Ecole d’Horlogerie de Genève, a local watchmaking school that was founded in 1824.
Out of the 40+ exhibiting brands at Geneva Watch Days, 17 of them have donated a total of 15 lots to the auction.
A few of the highlight lots include:
Bulgari
The winning bidder of this lot will secure the rights to an exclusive two-night stay at the newly opened Hotel Bulgari in the heart of Rome's Campo Marzio district, as well as a dinner at “Il Ristorante – by Niko Romito” hosted by a few of the top executives at Bulgari Horlogerie.
Breitling
Breitling's top prize is the opportunity for the winning bidder and their guest to meet Erling Haaland, the Premier League phenom and Breitling ambassador, during an event hosted by the watch brand in Europe, in 2024 (exact date and location to be confirmed later). All travel and accommodations will be included in your winning bid. Oh, and you’ll also receive a personally signed jersey from Haaland.
Czapek & Cie.
The winning bidder will become a watch designer for a day, provided with the opportunity to customize a dial from any existing Czapek watch, with the full support of their team. Once completed, you’ll be able to keep any drawings or renderings produced during the visit. A professional photographer will also be on hand to capture the experience. If you’re so inclined, Czapek will also be willing to actually create the one-of-a-kind watch, at the specific model's retail price, with the only surcharge coming from the effective costs of the unique dial.
Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG)
If you’ve ever wanted to attend the Swiss watch industry’s most important awards show, the GPHG has donated two seats at the President’s table during this year’s gala dinner and ceremony.
Urwerk
Urwerk is donating an example of the company's first-ever writing instrument, the UR-PEN. Inspired by Urwerk’s futuristic horological creations, the UR-PEN is a limited edition of 100 numbered pieces that typically carries a retail price of CHF 3,750. The winning bidder will also receive an original watercolor of the UR-PEN, by Urwerk’s chief designer and co-founder Martin Frei.
The Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo team will be donating a unique experience as part of the 2024 Gstaad Palace Challenge, the annual vintage motorsport mecca. The winning bidder for this lot (and a plus one) will be personally invited by the owner of the Gstaad Palace, Andrea Scherz, to participate in the rally over two days at the end of August 2024. You’ll be allowed to race your personal classic car (as long as it was manufactured between 1950 and 1990) through the scenic countryside of the Swiss Alps. A room inside the Gstaad Palace will also be provided for three nights, along with complimentary dinners and visits to the Palace Spa.
If you’d like to attend the 2023 Geneva Watch Days auction and are an existing Phillips client, please reach out to your primary contact at Phillips to ensure you’re registered. The auction is closed to the public and attendance is limited to invitation only. There will be no online or telephone bidding; absentee bidding is permitted for known Phillips clients and existing clients of the participating brands (listed below). If you are not an existing Phillips client but you are a client of one of the participating brands and would like to attend the auction in Geneva, please reach out to your brand contact to discuss the possibility.
The 17 brands participating in the 2023 Geneva Watch Days auction are: Alpina, Arnold & Son, Angelus, Breitling, Bulgari, Czapek & Cie., the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), GMT Magazine, the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG), Hautlence, Konstantin Chaykin, MB&F, H. Moser & Cie., Oris, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, Trilobe, and Urwerk.
“Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is thrilled and honoured to orchestrate this auction on a voluntary basis, a collective endeavour that exemplifies the horological community's dedication to nurturing the art of watchmaking. Through the generosity of participating brands and partners from Geneva Watch Days, we unite to support the Ecole d'Horlogerie de Genève, enabling aspiring watchmakers to embark on a journey toward excellence," said Aurel Bacs.
The Geneva Watch Days Charity Auction will take place at 8:30 PM CET, on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. Doors will open exactly one hour before the auction begins. A printed complete catalog will be available during the auction, in addition to via PDF. The auction will be livestreamed for those unable to attend.
There will be no buyers’ premium on any of lots included in the Geneva Watch Days Charity Auction.
About Geneva Watch Days 2023
Geneva Watch Days is an industry salon founded in September 2020 by eight prestigious watch brands: Breitling, Bulgari, De Bethune, Girard-Perregaux, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F, Ulysse Nardin and Urwerk. The event is based on a modern and unconventional philosophy that emphasizes cooperation while avoiding complexity. It is an independent and collaborative organization that is self-managed, light, flexible, and agile, providing a common space to showcase the latest in watchmaking, while giving participating brands the opportunity to host decentralized activities. Held in partnership with the Canton and the City of Geneva, with the support of the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and services (CCIG), the show caters to retailers and media, while being completely open to the public.
The fourth unforgettable installment of Geneva Watch Days will take place from August 29 to September 2, 2023. This year’s exhibition will be the biggest yet, with nearly 40 watch brands showcasing their latest releases at the Rotonde du Mont-Blanc pavilion on Lake Geneva, as well as at boutiques and venues throughout the city.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
Recommended Reading
The Geneva Watch Days: The Brief History Of A Young Fair Heading Toward Maturity
Why You Should Care About Switzerland's Oldest Watchmaking School
An Interview With Dr. Miranda Marraccini, Librarian For The Horological Society Of New York