Our final live auction of the fall 2024 season, the New York Watch Auction: XI, takes place on December 7-8, at our Manhattan headquarters. The auction includes 180 of the world's finest watches – and though we are loath to boast, we truly think it’s one of the best catalogs we've ever put together. We'll highlight several of the most interesting lots and stories featured in the sales over the next few weeks, including the watches highlighted in this article.
– By Logan Baker
Following the resounding success of its 2022 debut, the Swiss Institute’s TimeForArt auction is set to make a dazzling return this December, once again bringing collectors, watch enthusiasts, and art lovers together for a cause that marries the intricate world of watchmaking with contemporary art.
Held at Phillips as a special segment of the New York Watch Auction: XI on December 7, 2024, this auction stands out not only for the incredible timepieces on offer but for its mission – supporting contemporary art through Swiss Institute’s visionary programs.
TimeForArt isn’t just any watch auction. It’s the only auction of its kind dedicated entirely to the benefit of contemporary art, where 100% of the proceeds, including Phillips’ buyer’s premium, will go directly to the Swiss Institute’s exhibitions, artist residencies, educational workshops, and community initiatives. And like a well-made timepiece, it’s a carefully crafted experience: collectors will be able to preview the collection at select global locations in collaboration with Phillips, with stops in Singapore, London, Geneva, Hong Kong, and New York.
If there’s one theme that sets TimeForArt apart, it’s Artists for Artists. This concept anchors the auction, where watch brands and independent watchmakers alike contribute unique timepieces that either showcase collaborations with contemporary artists, reinterpretations by watchmakers of their craft through an artistic lens, or designs highlighting advanced horological innovation.
The Swiss Institute’s guiding belief that contemporary watchmaking is inherently an art form feels particularly resonant here, where each piece is an homage to artistry, precision, and creative expression.
With that ethos, the 2024 TimeForArt auction will feature contributions from a remarkable roster of 25 watch brands, ranging from independent trailblazers to established names in luxury horology. Notable participants include Armin Strom, Biver, Chopard, Ressence, Bulgari, and Chanel, alongside independents like Sartory-Billard and Czapek. The auction will also showcase collaborations that blend tradition with contemporary vision, such as the Carl F. Bucherer x Hodinkee partnership and the horological collaboration between Massena LAB and Raúl Pagès.
Art and horology have shared a long-standing relationship, and TimeForArt is very much a tribute to this legacy.
Techniques like engraving, enameling, marquetry, and miniature painting have elevated watchmaking into an art form since its early days. Today, as independent and luxury watchmakers push the limits of what’s possible, these techniques take on new meaning, transforming each timepiece into a canvas for innovation and expression. The TimeForArt collection epitomizes this union, capturing the spirit of artistic creation within every hand-wrought detail and artistic intervention.
As watches increasingly embody artistic elements and contemporary motifs, TimeForArt stands as a unique showcase of how horology can be a force for not only aesthetic and technical innovation but social impact as well.
The Impact of TimeForArt’s Inaugural Auction
If 2022’s debut is any indication, TimeForArt 2024 promises to be an event that will inspire the horological and artistic communities alike. In 2022, the auction raised an impressive $1.2 million, setting a new precedent for how the horology world can contribute to cultural and artistic causes. Every dollar raised goes directly to the Swiss Institute’s programs, supporting emerging and established artists who shape the world of contemporary art through exhibitions, public programs, and artist residencies.
The impact of such funding cannot be overstated.
From artist residencies to educational initiatives and public art installations, TimeForArt’s proceeds help to sustain a thriving contemporary art scene that enriches communities in New York and beyond. This year’s expanded lineup of brands, including the likes of Maurice Lacroix, Louis Erard, Breitling, and HYT, suggests an elevated level of commitment from the horological community to support a cause beyond their industry.
How to Join the Auction
For those looking to be part of this unique event, the TimeForArt auction will take place live at Phillips in New York on December 7, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST, with opportunities to bid in real-time, online, or by phone. Prospective bidders can also place their bids in advance.
This biennial event has now become a fixture for watch collectors, art lovers, and philanthropists alike. As TimeForArt gears up for its second edition, it’s clear that the auction has tapped into something far greater than its exceptional timepieces. It’s a celebration of craft, creativity, and the idea that horology, in its highest form, is indeed an art.
This December, TimeForArt will once again remind us all of the powerful connection between the artist’s vision and the watchmaker’s hand – a connection that ticks on long after the auction ends.
You can learn more, place a bid, and view the entire Phillips New York Watch Auction: XI catalog right here.
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.
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