Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Only Watch 2017 – Carpe Diem, A Table Chronograph With Agengraphe Movement, Designed with HEAD students
Every second year, the Only Watch charity auction features a host of completely unique wristwatches but, for the very first time, the 2017 (and 7th) edition, some very special projects have been included too, created by the industry’s leading visionaries and also its greatest watchmakers. As a prime example, the first actual production piece of the revolutionary Agengraphe movement is to be auctioned at Only Watch 2017 – Meet Carpe Diem, a table chronograph by Agenhor, designed in collaboration with HEAD students.
Only Watch has just kicked off (read our interview announcing the 7th edition here) – For the first time, Only Watch, the biennial fundraiser for research on muscular dystrophy, includes special projects / products that are not developed by brands. Among these, Agenhor presents Carpe Diem, powered by the very first production piece of their revolutionary Agengraphe, and the first and only watch/clock released by the Geneva movement manufacturer.
Agenhor’s founder, Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, has earned a reputation as one of Switzerland’s most creative watchmakers. Established in 1996, his company Agenhor (Atelier Genevois d’Horlogerie) is a family owned high-end movement manufacturer, involving his wife and sons. It specializes in the design of complex mechanical modules for some of the world’s most prestigious watchmaking brands, with recent clients including Fabergé, Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels and Singer Reimagined.
Laurent, Jean-Marc and Nicolas Wiederrecht working on a prototype of the Carpe Diem.
The presentation of the Agengraphe stunned connoisseurs earlier this year (read our reviews of the Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph and Singer Reimagined Track 1 for more information). An 8-year development, this revolutionary chronograph movement features an unprecedented architecture based on co-axially mounted snail cams. These allow for a centralised chronograph indication, offering unparalleled legibility. Its novel clutch mechanism (Agenclutch) combines the best attributes of the vertical and horizontal clutch. The coupling is made horizontally which requires less space, and the mechanical connection is made via friction between close-fitting toothless wheels, just like with vertical clutches. It is superbly manufactured: in fact the quality and finishing of components satisfy the Geneva Seal requirements.
The Carpe Diem table clock chronograph Only Watch 2017 pièce unique has been designed with the students of HEAD, the Geneva University of Art and Design. The concept and design by Bérénice Noël and Florian Wicki was selected from among the seven projects submitted. The innovative chronograph movement is housed in a transparent ball, magnifying the beauty of the movement. It was christened Carpe Diem as a reference to the vibrant personality and dreams of the children with Duchene muscular dystrophy, who live life to the fullest despite their illness.
The selection of the HEAD students’ projects. On the left, Luc Pettavino, founder of Only Watch.
The Carpe Diem table chronograph features a fully digital indication of time: five coaxial disks display the time and chronograph indications through the frosted Plexiglas center piece of the sphere: two outer disks display hours and minutes, while three inner disks respectively display chronograph hours, minutes and seconds. The magnificent sphere is presented in an angular box – a metaphorical way to emphasize the need to protect what is precious.
Carpe Diem is a superb object and a beautiful love letter to the children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Somehow, it is also a piece of horological history being the first production piece of the Agengraphe, one of the most significant innovations in the field of chronograph design for decades. For more information, please visit www.agenhor.ch and www.onlywatch.com.
Only Watch is a biennial fundraiser for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy – Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies (AMM). Organized under the patronage of HSH Albert II de Monaco, the 7th edition gathers a record 48 participants. Only Watch 2017 will be auctioned by Christie’s in Geneva in November 2017. For more information, please visit www.onlywatch.com.
