The Time+Tide team picks their favourite TimeForArt 2024 watches
Time+TideWatches and charity auctions – name a more iconic duo. TimeForArt is the latest in line, with the first running taking place in 2022, and raising over US$1 million to be used for supporting artists via the Swiss Institute. For 2024, TimeForArt is once again partnering with Phillips, but upping the number of supporting brands by nine to a total of 26, with the auction being held on December 7th 2024 in New York. This was a great excuse for us on the Time+Tide editorial team to put our heads together and figure out our favourites. Given the auction’s focus on supporting art, there was no shortage of design-forward pieces to pick from.
Zach – Anoma A1 TFA24
So many watch designs, rightfully or wrongly, get called out for being derivative of another more recognised one. Whenever a watch design has an octagonal case watch geeks cry Royal Oak. If its porthole-shaped, Nautilus. Tonneau shaped, Richard Mille. While some have drawn comparisons between vintage Pierre Cardin and Anoma, the A1’s cushioned triangular case is a very distinct form in a rather homogenous marketplace.
Founded in the UK by Matteo Violet-Vianello, Anoma in its very early stages does two things the watch-buying market is really gravitating towards. First, its design-first mentality and resulting atypical case form has certainly garnered interest – the inaugural offering of the A1 sold well. Secondly, it has presented a product that is very approachable in price for a small-run and unconventionally-shaped watch at £1,300.
The case of the A1 TFA24 remains in stainless steel, with its vintage-like proportions of 39mm in diameter, 9.45mm thickness, and 39mm lug-to-lug, but the dial has the unique twist of having a sequence of offset triangles engraved into its metal surface, which is then covered with black lacquer. The result is a sunburst finish that, rather than having reflecting quadrants, has reflecting thirds that almost look like a propeller. It is so wonderfully minimalist, with zero branding of any kind on the dial. It would definitely annoy me in terms of setting the time exactly in line with my phone, but this is an art piece I would gladly make an exception for.
In the same manner Toledano & Chan got its recognition at auction with a piece unique B1 in carbon, it will be interesting to see how Anoma’s piece unique fares with its I-got-it-before-Anoma-blew-up appeal. Estimate: US$1,500 – US$3,000
Borna – Toledano & Chan b/1m
Speaking of Toledano & Chan… what a design, hey? It’s quite a departure from my usual choices that either involve highly unnecessary and unreliable complications or small, vintage-style dress watches, but there’s something about this that just speaks to me.
The case is made of Muonionalusta meteorite (and bits of 904L steel), which is exceptionally rare at any price point – I can think of only a few watchmakers that have done this. That includes De Bethune, Antoine Preziuso, and David Rutten (we don’t speak about that Greco monstrosity), so that’s already fantastic company to be in. The dial is meteorite as well, and devoid of branding just like the Anoma – not like T&C have much to worry about in terms of unique designs. The movement is a relatively pedestrian Sellita SW100, though that’s a small price to pay for something actually refreshing hitting the market.
An aspect I didn’t expect to like was the ostrich leather strap. Usually, this material shows up in poo brown colours with what look to be warts strewn across the surface. I’m glad that the b/1m didn’t go in that direction, rather making the most of the scaliness that goes perfectly with the Widmanstätten pattern of the meteorite. In a brief Instagram comment exchange, Phil Toledano suggested that their initial plan was to go with a full meteorite bracelet, but given the material’s nearly gold-equivalent pricing, it proved cost-prohibitive. Oh well, we’re hardly settling with the above. Estimate: US$8,000 – US$16,000
Jamie – Furlan Marri Disco Stromatolite
While I was very tempted to pick Chopard’s entry, a beautiful marquetry-dialled Alpine Eagle, Furlan Marri’s maiden TimeForArt watch – an elevated take on the brand’s recently-released Disco Volante model – is ultimately my pick of the bunch. They’ve swapped out the model’s typical sector dial for a stunning stromatolite number. Stromatolites, if you don’t know, aren’t rocks per se but rather are layered, fossilised masses of photosynthetic microorganisms. I’m no geologist or microbiologist but that sounds very sci-fi to me, and is perfect for such a sci-fi-inspired watch.
More to the point, it just looks fantastic, with bold brown stripes punctuated by subtle hits of yellow and grey. Furlan Marri has also pared back the details on the dial, ditching numerals entirely as well as minute or seconds tracks, giving this Disco Volante a minimalist look that reminds me of something from Star Wars. The fastidiously finished Peseux 7001 on the obverse is just the icing on the archeological, artistic cake. Estimate: US$3,000 – US$6,000
Russell – Czapek
I love the creativity that this auction brings out in the brands that participate. And you can see from the watches we’ve already selected the sheer variety on display, which made my choice that much harder. And while I could have easily written about four or five watches that are looking to help raise money for this great cause, I kept coming back to this unexpected Czapek. Remiss of the Octo Fanissimo Sketch dials, of which there is one in this auction too, the engraving here gives a hyper-realistic impression of the wonderful micro-rotor SXH5 movement, as seen from the back of the watch. This has been carried out in collaboration with master engraver Michèle Rothen and famed dial maker Metalem. The three dimensional effect of this dial is amplified by the appearence of a fragment of dial left at the top, allowing the brand logo to be read, while also giving a trompe l’oeil effect, which is a fancy way of saying 3D.
Inside there is the wonderful SXH5 movement, with its skeletonised bridges, recycled platinum micro-rotor and contrasting gold wheels against the black plates. I really enjoy this calibre, mainly because of how well the architecture has been considered, allowing the gear train to shine through, and its incredible depth to be truly admired. While it was a hard choice to get down to this one watch, I am very pleased Czapek decided to produce this wonderful piece for the auction. Estimate: US$40,000 – US$80,000.
Pietro – Baltic Prismic TimeForArt Edition
Like many other brands on this list, Baltic is having its first appearance at TimeForArt, and it really goes against the rules with its entry. It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of this stainless steel and titanium case, but the real show-stopper is the dial. Or better, the idea that stands behind it. We’ve all heard countless critiques about the use of AI, but the French brand (because it’s not really a microbrand anymore, is it?) decided to celebrate the union of innovation and tradition in a single watch. It used generative AI to explore all options before arriving at a final, unique dial, inspired by natural waves. The result is then precisely milled giving a three-dimensional volume to the dial, that now plays with the light beautifully when moved around.
Now, while the message of AI being just a new tool for the artist is cool, what really caught my eye in the beginning was the stark contrast of the organic shapes on the dial with the sharpness of the case and hands. I’m not usually one for different parts that don’t share the same vibe, but well, in this case, it really works. Estimate: US$800 – US$1,600