As you know, in prior years there was a Holiday Auction in the Members Area here. Initially, a rare vintage collectors' watch was auctioned, renovated to like-new condition by IWC. Then IWC moved to auctioning a unique 1-of-1 platinum St. Exupéry watch at its Internet Holiday Auction. No Holiday Auction took place last year, and instead IWC has decided to use a commerical auction house.
In 2010, an unique Big Pilot Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum will be auctioned by Sotheby's on the 9th of May 2010 in Geneva. The auction, called "Important Watches" will take place at the Hotel Beau Rivage starting at 8 p.m.
Here's part of the Press Release:
The Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen has commissioned Sotheby’s to sell a unique and precious timepiece at auction, with the proceeds of the sale to be donated to charity: the only existing platinum version of the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry will be sold together with a special edition of the Saint Exupéry biography “L’archange et l’écrivain”.
The proceeds will be donated to the French organisation “Enfants du Monde/Droits de l’Homme” (EMDH), which works worldwide to protect children and their rights.
On 9 May 2010 at Sotheby’s “Important Watches” auction in Geneva, an IWC Schaffhausen watch will be sold of which only one exists in the world: the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum. This icon of Swiss-manufactured
aviator watches is highly distinctive both in terms of looks and functionality. Its sporty elegance features a high-calibre platinum watch case, tobacco brown dial and a special back engraving depicting Saint Exupéry as a military pilot. Its classic functionality and superior mechanical properties also set this watch apart. TheIWC-manufactured 51111 calibre with automatic Pellaton winding, 7-day power reserve, power reserve display, Breguet spring and date display make this novel timepiece one of the best in its class, a fact reflected in its reserve price.
The auction will open on 9 May in Geneva at the Hotel Beau Rivage, and the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum will be auctioned together with a special edition of the Saint Exupéry biography “L’archange et l’écrivain”
by Nathalie Des Vallières at a reserve price of CHF 50,000. The entire proceeds from the auction of this timepiece will be donated by IWC Schaffhausen to the French organisation “Enfants du Monde/Droits de l’Homme” (EMDH), which works worldwide to protect children and their rights. In particular, IWC supports projects in Madagascar, where EMDH has been working together with local partners since 1994 to help disadvantage children.
The fourth special edition pilot’s watch commemorating Antoine de Saint Exupéry completes the collection of exclusive timepieces designed by IWC to honour this renowned aviator and humanist. While the earlier special edition watches in this collection all focused on a selected literary work with flying as their theme, this edition is dedicated to author’s entire literary oeuvre.
