Don Quixote in his retirement home

Watched on web cam around the world, unfortunately Don Quixote had a little swim in the harbour, but is now safely back on dry land and fully restored.  Admired by many on the Bridge, he was auctioned to raise money for the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project and is now resident in a local back garden, being ridden by the owners’ grandchildren.

The watch movement is designed in the style of a piston engine with real toothed belts as small as a human hair and were specially made and created only for this watch. The watch is hand made by a single master watch maker in Switzerland, carved out of solid platinum, it is beautiful to hold and watch in action and cost a remarkable £65,000.

Over the last five years Tag-Heuer has transformed itself under LVHM leadership into a brand that is leading the way with cutting edge, innovative watches that are finding growing popularity against even the most serious of collectors, with limited edition Tag-Heuer watches fetching record amounts in recent auctions.

Martin Search of Ray & Scott: “We feel very privileged that our small shop in the Bridge, was trusted to sell the first production Monaco V4 in the world, which was sought by one of our serious watch collector clients a few years ago. Ray&Scott has spent years developing some of the best relationships in the watch world, allowing us to source and deliver some of the finest and rarest watches across most brands to a growing loyal and increasingly serious watch collectors in Guernsey, the UK and Europe.”

“I can’t remember receiving so much attention and demand for a £65,000 watch than the Monaco V4, it is such a beautiful and exciting watch to see in action, but with only 150 world wide and only 10 to hit the UK, many people will feel disappointed. The only concession I can offer is to view some of the other amazing limited edition watches Omega sells, that we hold in stock or can obtain for those that don’t mind waiting.”

The Collector. “As soon as I heard about the Monaco V4, I was amazing by the technology and design and really wanted to add it to my collection. I was told repeatedly by the president of LVMH, the owner of Tag-Heuer, that the watch did not exist and would never reach production. After this disappointment, I handed the challenge to Martin and Jeff, who led a campaign of encouragement to force the watch into production. When I heard that Tag-Heuer had offered us the first production Monaco V4, I was ecstatic and can only put it down to both Martin and Jeff’s amazing relationship within the watch world. They really are the most committed, nicest guys in the business and I wouldn’t use anyone else for my watches or diamonds.”

Below is for info only:
For more information contact – Jeff Fox or Martin Search @ Ray & Scott: 01481244610

The watch in question is of course the Blancpain 1735.

In (June 2009), after three years of discussions, meetings and interviews, to procure the watch on behalf of our client, we were delighted to finally take possession. Sold for $1,024,000 – the largest amount ever paid for a non-jewelled watch – this Blancpain 1735 is completely unique.

Unique, perfect, beautiful…words often used too casually to describe an object but in this case don’t go far enough.

Unique

Customised by the owner – and therefore completely unique – this Blancpain 1735 is the last in the limited series of 30 that have been created since 1985. Interviewed by the president of Blancpain to be sure our client was ‘suitable’ to own the watch, you can imagine how seriously they took agreeing to alterations.

Perfect

Made in solid platinum with an automatic movement, minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, moon phase and a split second chronograph, the Blancpain 1735 is the most complicated ‘grand complication’ series watch ever produced. As a result, each 1735 took a single watchmaker one year to complete.

Beautiful

Now beauty is a hard thing to surmise – and is of course in the eye of the be-holder. Perhaps it is the surprisingly slim form, made possible by components fine as human hairs, which make this watch so striking. Whatever the appeal our client agrees that this Blancpain 1735 is, “without a doubt the most beautiful watch I have in my collection.”

How do we feel to sell a watch as exceptional as this?

Marvellous – and proud! To have played a part in the creation of this last Blancpain 1735 limited edition series is testament to our connection, experience and regard within the watch-making world. To have successfully married watch buyer with watchmaker is the sale of a lifetime.

A Russian collector has already offered double the price to buy it, but our client has no plans to sell. Considering the lengths we went to secure it, I think we are both relieved!

You can watch a video about the watch at the Channel Online website here.