Independent Highlights at Marteau & Co.’s Summer Sale
Online-only auctioneer Marteau & Co returns for its third sale, The Heat Wave. which opens at noon Geneva time on June 10, continuing with its focus on independent watchmaking. Marteau & Co was founded just last year by a duo including industry veteran Arthur Touchot, who spent several years as a journalist followed by a stint at a prominent auction house. The Swiss auctioneer sets itself apart with its intriguing “Maker’s Fee” concept, which rewards the maker of the timepiece with 3% of the hammer price for each watch sold, allowing a brand to benefit from the appreciation of its products. While artists’ resale rights, or droit de suite, is far from a new concept, and has been codified into law in the European Union and United Kingdom, Marteau & Co’s approach is the first instance of its application in watchmaking. Lot 6 – Voutilainen Decimal Repeater Regulator piece unique Kari Voutilainen needs no introduction, but this watch does as it is, like all Voutilainen minute repeaters, a unique piece. This example left the Voutilainen workshop in 2024, cased in 38 mm of unusual 4N gold, which sits between red and yellow gold, while the hands and dial, as you’d expect from any Voutilainen watch – excellent, but with a chiming twist. During a survey of vintage repeating wristwatches you’ll realize that many only have two hands. If you compared the movement of, say, a Patek Philippe ref. 2524 with a seconds hand to one without, the reason becomes clear. The two ...
Fratello
