Bienne charity auction offers 30 watches for Terre des hommes, 15 of them unique pieces

A watchmaker at the bench, an image from the Watches for Tomorrow initiative, which is holding a charity watch auction in Bienne for Terre des hommes. © Watches for Tomorrow

On 28 November, from 2 pm to 5 pm, the Nouveau Musée Bienne in Bienne, Switzerland, hosts the third edition of the Watches for Tomorrow charity auction, with 30 watches sold for Terre des hommes, the Swiss children's rights organisation. The catalogue, now published, brings together 15 unique pieces made by Swiss brands and 15 watches donated by collectors.

The 15 unique pieces were created for the sale on the theme "A Touch of Orange", as orange is the colour of Terre des hommes. They come from Certina, Christopher Ward, DYW Bespoke, Eberhard & Co., Formex, Frederique Constant, Hamilton, Hermès, Horage, Laco, Louis Erard, Ollech & Wajs, Peren, Sicura and Tissot. The highest estimates in this group are for the DYW Bespoke "The Freedom to Soar", at 10,000 to 20,000 Swiss francs, and the Hermès H08, at 6,000 to 12,000 francs.

The watches donated by collectors include a Breguet Marine, estimated at 8,000 to 16,000 francs, a Rolex Day-Date, at 12,000 to 24,000 francs, a Panerai Radiomir 8 Giorni, a Hublot Big Bang Original, a Grand Seiko SBGV009 from the Historical Collection and a Must de Cartier Tank. Experts set the market value of each donated watch, and Terre des hommes issues the receipt for tax deduction, whatever the hammer price.

From 54 watches to a six-figure target

The auction was started in 2024 by Alexander Grouet, a collector, author of the Time Files blog and member of the GPHG Academy. All 54 donated watches were sold at the first edition; at the second, in 2025, the auction raised 53,000 francs, more than double the previous year. For 2026, the organisers aim to reach at least six figures, that is, 100,000 francs.

This year, Cédric Schiess, founder of Art du Temps in Bienne, joined Grouet at the head of the project. "A charity auction dedicated to exceptional timepieces does not simply take place in Bienne — it finds an authentic home," he said.

Bids can be placed in the room, with prior registration, or online, by registering on the organisers' website, before or during the sale.

Find out more on the organisation's website.