A COLLECTION OF NINE UNUSUAL AND RARE TIMEPIECES, Movado, "THE ARTISTS' COLLECTION", 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993 & 1994

THE WATCHES



"Andy Warhol Times/5" – 1988

comprising by 5 gun metal cases, all with identical movement, each dial with a different black and white image of Times Square, red baton hands, cases and movements signed, case backs further signed for Andy Warhol.



Andy Warhol was the first artist to create such a watch for the Artists’ Collection, the "Andy Warhol Times/5", which appeared shortly after his death in a limited production of 250 pieces. It was described in "Alte Uhren" by Gisbert L. Brunner as "Unusual and Striking". About six weeks before his death, Warhol had shown Gedalio Grinberg some snap-shots of Manhattan that he planned to use for the watch, and his final choice of pictures was found in an envelope after his death. In a brochure about this watch, Vincent Fremont said, "It was one of his last works, and his first watch…done by Andy, not his estate or Movado."



"Galaxy" – 1989



a series of 4 gun metal cased timepieces including pocket watch, table timepiece, wristwatch and bracelet watch, each with a quartz movement and multi-coloured rotating discs for time indication, outer minute flange graduated in the colours of the rainbow, screwed-down case backs, case and movement signed, case backs further signed for Yaacov Agam.



In 1989, Yaacov Agam designed the second watch in the Artists’ Collection. This collection consists of 3 dial designs with one single concept, the "Galaxy", "Rainbow" and "Love Star". Each design has 4 pieces, which include a pocket watch, a table timepiece, a wristwatch with strap and a bracelet watch. The dial is a sophisticated interplay of constantly changing colours and geometrical patterns, vaguely reminiscent of Ernest Borel’s Cocktail dial from the 1950’s.



"The color of time" - 1990



silver case, nickel lever movement, 17 jewels, mono-metallic balance, white dial with coloured brush stroke hour markers, two rotating brushes function as hands for time indication, polished circular case, hinged brush form lugs in red and yellow, screwed-down case back, with a matching stainless steel brush form double deployant clasp, case and movement signed, case back further signed for Armand Pierre Fernandez, No. 128/180



Armand Pierre Fernandez was the third artist given the opportunity to design the Artists’ Watch. His design, a single and more conventional wristwatch and was manufactured in 1990 in a limited series of 180 pieces.



"Elapse, Eclipse, Ellipse" – 1991



silver case, 3 identical tonneau nickel lever movements for triple time zone indication, each with 17 jewels and mono-metallic balance, three multi-coloured dials running into each other but fully retain their individuality with different colours, curved irregular case with 3 crowns, screwed-down case back, with a stainless steel double deployant clasp, case and movements signed, clasp further signed for James Rosenquist, No. 78/180.



The "Elapse, Eclipse, Ellipse" was designed by James Rosenquist in 1991 and it was produced in a limited series of only 180 pieces. The name "Elapse, Eclipse, Ellipse" refers to three dials running into one another – in such a way that the two outer and normal round-shaped ones symbolically squeeze the inner one into an irregular and flattened shape. Rosenquist describes this dial painting as "floating pictures". It is a "World-time Watch", showing the time in three time zones. Rosenquist was thinking of local time in New York, Europe and Los Angeles, which are all important for him.



"Bill-time" - 1993



silver case and link bracelet, nickel lever movement, mono-metallic balance, multi-coloured dial with outer minute ring, center seconds, sapphire crystal top set with a large silver dot at the center, massive octagonal case with crown positioned between 4 and 5, link bracelet graduated in the colours of the rainbow, screwed-down sapphire crystal display back, case and movement signed, silver clasp further signed for Max Bill, No. 68/99.



In 1993, after a year’s pause from the last design, the 5th Artist’s Watch "Bill-time" was designed by the Swiss artist Max Bill and produced in a limited series of 99 pieces. The case of this watch is made of silver (Max Bill was formerly a silversmith) and they are finely graduated in the colours of the rainbow to achieve a harmonious unity between form and colours.



"The Children of the World" - 1994



quartz movement, multi-coloured dial and strap depicts the painting of "The Children of the World", center seconds, baton hands, circular case with black plastic bezel, crown positioned at 12, snap on case back, presented in a decorative and transparent plastic statue (whose shape resembles the Chinese character "Chi", the symbol of human energy), case signed, dial and case back further signed for Brazilian Britto, No. 267/1000



This last Artist’s Watch designed by the Brazilian Britto in 1994 added a new dimension to this series: that of patronage, a foundation for charitable purposes. Limited to 1,000 pieces, Movado donated the proceeds from the sales of this watch to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and to the worldwide children’s charity, UNICEF.

THE ARTISTS

Andy Warhol

The son of Czech immigrants, who was born in 1928 or 1930 and grew up in Pittsburgh, was one of the most famous and controversial pop artists. Warhol was not only a painter, but also a film maker, author, publisher and photographer.

Yaacov Agam

Born in 1928 and lives in Paris, a pupil of the Bauhaus master Johannes Itten in Zurich, may also be counted alongside Calder, Tinguely and Vasarely amongst the most important representatives of op art and kinetic art.

Armand Pierre Fernandez

Born in 1928, known by his artist’s name of Arman. His symbolic use of his professional tools for the indication of time is typical of his surrealistic and neo-realistic style. He also assembles objects and "accumulations", for example from car parts or demolished pieces of furniture, giving them a new meaning.

James Rosenquist

Born in North Dakota in 1933, began his career after studying at the College of Art in Minneapolis by painting billboards and petrol pumps. In this way he learned a lot about painting techniques and dividing up space. He is considered to be a representative of the new, abstract expressionism.

Max Bill

Born in Winterthur in 1908. The painter, architect, designer and teacher Max Bill studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau, has been working as a free-lance architect since 1929, and was one of the founders of the famous College of Design in Ulm.

Romero Britto

Born in Brazil in 1963 and lives in the USA today. Romero Britto is one of the few pop artists who works actively on behalf of humanitarian and social caused.

THE ARTISTS’ COLLECTION

The idea of creating this Artists’ Collection was came from Gedalio Grinberg and its concept was to invite either a well-known, established artist or a promising, young newcomer to design a watch without inhibition, according to their own personal concept of time. Since 1988, with the exception of 1992, there has been an artist’s watch each year until 1994, making a total of six unique designs each produced as a limited edition.