Linde Werdelin Introduces LW Auctions — The First Piece Going Under The Hammer Is The Oktopus Monster
Through the years, Linde Werdelin has always found its path in the world of watches. In 2016, it was the first brand in the watch industry to launch an in-house pre-owned program. Now it’s time for a new challenge. With LW Auctions, Linde Werdelin is launching a brand-owned auction platform that allows fans to buy unique watches through a transparent and market-driven pricing process. The first piece going up for auction today is the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster.
This past July, Dave announced the news about the LW Auctions platform. A few months later, the first actual auction is here, and the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster is the star of the show. This piece is a special version of the brand’s Oktopus Moon dive watch. For this pièce unique, master engraver Johnny Dowell created a true work of art. He spent 200 hours engraving the case of the watch, resulting in a fantastic storyteller in titanium. You can bid on this timepiece in the first of potentially many LW Auctions.
LW Auctions — The next step after Linde Werdelin’s pre-owned program
Let’s first take a step back and recap what led to the launch of LW Auctions. Many of you will know that Linde Werdelin has had its pre-owned program since 2016. This allows owners of Linde Werdelin watches to sell them through the brand’s website. Linde Werdelin provides the selling platform and additional services to potential buyers of these pieces. Buyers can rest assured that the brand has officially authenticated the watches, which all come with the proper documentation and a new 12-month warranty. Lastly, the watches on offer have been serviced if needed, and Linde Werdelin shares the exact condition with the buyer.
Nowadays, this is nothing revolutionary. But in 2016, Linde Werdelin was the first brand to actively start a pre-owned program. And now it is time for the next step in revolutionizing sales as a brand.
As Dave already mentioned, brand-owned auctions are not new in themselves. But redefining the traditional pricing model for exceptional one-of-a-kind timepieces is new. Customers can determine the value of these unique pieces through an online auction. And today, the first auction goes live at 19:00 CET. Up for grabs is the unique Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster.
How do LW Auctions work?
The auction will be live from today, the 28th of November, until the 8th of December. If you want to get your hands on this unique watch, register for the auction, and you will get access to the special auction website. This page will give detailed info and pictures of the watch and where to place your bids. The starting bid is CHF 10,000. You might think, “That’s a lot of money. What’s so special about this watch?”
And that is an understandable question. Dave already hoped for another collaboration timepiece with Johnny “King Nerd” Dowell, and that’s exactly what we got. The Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster is based on the regular Oktopus Moon. The modern-styled diver has a 44mm × 46mm × 15mm Grade 2 titanium case, and for this unique piece, Dowell brilliantly engraved the entire thing. It has become a storyteller that reminded co-founder Jorn Werdelin of Jules Verne’s most famous novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Looking at the result also reminds me of that, and it looks stunning.
The fourth collaborative effort
In 2019, I reviewed the last collab that Linde Werdelin and Dowell worked on, the Oktopus Volcano. It was the final piece in a trilogy that included the Oktopus Reef and Oktopus Crazy Universe from 2015 and 2016, respectively. In that article, I stated that Dowell and Linde Werdelin took watch engraving to the next level. After seeing this new piece, I think Dowell pushed the boundaries again. Although Verne’s novel did not inspire the engraving, the images link to the world of exploration and progress. On top of that, Dowell’s decorative style is like you are jumping straight into an adventure novel.
In Dowell’s words, “The Monster project was an absolute thrill because I had carte blanche. Jorn encouraged me to express my style without any restrictions. Translating my original templates onto the watch was immensely gratifying, testing my creativity and engraving skills.” Dowell invested a whopping 200 hours to complete the engraving process. That included planning the layout and engraving the Grade 2 titanium case. Dowell explains, “This material remains one of the toughest I’ve encountered. On a positive note, the watch’s flat sides, as opposed to curves, made it a joy to work with. The Oktopus Monster’s facets provided an ideal canvas for my craftsmanship.”
More than just an engraving
As you can see in the pictures, it didn’t end with engraving the case. Some parts feature 24K gold inlaid into the engraving. The watch also has an 18K rose gold screw-down crown engraved with an octopus icon. The result is a one-of-a-kind work of art that is also still a very capable dive watch. With a 300m water resistance rating, a lightweight titanium case, and a sturdy brown rubber strap, it’s easy to put this watch on your wrist and enjoy an adventure of your own.
The five-layer skeletonized bronze dial looks amazing too. It features a circular-brushed rehaut and top and lower dial, giving the overall presence tremendous depth and texture. On top of that, we all know that bronze is a material closely connected to the world of diving, so it fits perfectly.
Furthermore, the dial features large numerals at 3, 9, and 12 o’clock in cool gray Super-LumiNova. The hour indexes, logo, and logotype are executed in cool gray, while the minute markers are in rose gold. Lastly, the satin-finished rose gold hands are filled with cool gray Super-LumiNova and finish the look nicely.
The magic of the moonphase complication
As with all Oktopus Moon models, the dial has an in-house photorealistic moonphase display. When it is dark, the photorealistic moons light up brightly through the aperture between 4 and 8 o’clock and an aperture between 1 and 2 o’clock. The red “0” indicates the current lunar phase, while the rose gold numerals indicate past and future ones.
The discs for each phase are placed on a larger rose gold disc with a perlage finish. The magic is made possible by the bespoke automatic movement that operates at 28,800vph and has a 42-hour power reserve.
Final thoughts on the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster for LW Auctions
I love that Linde Werdelin and Johnny Dowell teamed up again to create a unique piece as the first for the new LW Auctions platform. The previous collaborations with Dowell received a lot of attention, so it only made sense to join forces again.
For this new Oktopus Monster, Dowell outdid himself. The result looks stunning. It will be interesting to see what people will spend on this fascinating timepiece, especially since the first three Dowell collaborations sold for over double this one’s CHF 10,000 starting price.
Whatever the final price, the Linde Werdelin Oktopus Monster is a unique watch that will surely make one lucky bidder very happy.
For more information or to sign up for the auction, visit the official Linde Werdelin website. Let us know your thoughts on this unique piece in the comments section.
