The Blueprint
Friday, 30 October - Friday, 6 November 2026

There is something wonderfully arbitrary about building an auction around a color. And yet, the more we worked on The Blueprint, the less arbitrary it felt. Blue has an unusual place in watchmaking. It can come from heat or pigment, from stone, glass, lacquer or metal. It can be vivid and immediate, or so dark that it reveals itself only when it catches the light. The same color can feel traditional in one watch and completely unexpected in another. The Blueprint is Marteau’s first thematic auction, and an opportunity for us to explore that idea through the work of independent watchmakers we admire. Across the catalogue, blue appears in lapis lazuli, aventurine and mother-of-pearl; in specially chosen Pantones, blued hands and cases; and in a number of interpretations that are considerably harder to categorize. At the center of the sale is a remarkable Pièce Unique Philippe Dufour Simplicity. Made in a 38mm platinum case — larger than most examples of the Simplicity — it is the only one to feature an aventurine dial and no small seconds. The result is a watch that is unmistakably Dufour, but unlike any other Simplicity we have encountered. We could hardly have imagined a more fitting watch to lead this sale. What has made The Blueprint especially enjoyable to put together is that the theme has not simply allowed us to find interesting watches; it has also given us an excuse to create a few. Several watchmakers accepted our invitation to make one-off pieces specifically for the auction, interpreting the idea of blue on their own terms. Seeing where each of them took such a simple brief has been one of the great pleasures of preparing this catalogue. There is one other first for us. On November 6th, The Blueprint will conclude in Geneva with a live gathering for collectors. The auction itself remains online, but for its final hours we will bring everyone together at a special venue in the city, where guests can follow the closing of the sale and bid online as it happens. Marteau has always been built around the idea that collecting is as much about people, conversations and shared enthusiasm as it is about watches, and we are very happy to bring some of that spirit into the room for this sale. Our thanks go to every collector who has entrusted us with a watch, and to the watchmakers who agreed to take part in this beautiful thematic sale. We hope you enjoy discovering the catalogue when it comes out, on Oct 16th. For additional information about the sale, the watches, or the Geneva event on November 6th, please contact us at info@marteauandco.com. Welcome to The Blueprint, Arthur Touchot