Earlier this month, a number of autumn watch auctions took place in the luxury watch manufacturing capital of Switzerland, and this week, it’s Hong Kong’s turn to host Phillips’ ‘Hong Kong: FIVE’ watch auction, and Christie’s ‘Important Watches’ auction. Tomorrow (28th November), Phillips Auctioneers will be attempting to break some more records by auctioning off some beautiful and rare timepieces from the likes of Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and of course the luxury watch brand that frequently achieves the highest realised prices at auction, Patek Philippe.
As I write this post, Christie’s is overseeing the sale of some truly exquisite and rare timepieces, which I’m sure every watch collector would dream of owning. As usual, I would love nothing more than to sit here and write about every single wristwatch that is beautifully portrayed in the auction catalogues. However, in order to save precious time, I have selected some of Time Journal’s favourite timepieces from each auction catalogue to discuss in further detail. Since Christie’s ‘Important Watches’ auction is happening as I type, I will be sure to include all realised prices.
So, without further delay, I introduce to you, Time Journal’s select favourites from Christie’s ‘Important Watches’ auction…
Lot. 2486 Patek Philippe (Ref. 5207) Platinum Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon 
Credit: Christie’s
The exceptional Patek Philippe 5207 appeared on the market in 2009. This particular example was bought in Geneva in 2010 and has remained with its original owner ever since. The wristwatch, which was produced in extremely limited numbers, features a well-preserved 41 mm platinum case and an alligator patterned strap with a platinum Patek Philippe Henri Stern Buckle.
The sandy two-toned dial features platinum hour markers and hands, and an iconic Patek Philippe moon phase indicator above the 6 o’clock marker. The timepiece is not only aesthetically pleasing, but is also an exceptional example of watchmaking excellence as it combines minute repeater with a tourbillon instantaneous perpetual calendar. The lot went up for auction earlier today and sold for an impressive $581,958.04 (USD).
Lot. 2516 Rolex (Ref. 6263) Stainless Steel Chronograph With “Paul Newman” Dial
Credit: Christie’s
The “Paul Newman” dial has experienced phenomenal success at auctions this year. Last month, Phillips Auctioneers oversaw the sale of Paul Newman’s original Rolex Daytona with a “Paul Newman” dial for an astounding $17 million, officially making the timepiece the world’s most expensive wristwatch to have ever been sold at auction. Lot. 2516 features a 37.5 mm stainless steel case, and is exhibited with its original stainless steel Oyster bracelet. The wristwatch features a clean, off-white iconic ‘Panda’ dial, and operates a tachymeter metric system.
The timepiece is in impeccable condition after being placed in a personal safe, unworn for the majority of its lifetime. The estimated price was $205,094.00-$307,643.00 (USD), but the realised price was $505,047.oo (USD), more than double its lower end estimate. Although the performance of lot. 2516 was nowhere near as successful as Paul Newman’s original Daytona, it was ultimately a strong result and proves that the Paul Newman Daytona dial is currently at its most popular!
The overall result of the auction was $11.3 million; to browse all of the lots click here.
Credit: (R) Christie’s (L) Phillips
On Tuesday Philips’ ‘Hong Kong: FIVE’ watch auction will be taking place, and although there were some strong results at Christie’s auction today, Time Journal is curious to see whether any records will be broken by Phillips Auctioneers tomorrow! In brief, here are our top two favourite wristwatches going under the hammer tomorrow. They are both beautiful and unique and classic examples of Patek Philippe’s exquisite designs and distinctive watchmaking technique.
Credit for watch images: Phillips
Next month, a superb year of record breaking results and unique timepiece sales will conclude with Sotheby’s ‘Important watches’ auction, Christie’s ‘An evening of exceptional watches’ auction, and Antiquorum’s ‘Important modern and vintage timepieces’ auction at the home of Central Park and Times Square… New York!
Why not browse the auction catalogues ahead of the events by simply clicking on the highlighted names above!
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