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Quill & Pad
While it is always interesting to see what the rarest of watches do at auctions, scant few can afford such bidding wars. That doesn't necessarily mean that the only other option is eBay as Fellows highlights with its Luxury Watch Sale.
SJX Watches
A newcomer to the world of watch auctions, Loupe This was founded by a pair of industry veterans and operates in a distinctly 21st century manner: sales are conducted entirely online, with about ten watches on the block at any one time. The offerings on Loupe This are diverse. In December 2021 it sold an example of our Habring2 Erwin “Star” for US$15,400 including fees, while the latest to go under the hammer are two interesting, long-discontinued watches from notable watchmakers based in Geneva – but otherwise radically different. One is the a Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 – in pristine, “new old stock” condition – and the other, an F.P. Journe Octa Chronographe 38 mm. Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 Produced from 1960 to 1988, the ref. 1019 was the longest-running reference of the Milgauss, the brand’s famous magnetism-resistant watch conceived for engineers and nuclear scientists. Despite the lengthy production run, the ref. 1019 is relatively rare because the model wasn’t produced in sizeable numbers for the simple reason that it didn’t sell well. In fact, Rolex discontinued the Milgauss altogether in 1988, before reviving it some two decades later. While the rarity certainly boosts its appeal, the ref. 1019 is attractive and unusual for being one of the most fuss-free Rolex “Professional” sports watch. The ref. 1019 is also the simplest version of the Milgauss, doing without the rotating bezel or “lightning” seconds hand found on earlier models. It ...
SJX Watches
A watch designer whose talent lives on in his work, the late Gérald Genta was exceptionally prolific – he claimed to have penned over 100,000 creations. His family still possesses some 3,400 original sketches covering a bewildering diversity of timepieces. From that, a hundred sketches have been curated to form Gérald Genta: Icon of Time, a series of four thematic auctions staged by Sotheby’s in the first half of the year. The brainchild of Genta’s wife, Evelyne, the auctions will offer original sketches of his best known creations, including the Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Disney Fantasy watches – each accompanied by a non-fungible token (NFT). Three of Genta’s best known designs. Notably, the illustration of the Nautilus includes its case profile, unlike most of his sketches that depict only the front of the watch Essentially digital representations of the sketches, the NFTs “serve as a record of ownership and proof of provenance for each design, ensuring the value of each physical artwork is intrinsically connected to its digital counterpart which cannot be resold without the NFT that attests to the legitimacy of the piece” according to Sotheby’s. And these original works will be affordable, with each sketch and its NFT starting at just US$100, CHF100, or HK$1,000, depending on the sale location. But the highlight of the event is an actual watch – Genta’s own personal Royal Oak. Slated to be sold at the final instalment of the event taking place...
Quill & Pad
The Phillips watch auction in New York on December 11, 2021 sold a brand-new Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711/1A-018, double signed “Tiffany & Co”. The hammer fell at a jaw-dropping price of $5.35 million. The buyer’s premium on the sale was an additional $1.153 million. Brendan Cunningham reflects on that auction result and the possible wider implications for the market.
SJX Watches
While the most high profile lot at Phillips’ upcoming New York sale is surely the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-018 made for the 170th anniversary of Tiffany & Co., there are a handful more watches in the sale that are notable for different reasons. One is unquestionably the tourbillon pocket watch George Daniels made for Edward Hornby in 1971 for its sheer horological merit. And another notable watch sits at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of horological quality – it’s a standard Omega Speedmaster Moon Watch – but it is historically important, having been owned by Ralph Ellison, the novelist best known for Invisible Man. The 2021 New York Watch Auction takes place on December 11 1 (lots 1-81) and December 12 (lots 82-165) at 432 Park Avenue, New York. The rest of the catalogue is available here. Lot 102: George Daniels The Edward Hornby Tourbillon Pocket Watch One of eight similar watches, all equipped with a one-minute tourbillon, this was made in 1971 for Edward Hornby, a lawyer who collected watches. Made during the period of 1969 to 1973, the eight watches were the first of Daniels’ own creations. Almost all were made for English collectors, save for one that Daniels made for his daughter, Sarah Jane, and another for German chemist Thomas Engel. Named after its first owner like all the other watches in the series of eight, the Hornby watch is typical Daniels, and consequently, also very much Breguet in style. Entirely hand made by Daniels,...
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Collaborating with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, an organisation aiming to protect and preserve the life and wellbeing of sea turtles, Certina introduces the next-gen DS Super PH2000M dive watch. This ultra-robust divin...
Time+Tide
Early November will see Phillips auction a very unusual, and not made for public, Rolex Deep Sea Special. This watch was based on the experimental Rolex that rode the outside of the Trieste bathyscaphe that, in January 1960, dove to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, some 10,900 metres deep. Following the successful dive and … ContinuedThe post Phillips to auction Rolex Deep Sea Special – and my own encounter with a real monster of the deep appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
It was Voltaire that said: “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him”. The same can be said of watch auctions and two people of note in the watch industry, collector and dealer Eric Ku and retailer Justin Gruenberg. An online auction platform that worked for them did not exist, so … ContinuedThe post Introducing Loupe This, a highly evolved online watch auction platform for buyers and sellers appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Phillip’s upcoming Geneva auction on November 8 encompasses Retrospective: 2000-2020, a sale centred on important watches of the last 20 years. The Retrospective catalogue was curated by Blackbird, best known as the sole agent for Ferrari in Hong Kong, but also the publisher of a watch magazine. Naturally, independent watchmaking looms large in the selection, and a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was almost expected. Phillips and Blackbird have gone one further: going under the hammer will be the very first Philippe Dufour Simplicity 20th Anniversary, numbered “00/20”. Conceived to mark the two decades since Mr Dufour unveiled his signature wristwatch, the anniversary Simplicity is very much like the classic version of the watch, but enhanced with various extras. The 37 mm now includes a hinged, hunter case back, while the crown is topped with the “PD” logo. More obvious are the changes to the dial. While it retains the traditional guilloche and dauphine hands, the hour markers are now applied Breguet numerals and at 12 o’clock sits an extra-large “PD” emblem. The Simplicity 20th Anniversary is a limited edition of 21 watches, or more specifically, an edition of 20 plus this watch that is numbered “00/20”. There will be seven each in platinum, rose as well as white gold. The estimate on Simplicity “00/20” is 200,000-400,000 Swiss francs – reasonable relative to the record price recently set by Sotheby’s in Hong Kong – and it will be sold on Novembe...
SJX Watches
Having debuted its first online watch auction earlier this year, Phillips returns with the second instalment, Intersect, once again offering a cross-category selection spanning watches, art, and jewellery. Made up of 110 lots – a third are watches – the auction is live from now until 6 pm (GMT+8) on September 14. While the line up naturally features the usual suspects like Rolex and Patek Philippe, it also includes watches from independent brands like H. Moser & Cie., Daniel Roth, and Urwerk, as well as a notably artisanal pair if Chopard L.U.C watches decorated with maki-e. Some highlights of the sales are included below, and the full catalogue is available here. [Full disclosure: Lots 97 and 98 were consigned by our founder SJX.] Lot 15 – Rolex Daytona ref. 116520 Having been overshadowing by its successor with a ceramic bezel (and other more recent sports models), the Daytona ref. 116520 is relatively good value in the world of Rolex sports watches. Interestingly, the ref. 116520 was the first Daytona to boast the in-house cal. 4130, and also the last to have a stainless steel bezel. The present watch is offered in well-preserved, “full set” condition, with an unusual extra – the Rolex Japan sticker on the case back once found only on Rolex watches sold in the country. It has an estimate of HK$94,000-190,000, or about US$12,100-24,400. Lot 30 – Urwerk UR-202 in white gold A pioneer in avant-garde watchmaking best known for its atypical displays of time, Ur...
SJX Watches
Starting slightly later than usual, the auction season in Hong Kong starts in the second week of July, with Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: X happening on July 10 at the JW Marriott. The situation makes attending the sale in person difficult for most of us, so you’re invite to join myself and Thomas Perazzi, Phillips’ head of watches in Asia, for a webinar on July 6. We will discuss the highlights of the 269-lot sale, which is led by a Patek Philippe ref. 2499/100 and a possibly-unique ref. 3448 in white gold. Schedule The webinar will take place on July 6, 2020 at 04:00 pm GMT+8 (Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing). And for other time zones: 06:00 pm GMT+10 (Sydney) 10:00 am GMT+2 (Berlin, Frankfurt, Milan, Geneva, Zurich) 09:00 am GMT+1 (London) 04:00 am GMT-4 (New York, Boston) 01:00 am GMT-7 (Vancouver) Registration is required to attend, and you can register right here.
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Quill & Pad
Elizabeth Doerr has attended the odd auction. She has even gone to auctions with the intent to bid on a watch. But that hadn’t yet worked out for her. Not until she saw that Parisian auction house Artcurial was auctioning off what was left of Alain Silberstein’s inventory and put in an absentee bid on a long shot. She had little hope, but then . . .
SJX Watches
Phillips’ first-ever online watch auction, Refresh:Reload is a cross-category affair, encompassing watches, jewellery, and contemporary art. The week-long sale includes over 50 watches, ranging from the usual suspects like Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Submariner, but also a selection of more interesting, unconventional watches, like a De Bethune DB12 chronograph with oversized date and month, and an extra-thin, skeletonised Seiko Credor. Here are a couple of highlights from the sale, which is online from now till 6 pm (GMT+8) on May 28. The entire catalogue is available here. Lot 5 – Bronze Hourglass by Daniel Arsham One of the earliest lots in the auction is a sculpture with a horological element. The Bronze Hourglass was an edition of 100 examples commissioned by watch retailer The Hour Glass to mark its 40th anniversary in 2019. It’s the work of Daniel Arsham, one of today’s hottest contemporary artists. Mr Arsham is best known for his “eroded” works, objects made to appear heavily aged. Some of his work sits the crossroads between art and luxury goods – he’s applied his unique aesthetic to Rimowa luggage, Dior bags, and also a Porsche 911. The Bronze Hourglass has an estimate of HK$35,000-45,000, or about US$4,500-6,000. Lot 92 – Seiko Credor 40th Anniversary Signo Cherry Blossoms A limited edition made to mark the 40th anniversary of Seiko’s Credor collection, the Signo Cherry Blossoms encapsulates the key specialties of mechanical watchmaking at S...
Time+Tide
A premier watch auction is an inspiring event. Last week, I joined the bidders at Phillips auction house on Park Avenue in New York. As we progressed through the 74 lots on offer, I was struck by the truly global nature of the vintage watch market. The auctioneer and impresario Aurel Bacs flawlessly switched between … ContinuedThe post In the room for the Phillips Game Changers Auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Phillips’ upcoming Game Changers watch auction in New York brings together some of the most extraordinary watches owned by the most extraordinary people.
SJX Watches
One of the most intriguing timepieces being offered in the final run of watch auctions for 2019 is not a wristwatch, but an incredibly rare table clock made by Breguet in 1934 that’s going under the hammer at Christie’s. It hardly looks like a typical Breguet – having no engine-turning or gilding or blued steel hands – but is remarkably striking, with a skeletonised, architectural movement that is modern-looking despite being 85 years old. Abraham-Louis Breguet is rightly regarded as one of the most important watchmakers in history, whose inventions range from the natural escapement to the tourbillon, while being commercially savvy enough to become a leading watchmaker to the Ottoman Empire. But his descendants ventured into other businesses by the mid 19th century, most notably aviation, so the watchmaking operation was sold by Louis-Clément Breguet, grandson of Abraham-Louis, in 1870 to English watchmaker Edward Brown. The Browns kept the workshop in Paris, though it moved several times over the decades. During the century that the Brown family ran Breguet – Brown’s grandson George sold the company to French jeweller Chaumet in 1969 – the firm mostly retained the signature Breguet style and produced a large variety of timepieces, but in tiny quantities, often relying on external specialists for movements and components. Timepiece no. 3142 This clock is one such timepiece from the period. A unique piece according to the accompanying Breguet museum archive...
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For 2026, Certina decided to take its dive watch to new extremes. The brand introduced the limited-edition DS Super PH2000M STC. This lightweight titanium diver is an even more impressive dive watch, offering a new ta...
SJX Watches
After a record-setting auction weekend in Geneva, the action moves to Hong Kong in the last week of November. Chatter about the Hong Kong auctions this year are dominated by one watch, the Patek Philippe ref. 2523 twin-crown world time in pink gold with a blue enamel dial, because it carries the highest pre-sale estimate in watch auction history of 55m-110m Hong Kong dollars, or about US$7m-14m. Instead of being sold along with the rest of the watches on November 27, it will be the opening lot in the evening sale of 20th century and contemporary art on November 23. With the top lot in the evening sale – Five Nudes by Sanyu – having an estimate of HK$250m-550m dollars, or about US$32m-70m, the twin-crown world time hardly looks out of place. The Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time But the ref. 2523 aside, the rest of the Christie’s sale is made up of 239 more affordable timepieces, including an ultra-rare Patek Philippe ref. 3651 chronograph and a value-buy Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Equation of Time in platinum. Here’s a look at highlights from the sale. And the full catalogue can be found here. Lot 2298 – Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800/108G in white gold, with diamonds and emeralds This is shameless 1990s bling – a Nautilus ref. 3800/108G. The suffix means it’s 18k white gold, fully set with brilliant-cut diamonds and having 11 baguette-cut emeralds for the hour markers. The watch feels weighty in the hand, though the case is compact. An...
Quill & Pad
Since its launch in 2005, Only Watch has been one of the most – if not the most – significant auctions in the watch world. Ahead of the eighth edition of this biennial auction taking place on November 9, 2019 in Geneva, let’s take a look at the 50 unique watches going under the hammer in the name of curing Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Revolution
Phillips, in Association with Bacs & Russo, will hold its first ever watch auction curated by an Asian collector on May 27th in Hong Kong.
Revolution
On Friday, Aurel Bacs, Toby Bateman and Wei Koh joined director Paul Feig for an evening of fine watch discussion at Phillips’ auction house in London.
Revolution
Thomas Perazzi, Phillips’s Head of Watches in Asia, walks us through highlights from their upcoming Spring 2018 auctions.
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Revolution
Phillips Watches announce The Geneva Watch Auction: SIX along with The Crosthwaite & Gavin Heuer Collection sale for November 2017.
Revolution
Two Rolexes and one Patek Philippe breaks the million CHF mark on evening two of Phillips Watches Geneva Spring Auctions 2017.
Revolution
Ross Povey’s top five picks from the upcoming Phillips Watches’ the GENEVA WATCH AUCTION: FIVE, including a prototype Tudor chronograph from the late 1960s.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
We reveal which brand truly delivers better value, durability, and ownership experience after a decade of thoroughly reviewing both.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Compare Omega Railmaster vs Rolex Explorer. See which quiet luxury tool watch delivers better accuracy, comfort, and usability, based on our hands-on verdict.
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