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Auctions: Sotheby's Announces Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Sale (Rare Speedmasters!)
A collection of special and rare Omega Speedmasters hits the block as Apollo 11 turns 50.
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A collection of special and rare Omega Speedmasters hits the block as Apollo 11 turns 50.
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The blue chip stuff's still sky-high, but there are some great hidden gems in the running as well.
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Auction house Phillips has walked back and corrected a claim that an early, pre-production Chronmètre à Résonance watch, set to come up for sale in November, was delivered in 1999 after the watchmaker F.P. Journe said it arrived the next year and wasn't the first example of the reference sent to a customer. "We stand corrected thanks to François-Paul Journe," Phillips said in an Instagram post. "The "Pre-Production" Chronomètre à Résonance 022/99 to be offered by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo on November 7-8 was not delivered in 1999 as we originally believed. Thanks to F.P.Journe we now know the watch was actually delivered on 8 June, 2000," the auction house added. The Phillips correction followed the publication of a letter signed by F.P. Journe that disputed Phillips' claim that the watch with serial number 022/99 was likely one of the first Résonance watches commercially sold and delivered. In announcing the sale of the watch, which will hit the auction block in November in Geneva, Phillips had said the consignor and original owner of the watch had taken delivery of the piece in 1999. The auction house also suggested in a press release that the watch could be one of, if not the first, commercially delivered examples of the Résonance, often heralded as the signature watch from the French watchmaker. Phillips did not say it had confirmed that the watch was the first of the reference commercially delivered. In the letter titled "Correction," ...
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Watch auctions are typically associated with record-breaking prices and incredible amounts of money spent on coveted collectables. During my visit to Sotheby’s Upper East Side headquarters, I saw plenty of lots primed to go for six, seven, dare I say eight figures – such as the two Paul Newman-owned Rolex Daytonas that the auction house … ContinuedThe post 5 sleeper picks from the upcoming Sotheby’s Fine Watches auction starting next week appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Some people think you need to wait for Watches & Wonders to see new watches, but this June in New York, there are dozens of pieces seeing the light of day for the first time in decades. Over at Sotheby’s New York, two auctions are bringing out some heavy-hitting heroes. In the Important Watches Sale … ContinuedThe post Two Rolex Daytonas owned by Paul Newman and a full-set Comex Sea-Dweller headline Sotheby’s Important Watches auction on June 9 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Sotheby’s is kicking off the spring season of the year’s watch auctions with two consecutive sales in Hong Kong that take place in a week’s time. The first is an evening sale of a single-owner collection of exceptional vintage Patek Philippe watches. And it will be followed by Important Watches I, which includes several good examples of independent watchmaking. Though the single-owner sale has most of the significant vintage Patek Philippe watches offered by Sotheby’s, it doesn’t encompass all of them. One of the major lots is a Patek Philippe ref. 2524 minute repeating wristwatch. We take a look at that along with several other highlights from Important Watches I, both vintage and modern, including an arguably underrated complicated (and bejewelled) watch for men by Van Cleef & Arpels (VC&A;). Important Watches I starts at 2:00 pm (GMT +8) on April 26, 2022. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. The VC&A; Midnight Poetic Wish Lot 2144: Rolex Daytona ref. 16523 “Floating” signed “Tiffany & Co.” The most desirable Rolex Daytonas are typically steel, with the two-tone versions often being the most affordable, perhaps because the two-tone look is generally less sought after regardless of brand. But this steel-and-gold ref. 16523 is notable enough that it was included in Daytona Perpetual, the reference tome covering many rare and unusual variants of the model published by Italian Rolex specialist Pucci Papaleo. The key fe...
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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...
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These watches give new meaning to the word "used."
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With its auctions earlier in the year having been delayed due to the pandemic – and supplemented by weekly online sales – Sotheby’s has resumed its traditional schedule and the fall auction season in Hong Kong is now in full swing. Preceded by sales of wine, art, and jewellery, Important Watches takes place in Hong Kong in two days – at 4:00 pm on October 9. Made up of just over 180 lots, the catalogue encompasses independent watchmakers like Philippe Dufour – there are two Dufour Simplicities in the sale – who are notable and known, and also some who are less prominent today, like Antoine Preziuso and Svend Andersen. And the sale naturally the usual suspects, with the headline watch being a possibly-unique Rolex Daytona “Zenith” with a lapis lazuli dial, and perhaps the most intriguing being a quartz Rolex Beta 21 in white gold that might be one of a kind. Here’s a look at a couple of interesting lots, and the complete catalogue is available here. The lapis Daytona The white gold Rolex Beta-21 Lot 2062 – Andersen Geneve Secular Perpetual Calendar Known for his inventive complications and unique bespoke watches, Svend Andersen was a pioneer in independent watchmaking. He established his own brand in 1979 and cofounded the AHCI in 1986. Four decades on, he continues to produce watches using artisanal and traditional methods. A good example of his mechanical creativity is the secular perpetual calendar that made its debut in 1996 – the first of its...
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More than 200 Seiko watches from an incredible private collection.
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This November, Sotheby’s will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the foundation of Breguet in Paris in 1775 with a dedicated auction.The post Sotheby’s announces the largest auction dedicated to Breguet timepieces in over 30 years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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The Heuer Monaco 1133B is highly coveted by watch collectors, but one worn by Steve McQueen takes things to a whole new level.The post Screen-worn Steve McQueen Le Mans TAG Heuer Monaco heading to Sotheby’s auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Sly has enlisted Sotheby's to auction off a significant part of his collection, including the first-ever to market Patek Grandmaster Chime.The post Sylvester Stallone has 11 watches heading to Sotheby’s June 2024 auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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A watch auction hosted inside of a cave? Surely not. Well, do not be so sure because this is 100% actually happening next week in Geneva. Dubbed by Sotheby’s as the ‘Rough Diamonds’ auction, the sale will be hosted underground at the wine cellar La Corne à Vin (47 bis Rue de Lausanne, Geneva) on … ContinuedThe post Sotheby’s is hosting a ‘Rough Diamonds’ watch auction soon in Geneva INSIDE A CAVE appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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From a purple Daytona to an Advanced Research Patek Philippe - Zach brings you the inside scoop.The post Rare Asprey Rolex Daytona and more up for grabs now at Sotheby’s Fine Watches online auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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One of the interesting lots this auction season in Geneva is the Patek Philippe ref. 5110G world time with a prototype dial at Sotheby’s. Scheduled to go under the hammer on November 5, 2023, the watch fitted with a monochromatic printed dial marked “Prototype”. Patek Philippe prototypes, or even prototype dials, rarely emerge in public, so this world time is notable in itself. Another recent example of a prototype was the Aquanaut prototype that sold at Antiquorum in 2019 featuring a “comet” power reserve that was never found on the regular production model. Unlike the Aquanaut prototype, however, this world time only has a prototype dial. The watch itself is a standard ref. 5110G that’s accompanied by the usual guilloche dial as well as an archive extract. According to Sotheby’s, the consignor of the watch is a watchmaker who worked at Patek Philippe for many years, so he presumably installed the prototype dial on a regular production ref. 5110G. Although simpler than the standard dial, the prototype dial is certainly more interesting. The central portion is a plain, flat white with black print, while the cities disc is off white. The dial is hardly fancy but possesses a clean, functional aesthetic that is strangely appealing. Moreover it runs counter to the prevailing Patek Philippe aesthetic that favours guilloche and applied numerals, making it visually unique. The simplicity of the dial, however, means it might have been a test dial installed in a proto...
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A Sotheby's auction can only mean plenty of grails, with a few underappreciated pieces up for grabs.The post Three heavy hitters and sleepers from Sotheby’s Important Watches Auction in Geneva November 5 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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After delving into the notable complications in Sotheby’s upcoming Hong Kong auction on October 7, we shift our focus to the timepieces exhibiting a distinct artisanal touch, spanning the encyclopaedia of decorative techniques from cloisonné enamelling to wood marquetry. Several are exquisite examples of enamel crafted by the renowned artisans Anita Porchet and her eponymous workshop, along with a pocket watch with a miniature enamel made by Hélène May-Mercier for Patek Philippe. Another highlight is the commemorative Vacheron Constantin Mercator created to mark the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 that was the work of a Belgium husband-and-wife enamel workshop. Important Watches I takes place on October 7, 2023. Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be accessed here. Lot 2209: Vacheron Constantin Mercator “Hong Kong Handover 1997” The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China was a significant historical event that brought an end to 156 years of colonial rule in the territory and marked the conclusion of the British Empire. To mark the handover, Vacheron Constantin created a special iteration of the Mercator. One of the brand’s best known models at the time, the Mercator set itself apart with a unique double retrograde display for the hours and minutes, with the top-of-the-line models having cloisonné enamel dials. While the initial Mercator editions portrayed entire continents or regi...
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Commencing in early October, the autumn auction season begins with Sotheby’s Important Watches I, a catalogue of 205 lots that will be sold on October 7 in Hong Kong. The auction includes artisanal timepieces, examples of independent watchmaking creativity, and exceptional complications. Here, we present eight notable complications including some unsurprising, six-figure picks like a Patek Philippe ref. 5004R with a special-order dial and a Rolex ref. 6062 “Stelline” from the original Japanese owner. But the list includes some that may fly under the radar but deserve recognition, such as the travel-ready Richard Mille RM62-01 (albeit conceived for flying private) and an impressive Patek Philippe ref. 942 grand complication pocket watch that includes a grande and petite sonnerie, putting it in the top rank of all pocket watches. Important Watches I takes place on October 7, 2023. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. Lot 2166: A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar ref. 345.056E The Lange 1 Perpetual Calendar has effortlessly fuses the renowned Lange 1 design with a complex movement, conspicuously excluding the tourbillon found in its larger counterpart. At launch, the watch was available in two guises: pink gold with a grey dial or the more popular, limited edition white gold with a “salmon” (pink gold) dial, as we see here. In contrast to conventional calendars that employ sub-dials, the Lange 1 perpetual calendar sea...
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Sotheby’s Fine Watches has just opened online, marking the start of the fall auction season. Curated by the auctioneer’s Paris office led by Benoit Colson, the sale promises a diverse selection of vintage and contemporary watches from establishment names like Rolex and Breguet, along with a handful of independent watchmakers. While the complete catalogue boasts 160 lots, we have put together a selection of interesting highlights ranging from value-buy complications like a Breguet rattrapante chronograph to the unusual first-generation Christiaan Van Der Klaauw planetarium, along with a very nice vintage Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542. And for European buyers, Sotheby’s is notable for being the sole global auction house conducting watch auctions within the European Union – majority of such sales are in Geneva and London – which gives clients the chance to purchase watches without the hassle associated with import taxes. Fine Watches takes place online September 15-29. All the watches will be on show at the preview exhibition inside Sotheby’s Paris office located at 76 Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré. Registration for bidding and the catalogue can be found on Sothebys.com. Lot 363: Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 in yellow gold The Rolex GMT-Master ref. 6542 was mostly in stainless steel with the distinctive “Pepsi” bezel. However, the present lot stands as out for being in yellow gold with a brown bezel and matching dial with nipple-shaped hour markers. Dating to 1958,...
Worn & Wound
The Sotheby’s Important Watches sale is set to take place on June 9 in New York. A total of 135 lots are set to go under the hammer, with an interesting mix of vintage and modern watches among them. As with any major auction, there are too many great lots to do all of them proper justice, but our editorial team studied the catalog and a handful of watches (and other items) jumped out at us. From unique Paul Newman racing ephemera, to cool clocks and a whole bunch of Breguet, there’s something here for any watch enthusiast (or movie fan) to get excited about. Here are some of the highlights, chosen by Zach Kazan, Blake Buettner, and Zach Weiss. Zach Kazan Lots 28 and 29: Paul Newman Racing Ephemera While the centerpiece of the upcoming Important Watches sale at Sotheby’s is a Daytona owned by Paul Newman, the lots that make this auction truly unique and special are Newman related, but not actually watches at all. After all, we’ve done the Paul Newman Daytona thing. But what we haven’t done, at least not in a watch collecting milieu, a racing suit. Along with a truly superlative selection of watches, Sotheby’s has some great Paul Newman racing ephemera that goes a long way toward reminding us that the watch that has become synonymous with his name wasn’t a prop, or part of a costume. He wore it because it was a watch for race car drivers, and Paul Newman was a race car driver. Lot 49 is a cream colored racing jumpsuit worn by Newman on at least two occasion...
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Following on from Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I auction, it’s always interesting to go through and assess the accuracy of the lot estimates. Most of the time they cast a pretty wide net, so it’s hard to miss, but bidders seeing that top number will always give them something to reach for. Let’s dive in … ContinuedThe post The heroes and bargains of Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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To call anything ‘important’ is a matter of subjectivity, especially when you’re talking about luxury watches. That said, anyone who takes a look through the lots of Sotheby’s latest batch from the upcoming Important Watches auction will be dumbstruck. From rarities like the 1970s Heuer Monaco ‘Dark Lord’ to classics such as the platinum Rolex … ContinuedThe post 10 favourites from the upcoming Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I Auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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Having covered highlights from independent watchmakers at Sotheby’s upcoming Important Watches I auction in Hong Kong, we now dive into the complicated timepieces in the sale that takes place on April 5. We look at eight notable lots. Some, like the platinum Patek Philippe ref. 5016 with its minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and tourbillon, are amongst the most valuable in the sale. But the catalogue also has value buys, notably including offerings from jewellers like Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Bulgari. Registration for bidding and the entire catalogue can be accessed here. The Patek Philippe ref. 5016P Lot 2137: Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Pont des Amoureux One of the most poetic timepieces by the Parisian jeweller, the Pont des Amoureux was a watch that helped make Van Cleef & Arpels as a watchmaker. This watch is the original and cleanest version of the model, which was discontinued in 2019 and replaced by a revised version. The watch is all about a uniquely whimsical depiction of the passing of time. A double retrograde display takes the form of two figures: a lady with an umbrella indicates the hours whilst a gentleman marks the minutes. The two figures move towards one another over the course of 12 hours, until they meet and “kiss” on top of the bridge that overlooks the Seine river – this happens twice in a day, at midday and midnight. The dial is executed in grisaille enamel, a meticulous process that dates back to the 16th century. The techn...
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Sotheby’s forthcoming Important Watches I in Hong Kong is the first live auction of the year by a major auction house, or so accurately it’s the second day of the auction, with the sale of a mega, single-owner Patek Philippe collection happening in the evening the day before. With the strong demand for independent watchmaking, the 214-lots sale encompasses timepieces from a range of niche and not-so-niche indies. The lineup is naturally led by F.P. Journe, perhaps the marquee name in independent watchmaking today, but the most valuable lot is the very rare and very expensive Montre École, one of 11 watches born of the Naissance d’une Montre project backed by Greubel Forsey and Philippe Dufour. We round up six highlights from amongst the independent watchmakers at the sale, which starts at 2:00 pm (GMT +8) on April 26, 2022. Registration for bidding and the full catalogue can be accessed here. Montre École no. 09/11 Lot 2127: H. Moser & Cie. x MB&F; Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon Having been business partners for a decade or so – Moser’s sister company supplies hairsprings to MB&F; – the two brands revealed their first collaboration in 2020 when both coincidentally celebrated their 15th anniversary. The more complicated of the two anniversary editions, the Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon was more Moser than MB&F; with its dial colour and movement, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The Cylindrical Tourbillon combines the best of both brands. The aesthe...
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Sotheby’s upcoming Hong Kong Sale is primarily focused on wristwatches, encompassing several unique Patek Philippe chronographs commissioned by Eric Clapton and a dozen examples of early F.P. Journe. But two of the most valuables lots in the auction – and with estimates well into seven-figure US dollar sums – are a pair of museum-quality automata. Made for the Chinese market more than two centuries ago, this pair of objects are tremendously rare and exquisitely decorated in enamel and pearls. Two generations ago, such automata as well as pocket watches were the most respected genre in watch collecting. They were sought after by eminent collectors like the former chairman of HSBC and the German billionaire who was once the fifth-richest man in the world, which is why the record-setting lots in watch auctions of that era were inevitably pocket watches or objects, like the million-dollar Cremsdorff. Almost 400-years old, this pocket watch made by Jehan Cremsdorff sold for £2.175m, or about US$2.734m, including fees, at Sotheby’s in 2019 With the rise of wristwatches as the preeminent collecting category, demand for automata and pocket watches have declined sharply. Now the most expensive timepiece ever sold is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300A mega-complication that sold for over US$33 million in 2019. But elaborately enamelled pocket watches are arguably the closest thing to fine art in horology, because of the intrinsic nature of the artisanal dec...
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F.P. Journe has swiftly become one of the most desirable independent watch brands, resulting in an ever growing selection on offer at auction. Perhaps the biggest single offering to date comes by way of Sotheby’s, which has amassed a 13-piece lineup of F.P. Journe watches for its upcoming Important Watches sale that takes place in Hong Kong on October 13, 2021. We round up eight of the most notable, a selection that naturally includes a Tourbillon Souverain “Souscription”, as well as several limited editions, ranging from Ruthenium to a Tokyo-boutique special. The full catalogue and registration to bid are available on Sothebys.com. Lot 2085: Octa Réserve de Marche with brass movement Originally the entry-level model for the brand, the Octa Réserve de Marche is today a stealth watch of sorts since it is still a simple watch, but an unusually valuable one. Launched in 2001, the Octa Réserve was part of the original trio of watches launched by Francois-Paul Journe, coming after the tourbillon and Resonance. Despite being the brand’s entry-level wristwatch at the time, it still boasted a proprietary movement with an impressive five-day power reserve, though the running time was originally envision was eight days, hence the “Octa” moniker. The cal. 1300 developed for the Octa Réserve would then go on to be the base movement for the entire Octa collection. The best part of the Octa Reserve is its asymmetric dial. Showing the time, date and power reserve, the d...
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Sotheby’s latest online sale is in a quirky combination of luxury watches and high-end sneakers – some of which cost more than the watches. Fortunately the large majority of the 164 lots are horological, with a selection of watches that’s diverse and interesting, led by a couple of heavyweight top lots. The heavyweights are quite literal, both complicated watches in platinum from brands widely regarded as benchmarks in contemporary watchmaking: an F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain with a platinum case and bracelet, along with the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Luminous “Phantom”. The sale also includes more esoteric watches that might be overlooked, including as a retailer-edition Patek Philippe Calatrava with ruby markers, and a Grand Seiko “First” remake in platinum. The Fine Watches and Rare Sneakers auction is live online from now until June 8, 2021. The full catalogue and registration for bidding are available here. Lot 8201 – F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Platinum Introduced in 2004, the F. P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain was the successor to the original Tourbillon Remontoir d’Egalite. Like the original, the Tourbillon Souverain combined both a tourbillon regulator and constant force mechanism in a quest for accuracy. Its most obvious distinction against its predecessor was the small seconds at six linked to the remontoir mechanism. The Tourbillon Souverain itself was replaced in 2019 by something bigger and vertical, making it increasingly uncomm...
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Having sold the first publicly-known Daytona “Zenith” in platinum, Sotheby’s is going to offer yet another. Once again a unique example, the Cosmograph Daytona ref. 16516 in platinum – and a blue-lacquer “Stella” dial – will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Hong Kong watch auction in April 2021. “Sothebys is delighted to present this automatic Zenith Daytona rendered in platinum with a ‘Tiffany blue’ lacquered ‘Stella’ dial in April,” says Sam Hines, Sotheby’s head of watches, who adds, “Manufactured in 1998, this previously unknown watch comes from the same collection as the record-breaking platinum Daytona with hardstone lapis lazuli dial sold by Sotheby’s last year.” The “Tiffany blue” lacquered dial of the platinum Daytona that’ll be sold in April According to Sotheby’s, only five platinum Daytonas with the Zenith El Primero movement were made in the late 1990s, at the request of Rolex’s then chief executive Patrick Heiniger. Each example was unique in having a different dial, but all were equipped wit the same cal. 4030 derived from the Zenith El Primero, which was phased out in favour of the in-house cal. 4130 in 2000. The late Heiniger kept one for himself, and gifted the remainder to key business partners of Rolex. Sotheby’s has since sold two of the five, each achieving a record price for an automatic Daytona. The first was a wedding present to a member of the Gobbi family that owns the eponymous watch retailer in...
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Last time I covered a Sotheby’s Australia auction, it was my first time attending a watch auction, and while there were a number of highlights, the sale was heavily weighted towards jewellery. In December, however, Hamish Sharma, the Head of Jewels at Sotheby’s Australia, and his hardworking team have produced a sale that not only … ContinuedThe post 7 exceptional watches at the next Sotheby’s Australia auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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