Christie’s
Anyone who loves rare watches—even if they have more dreams than means—should attend the December watch auctions in New York between today, December 5th and December 10th, just to get a rare glimpse at some of the legendary pieces assembled. Between the three auction houses—Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo—the sale includes vintage rarities from Rolex and Patek Philippe, along with a dazzling selection of modern masterpieces from the top independents: F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, George Daniels and Kari Voutilainen. Don’t be discouraged by the eye-popping price estimates attached to the highlights. There are also plenty of more affordable (under $10,000) curiosities from top brands in all three sales, including both vintage and modern examples of great watches by Omega, Heuer, Rolex, Tudor, Audemars Piguet, and even Patek Philippe. The Christie’s Important Watches sale takes place today, while Sotheby’s will hold its Important Watches auction on December 7th, and Phillips New York Watch Auction: Nine will be held on December 9th and 10th.
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Patek Philippe Ref. 1518
Image Credit: Phillips; Sotheby’s Not one but two very rare examples of the pink gold Patek Philippe ref. 1518, the brand’s baseline chronograph perpetual calendar, produced until 1954. Only 281 Ref. 1518s were ever made, and only a small number in pink gold. A 1954 model at Phillips (left) is estimated at $1.2 million to $2.4 million, and a 1950 model at Sotheby’s (right), for $800,000 to $1.5 million.
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Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon 5002P-001
Image Credit: Christie’s A rarely seen Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002P-001 will be on the block at Christie’s with an estimate between $1.2 million and $2.1 million. It comes packed with 12 complications, including a cathedral minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, sidereal time and sky chart, to name a handul.
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Cartier Baignoire Allongée Maxi Oval and Tank Louis Ultra-Thin
Image Credit: Christie’s Two rare pieces made by Cartier London in the so-called Swinging Sixties era are up for grabs at Christie’s. One is a Tank Louis Ultra-Thin (right) estimated at $15,000 to $25,000, bearing the London hallmark from 1971, a time when Cartier’s London ateliers were making handcrafted and sometimes wild interpretations of Cartier’s iconic designs. The other is a Cartier Baignoire Allongée Maxi Oval (left), signed Cartier London 1968 estimate at $100,000 to $200,000, handmade in a very limited edition, with only four appearing at auction over the past 25 years.
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Patek Philippe Jumbo Nautilus Ref. 3700-1A
Image Credit: Phillips; Christie’s Two iconic Patek Philippe Nautilus “Jumbo” ref. 3700 models are on the block. One is white gold—only 11 were made in white gold—and offered by Phillips (left) with an estimate of $400,000 to $800,000. The other is in steel and offered by Christie’s (right) with an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.
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Richard Mille Unique RM018 “Hommage à Boucheron”
Image Credit: Christie’s Christie’s is offering a one-of-a-kind Richard Mille RM018 Hommage à Boucheron, a skeletonized tourbillon made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Parisian jeweler Boucheron. Richard Mille made 30 of these anniversary pieces, all slightly different, with wheels made of tiger’s eye, jasper, black onyx, or diamonds. The movement, incredibly, is made with sapphire crystal plates. The case is engraved with vertical ridges reminiscent of the signature Boucheron Reflet watch. It is estimated between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
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Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe Ref. 3448
Image Credit: Christie’s If you’re into provenance, Christie’s is selling a watch once owned by Andy Warhol—a rare yellow gold Patek Philippe Ref. 3448 perpetual calendar made in 1977. It is estimated at $350,000 to $600,000. The collection was sold after his death in a series of auctions held by Sotheby’s New York in 1988.
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Panerai Ref. 3646 Type B Radiomir; Rolex Ref. 5510 “Big Crown” for Royal Australian Navy
Image Credit: Sotheby’s Sotheby’s will also auction the private collection of Alan “Hammer” Bloore, an Australian sportsman and sailor who was left paralyzed from the armpits down after a boating accident. The 60-piece collection is half Panerai and half Rolex and includes pieces never seen publicly before including numerous no. 1 limited editions, as well as historically important military pieces spanning 50 years of history.
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