On June 10, Christie’s will hold its Important Watches sale in New York. Like most auctions of this caliber, the event will include prestigious and rare wristwatches by the leading brands, as well as an impressive number of pieces by independent makers. Chief among the latter grouping is the most expensive watch ever offered at Christie’s in the Americas.
Estimated at $3 million to $4 million, the piece is a Richard Mille Tourbillon Sapphire that exemplifies the brand’s use of groundbreaking materials and its expertise in micro-engineering. Made in a limited edition of 10 pieces, the “full set” Tourbillon Sapphire RM56-02 AO was first shown at the Hong Kong edition of Watches and Wonders in 2015.
It will be joined by the usual suspects — Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Cartier and more — many of which carry historical significance.
“This edition of Christie’s Important Watches New York is particularly interesting for the depth and richness of its offering,” Rebecca Ross, head of sale at Christie’s New York, said in a statement. “Next to modern, contemporary and vintage watchmaking wonders, including rare and significant pieces by Rolex, Patek Philippe as well as surprising creations by Audemars Piguet, Cartier and Vacheron Constantin, there will also be some of the finest works by great independents, such as F.P. Journe and Daniel Roth. The timepieces in this sale transcend mere beauty; they symbolize significant moments in history, from groundbreaking explorations to technical advancements that redefine possibilities.”
Of the auction’s 118 lots (collectively estimated to fetch between $9,544,000 and $16,735,000), we’ve highlighted 10 of the most noteworthy below. All lots will be available for viewing during Christie’s Luxury Week at Rockefeller Center from June 6 to 10.
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Lot 32 | F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Ruthenium
Image Credit: Christie’s Amaze your most impossible-to-impress watch friends with a Tourbillon Souverain from F.P. Journe’s coveted Ruthenium Collection, comprising five models produced towards the end of his brass movement era. (The present model is number 67 of 99 pieces made between 2001 and 2003. In 2004, Journe began producing his movements in 18k gold.) Housed in a 40 mm platinum case with a ruthenium-coated brass movement and a ruthenium dial, the watch has a power reserve and deadbeat seconds. Its rarity, however, is what explains the impressive estimate. Estimate $250,000-350,000
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Lot 35 | MB&F Legacy Machine Perpetual
Image Credit: Christie’s A collaboration between MB&F and independent watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, this 2015 Legacy Machine reimagines the perpetual calendar as a more user-friendly and reliable complication. Designed with a new fool-proof “mechanical processor” that protects the piece from incorrect manipulation, this example, in platinum, is No. 8 in a limited edition of 25 pieces. Estimate $120,000-200,000
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Lot 45 | Greubel Forsey Balancier
Image Credit: Christie’s If you, like many people, believe that 33 is a number with special significance, then this meticulously finished Greubel Forsey Balancier in white gold with power reserve and lateral balance is for you. No. 33 of 33 made, the 2017 piece features the brand’s trademark asymmetrical case with a protrusion at the balance at 8 o’clock. Estimate $100,000-200,000
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Lot 49 | Richard Mille Limited Edition RM52-01 CA-FQ Tourbillon Skull
Image Credit: Christie’s Not only is this Richard Mille wristwatch the first of its kind to be offered at auction, it is also one of just 10 examples made in ultra-lightweight white quartz carbon TPT. But what really makes the piece stand out is its skeletonized dial fashioned in the shape of a skull with baguette diamond teeth. “By making the aesthetic choice to completely integrate this complex symbol of vanitas vanitatum into the mechanics of the watch, we were making references to the ‘promise of eternity’ as well as a need to enjoy life to the fullest,” the watchmaker said in a statement. “The finish is breathtaking, providing a glimpse of the immutable forces at play in the universe” (including, of course, enduring demand for his pioneering wristwatches). Estimate: $750,000-1,000,000
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Lot 50 | Richard Mille Limited Edition RM56-02 AO Tourbillon Sapphire
Image Credit: Christie’s Rebecca Ross, head of sales at Christie’s New York, described this 2015 limited edition model as “a remarkable achievement in both pioneering materials and micro-engineering,” terms that every Richard Mille collector is intimately familiar with. Only the second example of this reference to be offered at an international auction, this ambitious “full set” Tourbillon Sapphire RM56-02 AO comes in a transparent sapphire crystal case, features a skeletonized tourbillon dial and is equipped with a titanium cable-suspended movement and cable tension indicator. Classic RM in every way possible. Estimate: $3,000,000-5,000,000
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Lot 59 | Rolex Ref. 6062 ‘Stelline’
Image Credit: Christie’s Offered at auction for the first time, this 1953 Rolex Ref. 6062 “Stelline,” named after its distinctive star-shaped indices, is both exceptionally rare and incredibly well-preserved. An 18k gold automatic triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases, luminous star hour markers and bracelet, the piece is a collector magnet thanks to its exceptional originality and condition, starting with its pristine, silvered dial. Estimate: $500,000-1,000,000
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Lot 61 | Rolex Ref. 6098 ‘Patrick Douglas Baird’
Image Credit: Christie’s A tool watch extraordinaire, this storied Rolex reference accompanied the Scottish glaciologist Colonel Patrick Douglas Baird (1912-1984) on his 1953 Canadian Arctic expedition to Baffin Island. The 36 mm stainless steel piece, an early “Prototype Pre-Explorer” Rolex reference 6098, is among a class of vintage Rolexes vaunted by collectors as the most significant watches of all time. Its aged dial, bearing more than 70 years of patina, is also a testament to Rolex’s enduring build. Estimate: $20,000-40,000
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Lot 82 | Daniel Roth Jumping Hours Retrograde
Image Credit: Christie’s A stellar example of neo-vintage watchmaking, this seldom seen 1990s tonneau-shaped jumping hours retrograde wristwatch by the legendary independent watchmaker Daniel Roth is considered one of his early masterpieces. Numbered “55,” the 18k white gold skeletonized and diamond-set timepiece comes in Roth’s signature “ellipso-curvex” case, an example of a shaped wristwatch long before Cartier made them cool again. Estimate: $20,000-40,000
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Lot 100 | Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 2526 ‘Duo’
Image Credit: Christie’s Own a piece of political history with the purchase of this rare 18k gold automatic wristwatch featuring the words “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You” in a semi-circle on the dial (aka a “Duo” inscription). Believed to have been ordered in the 1950s by then-Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson through Tiffany & Co., this example was a gift from LBJ to Senator Robert Kerr of Oklahoma, who later gave it to a pilot (grandfather of the present owner). It is one of the earliest known Duo watches and may even be the original dial design. Estimate: $25,000-45,000
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Lot 102 | Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 Two-Tone ‘Tasti Tondi’
Image Credit: Christie’s A case study in watch design, the two-tone dial of this Ref. 1463 by Patek Philippe — combining a silvered outer scale and off-white center with an 18k yellow gold case — was made entirely by hand by Swiss dial masters Stern Frères (the same Sterns who bought Patek Philippe in 1932). Considered one the most beautifully designed chronographs of the mid-20th century (as well as the Genevan maker’s first water-resistant chronograph), this example from 1953 featuring round pushers (“tasti tondi” in Italian) comes from the original owner’s family. Produced from the 1940s to the mid-1960s, the coveted reference was made in only 400 yellow gold models, with just 160 known to the market. Estimate: $100,000-200,000
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Authors
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Victoria Gomelsky
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