Watches at auction

The catalog of the upcoming Christie’s auction in New York (Rockefeller Center, June 10) features a couple of historically important timepieces.

 

The original owner of this Rolex Ref. 6098 ‘pre-Explorer’ was Colonel Patrick Douglas Baird, the leader of the 1953 Swiss Canadian Baffin Island Arctic Expedition. Manufactured in 1952, the watch was presented by the Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research (S.F.A.R.) a year later, and worn by Colonel Baird during the famous expedition. Estimate: US$20,000-40,000.

 

This Patek Philippe Ref. 2526 is an example of the so-called ‘Duo’ models, made for then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who gave them to influential figures. ‘Duo’ stands for ‘Do unto others (as you would have them do unto you)’, the inscription printed on the dial. This one was a gift to Senator Robert Kerr of Oklahoma, who later gave it to a pilot (grandfather of the present owner) as thanks for a skilled, safe flight through a tumultuous storm. Estimate: US$25,000-45,000.