Watches at auction

The Christie’s online auction The Dubai Edit is live for browsing and bidding until 28 November. Its catalog features several rarities, among which the two timepieces seen here.

 

Breguet 1262 is a rare example of a jump-hour wristwatch from the Art Deco period. Crafted from Osmior (an alloy with a platinum-like hue before white gold was available), it was produced in 1926 and sold on January 18, 1928. 

Estimate: $40,000-60,000

 

This Rolex GMT-Master 1675 dating from circa 1978 features a dial signed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, in red Arabic script. Watches sporting only his signature are among the scarcest versions of these personalised timepieces found more commonly in combination with the United Arab Emirates crest. 

Estimate: $80,000-120,000

Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève

The IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar was awarded the "Aiguille d'Or" Grand Prix at the 24th GPHG reremony. Thanks to a newly engineered 400-year gear, which completes one revolution every four centuries, the calendar will skip three leap years over 400 years – an event that will take place in the year 2100 for the first time. The eternal calendar will calculate the leap year correctly until at least 3999, as no official decision has been taken yet as to whether 4000 will be a leap year. The Double Moon™ indication, featuring a titanium base disc with two blue dots and a glass disc rotating above it, will – theoretically – only need an adjustment after 45 million years.

 

A group photo featuring the representatives of the 21 brands that received awards from the Jury and Academy for the quality of their creations in various categories. Here is the list:

“Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix: IWC Schaffhausen, Portugieser Eternal Calendar
Audacity Prize: Berneron, Mirage Sienna
Eco-innovation Prize: Chopard, L.U.C Qualité Fleurier
Chronometry Prize: Bernhard Lederer, 3 Times Certified Observatory Chronometer
“Horological Revelation” Prize: Rémy Cools, Tourbillon Atelier
Iconic Watch Prize: Piaget, Piaget Polo 79
Tourbillon Watch Prize: Daniel Roth, Tourbillon Souscription
Calendar and Astronomy Watch Prize: Laurent Ferrier, Classic Moon Silver
Mechanical Exception Watch Prize: Bovet 1822, Récital 28 Prowess 1
Chronograph Watch Prize: Massena Lab, Chronograph Monopoussoir Sylvain Pinaud x Massena Lab
Sports Watch Prize: Ming, 37.09 Bluefin
Men’s Complication Watch Prize: De Bethune, DB Kind Of Grande Complication
Men’s Watch Prize: Voutilainen, KV20i Reversed
Time Only Watch Prize: H. Moser & Cie, Streamliner Small Seconds Blue Enamel
Jewellery Watch Prize: Chopard, Laguna High-Jewellery Secret Watch
Artistic Crafts Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Jour Enchanté
Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Arpels Brise d'Été
Ladies’ Watch Prize: Van Cleef & Arpels, Lady Jour Nuit
“Petite Aiguille” Watch Prize: Kudoke, 3 Salmon
Challenge Watch Prize: Otsuka Lotec, No.6
Special Jury Prize: Jean-Pierre Hagmann

New Releases – Ikepod Megapod This is Our Time

This 30-pieces limited series brings Laser 3.14’s street art into the world of horology. Its defining feature is the phrase This Is Our Time, printed in Laser 3.14’s signature graffiti style on the dial. The Laser 3.14 tag is also printed inside the crystal at 12:00, overlapping the Ikepod logo as though it were sprayed-over. The 46 mm steel takes inspiration from the pebble-like shape of the original Megapod (1997) and hosts a Miyota 9039 automatic movement.

New Releases – Schaefer & Companions Solune Grand Art

 

Crafted by Françoise Remmonay of Donzé Cadran, the enameled dial of this timepiece belonging to the brand’s first collection encapsulates frozen waves meant to evoke Antarctica’s solitude and beauty. Four more interpretations of the continent, featuring various métiers d’art, will follow. The 43 mm steel case hosts an ETA 2892 decorated movement with customized rotor.

Price: CHF 5’000 (tax excluded)

 

 

 

 

Watches at Auction

The top lot of the sale held by Christie’s Hong Kong on 27 October was a unique 18k rose gold Patek Philippe Ref. 1518. This perpetual calendar chronograph with moon phases and French calendar was made for the Parisian retailer Guillermin and is the only one known to be signed “Fab. Suisse”.

Price: EUR 2,274,276

 

The catalog of the upcoming Christie’s Geneva sale (11 November) features one of only two known Breguet tonneau-shaped perpetual calendar wristwatches with retrograde date and moon phases. Never before seen at auction, it was produced in 1935 and sold to the French designer Paul Iribe, known for his contributions to Art Deco design, the graphic arts and Hollywood movie sets.

Estimate: EUR 110,000-210,000

 

New releases – ID Genève Elements

Founded in 2020, the brand uses ethically sourced recycled materials and low-carbon processes. This collection of bio-inspired watches is influenced by the processes, visual effects, shapes and colors found in nature. The five high-contrast dials are based on nano-engraving technology developed by Morphotonix, a Swiss start-up specializing in printing processes for banknotes and passports. The 37 mm case in recycled stainless steel hosts a circular Caliber ETA 2892, certified refurbished.

New releases – Favre-Leuba Deep Blue Revival

 

The brand reintroduces its divers watch in its original design and 39 mm dimensions. The sunray-finished gray dial is adorned with baton-shaped indexes. The round date window at 4:30, with its polished and glossy finish, retains the look of 1964. The indexes and hands, filled with egg-shell colored Super-LumiNova® are reminiscent of the radium used back then. The case hosts the La Joux-Perret’s automatic G100 movement, ensuring a 68-hour power reserve. Price: CHF 2,250.

 

 

Open doors at Eberhard

Eberhard & Co. opens the doors of its historic headquarters for special visits during the 11th Biennial of Watchmaker's Heritage Days, celebrating the tradition of Swiss horology in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle. During the event, visitors are invited to explore the Eberhard & Co. Museum. Attendees will experience the Maison’s evolution through a diverse selection of pieces, including pocket watches from the late 19th century, early wrist chronographs, ladies’ watches, sporty men’s models, and the new collections.

Visits last 60 minutes and are available on November 1 and 2 from 10:00AM to 16:00AM. For reservations, contact reception@eberhard1887.com

 

 

 

New releases – Guebly RTG-01

 

The brand’s first watch features a 42 mm case in Grade 5 titanium. The deep blue hue of the round dial is enhanced by a spiral finish that radiates from its center. Both the indexes and retrograde sector are pad-printed by hand. Manufactured in the Swiss Jura, the 179-component movement is made entirely of titanium. Its plates and bridges feature standards of decoration that exceed even the requirements of the Geneva Seal, and its micro-rotor guarantees a 70-hour power reserve.

 

 

Vintage Box – LeCoultre (1950s)

ENGLISH (il testo italiano è in fondo alla pagina)
Complete with its cardboard slipcase, certificate of guarantee and user manual, the box seen here originally contained a Futurematic – “engineered to be the most accurate automatic watch in all the world”.

    
The inscription suggests that the timepiece was sold by Vacheron & Constantin - LeCoultre, the U.S. subsidiary of the two manufacturers. Timepieces meant for the American market did not feature the Jaeger brand’s name.

ITALIANO
Comprendente la sua scatola di cartone, il certificato di garanzia e il manuale d'uso, il cofanetto presentato qui conteneva originalmente un Futurematic: “progettato per essere l’orologio automatico più preciso del mondo”.

 

L’iscrizione indica che l’orologio fu venduto da Vacheron & Constantin – LeCoultre, filiale americana dei due fabbricanti. I prodotti destinati al mercato d’Oltreoceano non avevano il nome Jaeger sul quadrante.

 

New releases – Depancel Allure Mecaquartz Integrated

The 36 mm steel case accommodates the brand’s first integrated metal bracelet and hosts a Seiko mecaquartz system combining the traditional mechanical gear trains with the regulation provided by the consistent oscillation of quartz crystal. The red and orange hues found on the three subsidiary dials and the tachymetric scale echo the 1970s design.

Watches Of Italy

 

La quinta edizione di W.O.I. – Watches Of Italy, prima mostra mercato dedicata alla produzione orologiera italiana, si terrà a Novi Ligure, presso il centro fieristico “Dolci Terre” nel complesso del Museo dei Campionissimi (Viale dei Campionissimi 2), nei giorni di sabato 5 e domenica 6 ottobre prossimi. Ingresso gratuito dietro registrazione obbligatoria qui. Orario continuato 10-19. Nata nel 2019, la manifestazione riunisce gli operatori nazionali del settore orologiero e dell’accessoristica con lo scopo di presentare le start-up e i micro-brand agli appassionati, ai media e al grande pubblico.

Auction Results - Christie's

The recent Watches Online auction held by Christe’s Hong Kong featured Part 1 of an important single-owner collection. Here are some of the pieces that went under the hammer. All prices include buyers' premiums.

 

A 18 ct white gold Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116859 with a diamond-set sodalite dial and a sapphire-set bezel. Price: $194,200.

A 18 ct gold Rolex Datejust Ref. 16238 with a tiger-eye dial. Price: $27,500.

 

 

A stainless steel Ref. 8171 ‘Padellone’, the first self-winding, full-calendar Rolex watch with moon phases, made between 1949 and 1952. Price: $56,640.

 

 

Auction Results - FutureGrail

Here are some of the most outstanding Patek Philippe pieces sold online by the Singapore-based auction house FutureGrail in the first half of September.

 

A 18ct yellow gold, vertical rectangular-shaped, curved, oversized gentleman’s wristwatch, circa 1919. Price: $84,000.

 

A large (37 mm) stainless steel Calatrava Ref. 570 A HP, the only one known with silver dial and applied ‘Breguet’ numerals, 1944. Price: $189,000.

 

A 18ct gold perpetual calendar Ref. 2497J SC with original box and papers, the second ever made, 1951. Price: $630,000.

 

A 18ct gold Ref. 3448 J HL, the world’s first self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch produced in series, 1970. Price: $287,250.

 

 

New releases – Artya Aqua Carbon Divers

The 43 mm case of this limited edition of 99 COSC-certified dive watches is water resistant to 300 meters. Both the case and dial are carved from a high-tech composite created by combining carbon fragments and colored resin matrix. 11 colors are available, and the random arrangement of fibers gives each piece a unique aspect. The automatic movement delivers a 42-hour power reserve.