383 articles found · page 10 of 13
Time+Tide
From Geneva to London: 2025's impressive run of watch auctions continues, with Watches of Knightsbridge offering up some heat.The post Vintage stunners, quartz oddities, and a highly unusual Cartier to hit Watches of Knightsbridge auction block appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There's so many auctions gearing up to take place in Geneva right now and they're all chock-full of amazing watches - here's the best ones.The post The Time+Tide Team picks their favourite lots from Geneva’s stacked 2025 watch auction season appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
As you know, we rarely talk about auctions on MONOCHROME. We prefer to focus on what we know best: independent watchmaking, explaining fine mechanics and talking about new watches. Yet, from time to time, something sparks our interest – and in the present case, it did on a personal level, maybe due to a certain […]
Fratello
Now here is something special! A space-flown Omega Speedmaster Professional 3570.50 and the EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity) glove it was worn over in space will be up for auction on December 3rd at Koller Auctions in Zurich, Switzerland. Cosmonaut Padalka’s space-flown Omega Speedmaster and EVA glove This watch was on the wrist of cosmonaut Gennady Padalka […] Visit A Space-Flown Omega Speedmaster And Glove Up For Auction On December 3rd to read the full article.
SJX Watches
The fall auction season kicks off with online auctions, before the primary live sales that take place in November. Phillips in Geneva just opened its online auction with a 70-lot offering of the familiar and mainstream (think Aquanaut, Royal Oak, and Nautilus), but also the esoteric and independent, ranging from an Alain Silberstein perpetual calendar made by Svend Andersen to a Seiko Izul “bullhead” chronograph. We round up a few highlights from the sale, which runs from September 5-12, 2024, with the catalogue and bidding available online. Lot 9 – Alain Silberstein Marine Perpetual Calendar by Svend Andersen Part of Alain Silberstein’s Marine series of dive watches, the Marine Perpetual is a COSC-certified perpetual calendar in a case rated to 200 m. It’s equipped with a clever, double-sided perpetual calendar movement developed by Svend Andersen. Built on an ETA 2892, the perpetual calendar has a minimalist display with only the date on the dial that’s decorated in Silberstein’s trademark style with geometric shapes, primary colours, along with a starfish, crescent, and sun. On the reverse is the months and leap year in a single register that is mounted on the periphery of the movement, allowing the rotor to travel below the indicator. The Marine Perpetual was a limited edition of 100 watches, though it is likely fewer were made, since they are rarely encountered. It was one of several collaborations that Alain Silberstein in the 1990s with prominent in...
Hodinkee
Covering the wild, the weird, and the scholarship-changing in our preview of the upcoming Geneva auctions.
Monochrome
We return to the intriguing world of car collecting and the subsequent auctions that often go hand-in-hand. A couple of months ago it was announced that one of the most coveted collections in Europe would be offered for sale through Artcurial, the relatively young auction house headquartered in Paris, France. Catering to vintage car enthusiasts, […]
Hodinkee
It's auction season again, and we're breaking down the trends, mega lots, and our favorite sleeper picks from this weekend's auctions and more.
SJX Watches
Regarded as a bellwether of the market, the Geneva auction season just concluded with the main players – Phillips, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Antiquorum – having staged their sales over four days. Several records were set over the season, including CHF2.1 million for an immaculate Rolex ref. 6062 triple calendar in steel at Phillips, and CHF2.2 million for the George Daniels Millennium also signed by Roger W. Smith, both including fees. Trending one way Despite the record holders, the tone of the season was set by moderating or even weak prices. This was already evident with the most faddish of the “hype” watches last season six months ago. The May auctions saw prices for such watches gap down substantially, reflecting a new reality. Now the same appears to be happening for independent watchmaking – a good thing in my view as it will hopefully shake out the opportunists and no-hopers. The Roger W. Smith Series 2 hammered for CHF400,000 at Phillips (or CHF508,000 with fees), which is below the current retail price for the model and a third below the price of the lower-priced Series 1 that sold in the same venue in May 2023. The Phillips saleroom at La Reserve. Image – Phillips This phenomenon was not unique to Roger W. Smith, with prices gapping down for significant independents like F.P. Journe and Voutilainen. However, these brands remain buoyed by their relative reasonable retail prices, which still remain below recent auction valuations. Even if some exa...
SJX Watches
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...
Time+Tide
Watch collectors love the hunt for their next watch, and auctions are a great place to find the next dream reference you desire. Sure, it can be intimidating at times, with high-profile lots going for exorbitant amounts of money, but these auctions typically have very large catalogues with hundreds of lots. For example, the upcoming … ContinuedThe post Sotheby’s Fine Watches Auction: Zach picks 5 lots to keep an eye on appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Watch lovers are always on the lookout for ways to source highly in-demand pieces at prices that aren’t totally bananas. One potential avenue for this are those auctions held by police or government authorities. These often feature items that have been seized or repossessed, because if an asset was used in a crime, owned by … ContinuedThe post Thai Customs admits selling fake luxury watches in auction including pieces from Rolex, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
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.
Time+Tide
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.
SJX Watches
The Geneva spring auction season kicks off soon and as expected, most of the weekend’s highlights are the usual timepieces from establishment brands and independent watchmakers, including one that is a mix of both, the Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie pocket watch made by Philippe Dufour. But one of the season’s most intriguing lot is altogether different – the Patek Philippe Ref. 1252 “Chameleon” that’ll go under the hammer at Antiquorum. Both intriguing and quirky, the ref. 1252 “Chameleon” is essentially a sculptural bracelet that happens to have a small, manual-wind movement installed. While such bracelet wristwatches are common for jewellers like Cartier and Bulgari, the “Chameleon” is decidedly unconventional for Patek Philippe. Made in the late 1940s, this example of the “Chameleon” is only the second one known. The first example resides in the Patek Philippe Museum as inventory no. P-107. The “Chameleon” is perhaps more object than timekeeper. It has an estimate of CHF50,000-100,000 – arguably not so much for a sculptural Patek Philippe of which only two are known, or a pricey, oddball ladies’ watch. But it is unquestionably interesting and perhaps one of the most intriguing objects on the block this weekend. The “Chameleon” is lot 450 and has an estimate of CHF50,000-100,000. Its archive extract has been ordered and is pending according to Antiquorum. For more, visit Antiquorum.com.
Time+Tide
Ineichen Auctioneers are renowned for promoting some of the most exciting watch auctions in the last few decades, and the upcoming Independents Auction is shaping up to shock and surprise. The focus hasn’t just been put on independent watchmakers, but specifically some of their rarest and even unique pieces that will command a lot of … ContinuedThe post T+T’s favourites from the upcoming Independents Ineichen Auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
I have always been fascinated by the drama that unfolds at a live watch auction – the excitement, the applause that accompanies a record hammer price, and the occasional silence when there are no bids to be found made. As a collector, the drama that unfolds adds colour to the hobby and adds another dimension to the business. I had long tuned in for the livestream of auctions since I purchased my first vintage timepiece almost a decade ago. I followed the blockbuster results in the salerooms of the three leading auction houses, Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but I had yet to experience being in the room until my outing to the recent fall sales in Hong Kong. Watching the gavel fall on screen I knew I had to attend a live auction after watching the Sotheby’s Geneva auction that took place in December 2014. On my laptop I saw the sale of the Henry Graves Supercomplication unfold, when the man with the red tie, whom I later discovered to be Aurel Bacs, won the watch for US$24 million. A few years later, while commuting to my first job out of college, I caught the exact moment when Paul Newman’s “Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona sold for a record at Phillips’ in New York. More recently, I tuned in for the sale of the F.P. Journe FFC Blue at Only Watch last year. Even though I only watched these sales on a screen, it is clear that watch auctions at the highest level are almost a competitive sport, with bidders from across the world or the aisle locked in a ...
Quill & Pad
While it is always interesting to see what the rarest of watches do at auctions, scant few can afford such bidding wars. That doesn't necessarily mean that the only other option is eBay as Fellows highlights with its Luxury Watch Sale.
SJX Watches
With the curtain having just come down on the Geneva sale season, auction houses are migrating to Hong Kong for the second half of the autumn auctions. Going on the block at Phillips’ The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XV are 270 lots that encompass heavy-hitters and “hype” watches, but as usual we’ll take a look instead at a few interesting watches, starting with a selection of independent watchmaking. We round up nine notable creations from the independents, mainly time-only watches with high-quality construction and unique design, such as a Voutilainen Vingt-8 with a skeletonised dial and the Ludovic Ballouard Upside Down. The auction takes place on November 28 (lots 801-938) and November 29 (lots 939-1070). The full catalogue and sale registration can be accessed on Phillips.com. Lot 829: Roger Dubuis Hommage H37 A modern-day chronometer heavily inspired by traditional watchmaker – the aesthetics are a practically a revival of styling from the good old days – the Hommage H37 is an easy watch to like. Living up to its name, the Hommage pays tribute to classical gentlemen’s watches. It’s a three-hander in a classically-sized 37 mm case that contains a Lemania-based self-winding movement certified as a chronometer by the Besançon Observatory. The Hommage case was modelled on the Patek Philippe ref. 1463 “Tasti Tondi” chrongraph, though the resemblance is less obvious on the time-only model. But the simple lines are undeniably appealing despite their sim...
Time+Tide
The auctions at Ineichen never disappoint and, on December 3, that track record continues. Because on that day, at 2pm CET, bidding will begin for their Complications: Dates & Calendars auction. Fifty lots of some of the most complicated and beautiful watches from storied brands like Vacheron Constantin, Breguet and JLC. So much complicated goodness that … ContinuedThe post My top five picks from the Ineichen Complications auction appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
A much-anticipated series of auctions just concluded in Geneva, the first sale season to take place after financial markets started to crack in mid 2022. All the major auction houses – Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s – staged sales in the Swiss city, and almost everyone who was anyone turned up (or took part by phone or online). The season’s top performer by the numbers was Christie’s, which sold CHF55.5 million of watches, fees included, largely thanks to the collection of former Ferrari Formula 1 chief Jean Todt. It displaced the traditional number one, Phillips, which sold CHF45.0 million. The Phillips auction at La Reserve. Image – Phillips A few takeaways are immediately apparent in the results. One was widely expected: “hype” watches have come off their highs, often by a third or more. Including obvious candidates like sports watches, namely the Nautilus, Royal Oak, and Overseas, but also brands that enjoyed massive run-ups in value during the pandemic like F.P. Journe. Values are still up from the pre-pandemic lows, but if prices overcorrected on the way up, then it is likely they will do so on the way down. Sotheby’s, for instance, had several dozen examples of various Nautilus and Royal Oak models in its sale, mostly with estimates close to peak values from late 2021. As a result, a third of the watches went unsold. The dip in values was also evident with F.P. Journe, certainly not a “hype” brand but one that enjoy a stellar run during ...
Time+Tide
Ineichen Auctioneers are known for their thematic auctions, whether it’s focusing on blue dials for “Precious Blues” or the rose-gold themed “La Vie en Rose” auction earlier this year. They also have a pioneering spirit – their most recent Joker XXX auction consisted of a three-piece set including a piece unique watch, Porsche 911, and … ContinuedThe post My 5 favourite lots from the Ineichen Royal 50 auction on May 28 – with no buyer’s premium! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s just concluded the first sale of the spring auction season, which now moves to Geneva with a series of auctions in the Swiss city starting the first weekend of May. The season opened strongly with several records set at Sotheby’s, most notably with The Nevadian Collector, a sale of Patek Philippe timepieces all owned by an American collector. Made up of 38 watches and one lot of vintage Gay Freres bracelets, the auction was led by an unsurprising favourite that sold for a record price – the possibly unique ref. 2499 in pink gold with a dial signed “Gobbi Milano”. Sotheby’s consultant Sam Hines bringing the hammer down on the ref. 2499 “Gobbi” Four telephone bidders competed for the watch, with bidding swift and aggressive. One of the bidders went big early on, taking the bid from HK$19 million to HK$30 million with one bid – an increment of about US$1.4 million. Eventually one of the phone bidders triumphed and set the record for the most expensive ref. 2499 ever sold at auction. The pink ref. 2499 “Gobbi” hammered for HK$50 million, resulting in a total of HK$60.265 million including the buyer’s premium. That’s equivalent to about US$7.68 million, making it the most expensive ref. 2499 ever sold at auction by some margin. The last record holder was the ref. 2499 “Asprey” that sold in 2018 for about US$ 4 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva – which was also sold by the Nevadian. While the ref. 2499 “Gobbi” was the headline lot,...
SJX Watches
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...
Quill & Pad
There is a watch auctioneer focusing on bringing beauty into auctions rather than chasing world records by concentrating on (the) two highly popular brands: Ineichen based in Zurich. And here Elizabeth Doerr highlights eight timepieces in its next auction that she thinks we should be paying special attention to when others might not be. Ineichen's Precious Blues auction takes place on April 23, 2022.
SJX Watches
A newcomer to the world of watch auctions, Loupe This was founded by a pair of industry veterans and operates in a distinctly 21st century manner: sales are conducted entirely online, with about ten watches on the block at any one time. The offerings on Loupe This are diverse. In December 2021 it sold an example of our Habring2 Erwin “Star” for US$15,400 including fees, while the latest to go under the hammer are two interesting, long-discontinued watches from notable watchmakers based in Geneva – but otherwise radically different. One is the a Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 – in pristine, “new old stock” condition – and the other, an F.P. Journe Octa Chronographe 38 mm. Rolex Milgauss ref. 1019 Produced from 1960 to 1988, the ref. 1019 was the longest-running reference of the Milgauss, the brand’s famous magnetism-resistant watch conceived for engineers and nuclear scientists. Despite the lengthy production run, the ref. 1019 is relatively rare because the model wasn’t produced in sizeable numbers for the simple reason that it didn’t sell well. In fact, Rolex discontinued the Milgauss altogether in 1988, before reviving it some two decades later. While the rarity certainly boosts its appeal, the ref. 1019 is attractive and unusual for being one of the most fuss-free Rolex “Professional” sports watch. The ref. 1019 is also the simplest version of the Milgauss, doing without the rotating bezel or “lightning” seconds hand found on earlier models. It ...
SJX Watches
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...
Quill & Pad
Ineichen Zurich held two days' worth of watch auctions in Zurich and online November 20-21, 2021 with 198 ticking specialties that included a bevy of independent timepieces and two new world records for the Vianney Halter Antiqua. Get the results here!
Quill & Pad
The Phillips' Geneva Watch Auction: XIV in November 2021 was one of the watch auctions of the decade. Here are the eye-watering results raised by the four historical Philippe Dufour watches.
Quill & Pad
Following the record-breaking weekend comprising the Phillips and Only Watch auctions, the vintage world turns to the remaining houses yet to stage their auctions this season. And so our pals at The Watches TV went hands on with a few lots of Zurich’s Ineichen auction house from the year's final auction to be held on November 20 and 21, 2021.
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