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Results for Christie's Geneva: Rare Watches

20,156 articles · 173 videos found · page 230 of 678

Our Predictions In The Chronometry Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is United, But Not Unanimous Quill & Pad
Oct 18, 2020

Our Predictions In The Chronometry Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Our Panel Is United, But Not Unanimous

In the GPHG Chronometry category, we find mechanical watches that contain at least one tourbillon, and/or a special escapement, and/or another development improving precision timekeeping. What we don't find, though, is much hard data regarding precision like timing test results or in most cases even a second hand. Precision watches without a second hand? Despite that, our panel predicts a clear winner.

Our Predictions In The Iconic Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Another Head-Scratcher For Our Panelists But There’s A Clear Favorite Quill & Pad
Oct 13, 2020

Our Predictions In The Iconic Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): Another Head-Scratcher For Our Panelists But There’s A Clear Favorite

The Iconic category emphasizes men’s or women’s watches from a brand’s emblematic collection, meaning one that has had a lasting influence on watchmaking and its history as well as having been on the market for more than 20 years. Our panelists have mixed feelings about the Iconic category and are (nearly) split down the middle on picking a favorite.

Our Predictions In The Ladies Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): A Sprinkling Of Jewels, A Mismatched Date, And The Ever-Raging Debate On Quartz Quill & Pad
Sep 29, 2020

Our Predictions In The Ladies Category Of The 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG): A Sprinkling Of Jewels, A Mismatched Date, And The Ever-Raging Debate On Quartz

The GPHG foundation describes the Ladies category for watches entered as “comprising only the following indications: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, and/or classic moon phase. These timepieces may be adorned with a maximum of eight carats’ worth of gemstones.” While our panelists aren't quite unanimous, we do have a clear favorite as a winner here. Read on to find out why.

In-Depth: The Bespoke (and Custom) Experience at Andersen Genève SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin May 2, 2020

In-Depth: The Bespoke (and Custom) Experience at Andersen Genève

When applied to watches, “bespoke” brings to mind the ultra-complicated timepieces made for famous historical figures like James W. Packard and Henry Graves Jr., who each commissioned a succession of one-off watches that pushed the technical boundaries of watchmaking in the early decades of the 20th century. One of those watches, the landmark Patek Philippe “Supercomplication” made for Graves, long held the title of most-expensive-watch ever sold. In the modern day, watchmakers continue to create unique watches. Patek Philippe does it quietly for its best clients, while Vacheron Constantin is more public with its Atelier Cabinotiers department that specialises in customised timepieces. Similarly, artisanal independent watchmakers like Voutilainen often accept commissions. But as a collector, how easy is it to dip your toes into the waters of bespoke or custom watchmaking? This is my maiden experience with such watches, which started at Andersen Geneve some six years ago. Svend at work Industrial vs. artisanal I first wanted to get involved in the creation of a custom watch in 2014. I already knew then it could not merely be changing colours on the dial or hands, neither could it be an engraved monogram. What I wanted was a truly unique world-time watch with a Louis Cottier-type mechanism. At the same time, I had a certain budget in mind, so I approached independent watchmakers that made watches I liked, but with steel cases. Somewhat naively, I thought adding a ti...

Introducing the Winners of the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève SJX Watches
Vacheron Constantin clinched Nov 8, 2019

Introducing the Winners of the 2019 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

This year’s GPHG saw a total of no less than 196 watches entered into the running for one of the night’s awards. The jury, presided over by Aurel Bacs, then pre-selected 84 models, divided into 14 categories. The latter included four new awards – the Iconic Watch, Diver’s Watch, Calendar and Astronomy and Horological Revelation. The outcome is similar to last year’s, with a strong ratio of independents among the winners. Out of 18 watch awards, eight were awarded to independents including Kudoke (Petite Aiguille), Ming (Horological Revelation) and newcomer Genus, (Mechanical Exception), while virtuoso watchmaker Voutilainen scooped two awards (Men’s Watch and Artistic Crafts). The biggest winner of the evening was Audemars Piguet who took home three awards including the top prize – the Aiguille d’Or – for its Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The watch is the world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar at just 6.3mm in height, achieved primarily by using a modified ultra-thin cal. 2120 as a base with a smartly designed perpetual calendar module on top that has an integrated end-of-month cam on the date wheel and a 48-month wheel with a novel geometry. Elsewhere, having lost to Genus in the Mechanical Exception category, Vacheron Constantin clinched the Innovation award with its Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar. The watch addresses the problem of having to reset a perpetual calendar that has lain dormant. It utilises two balances osci...

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Daytona “La Barrichello” SJX Watches
Audemars Piguet ambassador Jun 25, 2019

Artisans de Genève Introduces the Daytona “La Barrichello”

Anyone who followed Formula 1 in the 1990s to the early 2000s would remember Rubens Barrichello as effective driver. Though the Brazilian did not win any championships, he notched up 11 wins and 68 podium finishes. Like many fellow Formula 1 drivers, Mr Barrichello likes watches and was once an Audemars Piguet ambassador; the Royal Oak Offshore Rubens Barrichello II of 2006 was one of the hottest watches of the era.  Unsurprisingly, Mr Barrichello is apparently a fan of the Rolex Daytona – arguably the auto racing watch – explaining his collaboration with Artisans de Genève, a Swiss outfit that specialises in customising Rolex watches. They gave his Rolex Daytona a makeover to create “La Barrichello”, a strikingly and heavily modified Cosmograph Daytona with an open-worked movement. Notably, Artisans de Genève just last year performed a similar custom job on a Daytona belonging to Juan-Pablo Montoya, another F1 driver who was active in the sport at the same time as Mr Barrichello. Both drivers’ skeletonised watches are novel in a good way; much of Artisans de Genève’s other creations are modern Daytonas modified to look like vintage “Paul Newman” Daytonas, which is arguably less interesting. Creative differences “La Barrichello” started out as the all-steel Daytona ref. 116520, which is the preceding generation of Daytona that was first introduced in 2000 before being replaced by the ref. 116500LN (distinguished by its ceramic bezel) in 2...

In Partnership - Happenings: Join Us For A First Look At The Future Of Gerald Charles In SoHo Hodinkee
Gerald Charles Apr 24, 2026

In Partnership - Happenings: Join Us For A First Look At The Future Of Gerald Charles In SoHo

With the dust finally settling on Watches & Wonders 2026, the conversation shifts from the halls of the Palexpo to the cobblestone streets of SoHo. On May 6, Hodinkee is partnering with Gerald Charles for an exclusive community event at the Watches of Switzerland SoHo showroom. This evening serves as an intimate destination for collectors to go hands-on with the latest novelties from Geneva, offering a rare opportunity to experience the brand's evolution in a localized setting. The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar. The highlight of the evening is a thoughtful discussion featuring Federico Ziviani, CEO of Gerald Charles, and Hodinkee's own Deputy Editor, Tim Jeffreys. The two will explore the brand's unique heritage as the final creative chapter of Gérald Genta's career, as well as its strategic vision for the future. It is a deep dive into the "Maestro" DNA, punctuated by cocktails and the chance to be some of the first in the U.S. to handle the latest pieces. The new Gerald Charles Masterlink Perpetual Calendar. Registration:To attend this intimate community event, please RSVP to events@hodinkee.com with your first and last name. If you would like to bring a guest, kindly include their name and email address. A confirmation email will follow to finalize your RSVP. Details:Date & Time:Wednesday, May 6, 20266:00 pm – 8:00 pm ET Location:Watches of Switzerland SoHo60 Greene St, New York, NY 10012

The Breathtaking Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Honey Worn & Wound
Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda ‘A Secret’ Sep 2, 2024

The Breathtaking Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Honey

One of the things I will absolutely never tire of when it comes to attending watch shows like Watches & Wonders and Geneva Watch Days is the opportunity to handle watches that would be simply impossible to view at any other time. These events are important for networking purposes and to see and learn about new releases from mass market brands as early as possible so we can share them with our readers, but let’s be honest: even the “rare” watches from brands that are part of the big luxury groups are relatively easy to see if you’re in New York City and connected to the watch media or collector world. But there are some watches that when they’re brought out, you understand immediately that you’re probably getting your one, last look. That’s the impression I got at my Girard-Perregaux meeting when they showed me the La Esmeralda ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Honey.  I saw lots of cool stuff over three very busy and sweaty days taking meetings in the Beau Rivage and other hotels that lack American style air conditioning during Geneva Watch Days, but if you asked me to narrow things down and pick just one watch that is simply the most beautiful object I saw during my time there, the Esmerelda gets my vote. Beauty, as we know, is in the eye of the beholder, so I won’t speak in absolute terms here. It would be perfectly reasonable to prefer the Garrick S3 or the Armin Strom Dual Time Resonance, or virtually any number of other great watches. But the Esmerelda ...

SJX W&W; Highlights – Independent Watchmaking SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Apr 7, 2023

SJX W&W; Highlights – Independent Watchmaking

As is often the case when the wider industry is doing well, independent watchmaking is on fire. This was illustrated by the numerous and diverse exhibitors, many of them brand-new entrants, showing their wares alongside Watches & Wonders in Geneva. But as is often the case when independent watchmaking is on fire, quantity far exceeded quality, and the good and great were rare. Not wanting to go up against brands like Rolex and Patek Philippe for eyeballs (and also because most independent marques now enjoy long, long waitlists), many watchmakers didn’t launch anything new. Some talented watchmakers are merely making slow but steady progress, like Yosuke Sekiguchi, the Japanese watchmaker based in Switzerland who presented the final version of his Primevère along with new dial variants for the same. One of the best new launches is not really a new model, but it’s good enough it deserves a top spot on the list. The F.P. Journe FFC is the regular production version of the unique FFC Blue made for charity auction Only Watch in 2021. Indicating the time with a five-fingered hand, the time display is simple but driven by a clever and complex movement, illustrating the brilliance of its creator. Granted it costs CHF820,000 before taxes, which is probably too much even considering the complication. But according to Mr Journe, the movement is complex enough that it can only be assembled and adjusted by a watchmaker who is otherwise working on the Astronomic grand complication....

Hands-On: Patek Philippe Ref. 5004J-017 “Michael Ovitz” SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Ref 5004J-017 “Michael Ovitz” Nov 26, 2022

Hands-On: Patek Philippe Ref. 5004J-017 “Michael Ovitz”

Going on the block at Christie’s upcoming Hong Kong auction is the Patek Philippe ref. 5004J “Michael Ovitz”. It’s lot 2520 and one of the watches from The Triazza Collection, an impressive accumulation of watches owned by a prominent Hong Kong businessman. The collection is heavy on Patek Philippe. Amongst the other timepieces in the collection is the Patek Philippe tourbillon pocket watch that won first prize at the Geneva Observatory in 1931 (which is also being offered in the same auction) and the Patek Philippe ref. 2499 that once belonged to Eric Clapton (but is not for sale, yet). “MSO” – Michael Steven Ovitz The “MSO” initials on this ref. 5004J instantly reveal it was one of the many, I would two dozen at least, special-order watches that Patek Philippe made for Michael Ovitz starting in 2011. Often described as a “super agent”, Mr Ovitz cofounded Creative Artists Agency (CAA), once the dominant talent agency in Hollywood. After a short-lived spell at Disney, he’s now known for his impressive art collection, some of which is on show in his equally impressive home in California. Though the reason behind Patek Philippe’s accommodation of Mr Ovitz is not publicly known, industry lore has it that the watches were an expression of gratitude by the Sterns after Mr Ovitz assisted them in a significant way. Mr Ovitz has only commented on these watches publicly once, in a 2021 article in Robb Report: “It was the first time Ovitz, who has be...

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong SJX Watches
F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” May 17, 2022

Highlights: Independent Watchmaking at Phillips Hong Kong

After a weekend in Geneva, the spring auction season returns to Hong Kong where Phillips will stage The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIV over two days, with the first session on May 27 followed by the second the day after. As is increasingly the case with all auction houses, Phillips’ upcoming sale includes of a variety of watches that represent the spectrum of independent watchmaking. The lineup encompasses some truly rare and special watches – including the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain “China 2010” – along with a few one-offs like a Lang & Heyne sports watch prototype. The prototype Lang & Heyne Friedrich II Remontoir We round up seven of the notable examples of independent watchmaking in the sale, including a little-known and short-lived collaboration between MB&F; and Urwerk as well as a striking De Bethune DBS in rose gold and blue. Registration to bid and the full catalogue can be accessed here. (All of the photos are our own, except those of the DBS-R and Tourbillon Souverain “China” that were provided by Phillips.) Lot 834: C3H5N309 “Nitro” ZR012 Black by MB&F; and Urwerk While MB&F; and Urwerk are amongst the most prominent names in avant-garde watchmaking, the 2012 collaboration between the two is ironically obscure. Named after the chemical name of nitroglycerin – the key ingredient in dynamite – C3H5N3O9 was conceived as an all-new brand established by the founders of MB&F; and Urwerk. C3H5N3O9, or Nitro for short, was a short-lived vent...

Patek Philippe Introduces the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5374G SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Introduces Jun 16, 2021

Patek Philippe Introduces the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5374G

Patek Philippe keeps up the pace with the fourth instalment of new releases for the year, which were just announced at its annual Rare Handcrafts Exhibition in Geneva. While most of the watches at the exhibition are one-offs bestowed with colourful, artisanal decoration, the line up includes an ensemble of repeating watches, led by the flamboyant Sky Moon Tourbillon in pink gold and brown. Simpler, at least relatively speaking, is the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Ref. 5374G that packs a pair of high-end complications fronted by a blue, grand feu enamel dial. Initial thoughts Today’s launches stand in stark contrast to the brand’s hottest watches of the moment – the sports watches that are arguably its most recognisable products now – that were its opening act for the year. Patek Philippe launched a slew of exquisite, highly decorated timepieces today, affirming its twin strengths – haute horlogerie and metiers d’art. The generous array of Rare Handcrafts, along with the fact that several are chiming watches, is a reminder that Patek Philippe is more than a faddish, integrated-bracelet sports watch. That said, the ref. 5374 is not entirely new (neither is the flagship Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002R). In fact, the only truly new reference amongst the Rare Handcrafts complications is the Ladies Minute Repeater ref. 7040/250G. The ref. 5374 was first introduced in 2016 with a platinum case and black enamel dial – a formal, classical package. Now it ge...

Patek Philippe Introduces the Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 6002R SJX Watches
Patek Philippe Introduces Jun 16, 2021

Patek Philippe Introduces the Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 6002R

At the opening of its annual Rare Handcrafts Exhibition in Geneva, Patek Philippe took the covers off a suite of watches and clocks decorated with artisanal techniques, including a new version of its ultra-fancy grand complication, the Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 6002R. First offered in blue enamel, and then black, the Sky Moon Tourbillon ref. 6002 was the most complicated wristwatch in Patek Philippe’s catalogue, until the Grandmaster Chime ref. 6300 and Grand Sonnerie ref. 6301. But the Sky Moon Tourbillon remains the most ornately decorated amongst its peers, with every surface of the case – and even the hands – engraved with arabesques and the dial in cloisonné enamel. Initial thoughts Enormous at 44 mm wide and over 17 mm high, the Sky Moon Tourbillon is an expensive, complex wristwatch that looks, well, expensive and complex. It’s often a statement piece for the segment of clients who find a Richard Mille affordable but unrefined, the new rose-gold variant makes sense. The metal is the most popular for high-end watches, globally but especially in Asia. It is warmer and richer, making the watch seem even more luxe – a useful characteristic in watch like this. The rationale for the Sky Moon Tourbillon in rose gold is clear. As a watch, I am certain it will be impressive, probably even more impressive than the earlier versions of the watch due to its brighter colours. It’s too baroque – and of course unaffordable – for most, but the target demographic w...

This week, Christies are promising the “Auction of the Decade”. So should you believe the hype? Time+Tide
May 16, 2021

This week, Christies are promising the “Auction of the Decade”. So should you believe the hype?

It’s always a good idea in marketing to talk a strong game. But after describing the forthcoming Legends of Time in Hong Kong as the “auction of the decade”, Christies are setting the stakes sky-high. For the auction that takes place on Saturday, May 22 over two sessions, Christies estimates a total tally of over … ContinuedThe post This week, Christies are promising the “Auction of the Decade”. So should you believe the hype? appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Universal Genève Is Back! Introducing Four Collections, With The Famous Polerouter Leading The Way Fratello
Universal Genève Apr 8, 2026

Universal Genève Is Back! Introducing Four Collections, With The Famous Polerouter Leading The Way

Finally, after two years of teasing, Universal Genève is back. Yes, the brand is back in a tangible way with four collections and a soon-to-open flagship store in the heart of Geneva, its city of origin. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Universal Genève stood among the most respected names in high-end Swiss watchmaking. The […] Visit Universal Genève Is Back! Introducing Four Collections, With The Famous Polerouter Leading The Way to read the full article.