Deployant
Very important and interesting facts about the F.P.Journe manufacture which you may not already know
We visited the manufacture F.P.Journe and bring you some insights on the maison and how their watches are made.
Results for Phillips (Watch Auctions)
21,508 articles · 230 videos found · page 278 of 725
Deployant
Hodinkee
Staff Picks: The Watches We Wish Were Our Dads
Imagining watches as our father figures, and our father figures as watches.
Quill & Pad
Which Rolex Movement Takes the Top Spot? A Watchmaker’s Comparison of Rolex Calibers 3135 and 3235, plus Which is Better? - Reprise
Ask any watchmaker about the Rolex 31 family of calibers and the story will be the same: it has stood the test of time. Ashton Tracy hasn’t met a single watchmaker who doesn’t love working on these workhorse Rolex movements. They are easy to service, keep great time, and stand up to abuse. Put simply: they work. So how does it stand up to big brother, Find out right here!
Hodinkee
Just Because: In Which I Dream Up Vintage Rolex Watches That Never Existed
From the ref. 1675 GMT "Batman" to a 36mm Sky-Dweller, hop in the Hodinkee time machine (aka Photoshop) because this is a fun one.
Quill & Pad
Which Rolex Movement Takes The Top Spot? A Watchmaker’s Comparison Of Rolex Calibers 3135 And 3235, And Which Is Better? - Reprise
Ask any watchmaker about the Rolex 31 family of calibers and the story will be the same: it has stood the test of time. Ashton Tracy hasn’t met a single watchmaker who doesn’t love working on these workhorse Rolex movements. They are easy to service, keep great time, and stand up to abuse. Put simply: they work. So how does it stand up to big brother, Caliber 3235? Find out right here!
Hodinkee
Weekend Edition: A Primer on Dress Watches (Which Are Coming Back In Style Right About...Now)
There's more to life than steel sport watches.
Hodinkee
Vintage Watches: Two Gold Patek Philippes, A 1980s Sinn Chronograph With World-Time Bezel, And A 1974 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date
Let's be Sinn-cere, Patek Philippe might read clunky but it really Rolex-es off the tongue.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Scurfa Watches Review: Wish I Tried This Watch Brand Sooner
For under $300 is Scurfa Watches the full package? Get all the facts, details, and unique photos you need to make the best choice right here!
Deployant
Throwback Sundays: Six Independent Watchmakers which you should know, but may not
Six Independent Watchmakers who you may not know: Ch. Frodsham, McGonigle, Petermann-Bédat, Sylvian Pinaud, Tulloch and James C. Pellaton.
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Ep. #104 Black Friday Wish Lists & 2 Years of TBWS
Kaz and Mike celebrate 2 years of TBWS and share a handful of watches they hope to see discounted during the wave of Black Friday sales. What do you have your eye on this year? Be sure to share the watches you're hoping to hunt down this holiday season.
Deployant
Baselworld 2018 Chief Editor’s Choice: Top 5 watches which may blow your budget.
The Chief Editor makes his picks from the crop of Baselworld 2018 watches. All likely to cause heart palpitations from your bank manager. Selection from Rolex, Grand Seiko, Andreas Strehler, H. Moser and Patek Philippe.
Revolution
Christmas Wish List: Suzanne Wong, Revolution Technical Editor at Large
Suzanne’s note to Santa isn’t just a list of watches, but a list of watches in very specific case/strap/dial combinations. Rudolph had better be good at helping take quick notes; just ONE day to Christmas now!
Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A Patek Phillipe 5000R, A Seiko 7018-8000, Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Calendar Moonphase Meteorite, And Much More
Welcome to the dregs and dog days of summer, and happy Friday again. I was emailing someone in Germany who informed me she'd be out of contact until her company reopened—they shut down for the first three weeks of August—and I desperately wish that idea had taken hold worldwide. Especially for those of us north of the equator, these weeks feel like they'd be best spent lounging, taking a sort of seasonal siesta, reading books (the new Tana French is phenomenal) and catching up on shows and movies (Widow's Bay, good lord). Scorekeeping last week's picks: the Wittnauer 235T ends tomorrow, the 8th, and is at $800 at the time of writing, the Blancpain sold for €20,000, and the Eberhard and Cleto Munari are both still available. Strays Photo courtesy of Tropical Watch. My apologies, Baller, for not including this Harwood automatic from the 1920s in last week's listing. While it's a tidy, tiny 30mm, Harwoods are worth paying attention to because they're some of the first automatic watches ever (Leroy beat them, apparently, as being the very first), and you'll note the thing's crownless as well, because the unmarked bezel's not a timing bezel, it's how the time was set. Congrats to whoever snagged it. If you're also more than a little ensorcelled by asymmetric watches, and this Cartier ticks all sorts of boxes (other than all the diamonds). At some point I'll find a Smiths worth giving full coverage to, but until then, this Smiths Imperial—part of a three-watch lot—is w...
SJX Watches
Hands On: Victor Kullberg Tourbillon Pocket Chronometer
Phillips’s upcoming sale The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIII is packed with spectacular watches, including some already well known to collectors like the extra complicated La Royale by Louis Audemars, an unsual Patek Philippe worldtime ref. 2523, and the Golay Fils & Stahl astronomical watch. But among the finest is a simple watch that tracks only the time and state of wind, yet is comprised of several hundred parts: Victor Kullberg No 6583. Behind those three hands is a one-minute tourbillon equipped with an Earnshaw detent escapement, a massive free-sprung compensation balance, anti-magnetic helical balance spring and reverse chain and fusee, making it one of the most elaborate three-hand watches imaginable. Even at its high estimate of US$102,000, this pocket chronometer amounts to something of a steal, especially in an auction where multiple steel sports watches carry much greater estimates. The cult of the chronometer Swiss and English horologists disagreed on a great many things, from the ideal shape and material of escape wheels to the definition of a chronometer. To the Swiss, the title of chronometer was bestowed based on merit as a timekeeper. Any watch could be one if it kept good time, especially with a trusted, independent attestation of its accuracy. Watches submitted to observatory trials — or tested according to the ISO 3159:2009 standard today — are chronometers by this reckoning. England was dominated by the cult of the [marine] chronometer, unsurprisin...
SJX Watches
Early Audemars Piguet Single-Button Chronograph Wristwatch Emerges at Christie’s Geneva
One of the highlights in Christie’s upcoming Geneva auctions taking place on May 11, 2026, is the Audemars Piguet “Coussin Tortue” single-button chronograph wristwatch, serial number 41’849. It is an exceedingly rare watch, being one of a batch of three examples that were the first ever chronograph wristwatches made by Audemars Piguet (AP). Moreover, the watch has been in the same family since new, and is consigned by a descendent of the original owner who bought the watch in 1943. Also notably is the fact that this watch has been comprehensively – but sympathetically and artfully – restored by AP. This “cushion turtle” wristwatch has a platinum case and two-tone, solid gold dial, while the movement is a LeCoultre, just like the others in the batch of three watches. The first of the three was in white gold, following by two in platinum, including this example. Interestingly, this watch was delivered to retailer Veuve Louis Goering in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1937, but only sold six years later. The tepid demand for such watches perhaps explains why, according to Christie’s, AP made a total of six single-button chronograph wristwatch movements, but the remaining three were only cased and sold over a decade after this one. Restored perfectly Besides being extremely rare and also unexpectedly beautiful, this watch stands out for having been enjoyed “extensive” restoration at Audemars Piguet. Ordinarily restoration would be frowned upon, but the watch was pre...
SJX Watches
Francis Ford Coppola’s F.P. Journe FFC Breaks US$10 Million
Francis Ford Coppola’s personal F.P. Journe FFC prototype shattered expectations at Phillips’ New York watch auction today when it achieved price of US$10.8 million including fees. One of the most talked-about lots this auction season, FFC’s FFC is the most expensive watch sold in 2025, and now the most valuable example of independent watchmaking by some margin. Big result in the Big Apple Despite chilly weather in New York, the action in the saleroom quickly turned hot. Auctioneer Aurel Bacs opened at US$1 million, but the bid instantly jumped to US$2 million. Several bidders then piled on, but the contest condensed to just four phone bidders past the US$4 million mark, including bidders represented by Tadzio Nuno and Paul Boutros, of Phillips’ Geneva and New York offices respectively. The action then settled into a head-to-head between bidders represented by Alex Ghotbi and Isabella Proia, once again of Geneva and New York respectively. Mr Ghotbi emerged the winner with a US$9 million bid, which brought the total to US$10.755 million with fees. The bidding was notable for being entirely on the phone – though one bidder was in the room but bidding on the phone – and also for being driven by clients outside of Asia. A record The result makes Mr Coppola’s prototype - one of only two made, and the only one in private hands - the most valuable wristwatch from an independent watchmaker ever sold at auction, exceeding the US$8.36 million achieved by the landm...
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in Stainless Steel
Many superlatives have been ascribed to what might be the most valuable watch this fall auction season – the Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in stainless steel. Headlining Phillips’ upcoming auction in Geneva, the steel ref. 1518 is paradoxically extraordinary and ordinary all at once. As the first serially-produced perpetual calendar-chronograph wristwatch, the ref. 1518 is already a landmark Patek Philippe wristwatch, one that spawned a lineage that includes the refs. 2499, 3970, and 5970. And then there’s the ref. 1518 in steel – only four are known. The steel ref. 1518 has rarity, historical importance, and an eight-figure value; but on the wrist, this “holy grail” is compact, lightweight, and monochromatic, discreetly low-key. At a diminutive 35 mm in diameter, the ref. 1518 is small by today’s standards. The watch doesn’t look like much on the wrist from across a room; in fact, it isn’t immediately obvious to a layperson (or even a casual watch enthusiast) that the watch is worth more than most houses and vintage Ferraris. Yet the ref. 1518 in steel is appealing for many intellectual reasons: extreme rarity, historical lineage of the perpetual calendar chronograph, even sheer value. This is a trophy in many senses. Historically, the ref. 1518 was important even in its time. It was once Patek Philippe’s most complicated regular production wristwatch, and the steel ref. 1518 was likely the most expensive steel Patek Philippe when it was in the catalogue. ...
SJX Watches
In-Depth: The Breguet Sympathique, From the Duc d’Orléans to “No. 1”
This spring, one of the most important horological creations of the late twentieth century returns to public view. As part of The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI taking place on May 10 and 11, Phillips will offer the Breguet Sympathique No. 1, the first of twenty exceptional clocks commissioned by Breguet in the early 1990s. The primary creator of this landmark clock was none other than Francois-Paul Journe, then a young watchmaker. Completed in 1991 for the Art of Breguet auction, No. 1 is not just the prototype of the modern Sympathique series, it is its most ambitious. The example, paired with a tourbillon wristwatch, is equipped with a constant-force remontoir and moonphase display. In retrospect, it reads as a mechanical manifesto, foreshadowing Journe’s later independent work. More than a highlight of its upcoming sale, No. 1 represents a rare continuation of one of watchmaking’s great inventions, a direct link to Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. Detail of Sympathique no. 1 Of Breguet’s many breakthroughs, from the tourbillon to the pare-chute, none captured the marriage of mechanical brilliance and poetic vision quite like the Pendule Sympathique. Designed to wind, set, and regulate a paired watch automatically, it embodied a new kind of horological harmony: a master timekeeper caring for its portable counterpart. The calendar on Sympathique no. 1 By the late 20th century, these clocks had become near-mythical. Only a handful were ever built, most housed in royal coll...
Worn & Wound
eBay Finds: A Selection of Affordable Seikos, Plus a Killer Bulova
eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Seiko UFO 6138-0011 Welcome to the “mostly Seiko eBay Finds”. Like most things in this world, good watch auctions can come in groups, such as this week! I wasn’t particularly looking for Seikos, but I found several for your bidding pleasure. First up is this vintage 1971 Seiko “UFO” 6138-0011 chronograph. This is a unique Seiko chronograph, and one that is easy to recognize with its big round case (hence the UFO moniker). The black dial is nice and clean and looks great with the up/down big eye look with the larger 6 o’clock subdial. The pushers on this model are also unique, with piston-like engraved grooves. This watch would’ve originally come on a Seiko bracelet, but the rally style strap it’s on works well. Overall the watch is in good shape, with an unpolished case and clean dial, hands and bezel. Runs well per the seller but no movement picture. View auction here Seiko 5 Sports 7019-7050 The next Seiko up is this nice vintage 1972 Seiko 5 Sports 7019-7050. This is a great looking sport watch, with a large, 39mm wide round-ish steel case that has a wide beveled bezel. It almost looks like a diver, but it has no diver’s bezel, external or internal. The di...
Quill & Pad
Why I Bought It: A. Lange & Söhne Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon
When the hammer came down at the Phillips auction and GaryG became the new owner of an A. Lange & Söhne Pour Le Mérite Tourbillon, the feeling was one of complete joy, representing the culmination of a multiyear chase. What makes this particular watch so special in so many ways to him?
SJX Watches
In-Depth: F.P. Journe Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Egalité Prototype
One of the most significant examples of contemporary watchmaking, the F.P. Journe Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Egalité “15/93” will soon go on the block at Phillips. Consigned by the estate of the original owner – meaning it’s a one-owner watch for over three decades – the “15/93” prototype carries within it the magic of independent watchmaking to a degree that rivals the landmark timepieces like the George Daniels Space Traveller’s Watch. The history of this tourbillon is well known: it is the second wristwatch made by François-Paul Journe, and the first one he sold. In early 1992 he sold it to a Parisian collector for a price that in hindsight is profoundly ridiculous, but was probably an extraordinary price to pay for a watch like this at the time. The gentleman who bought it owned it for some 32 years and clearly wore it often. There is no doubt he understood what the watch represented, even years ago before it was valuable, because he retained all of the original documentation that came with the watch, including copies of the technical plans. To the late original owner of this watch: you have my respect and admiration. “Prototype” Although I describe this as a prototype, it more accurately one specimen of a small series of hand-made watches. This series formed the template for the later Tourbillon à Remontoir d’Egalité that was produced on a larger scale, albeit only numbering in the dozens, initially by hand and then with more industrial met...
SJX Watches
Event: Independent Watchmaking Panel in Geneva, Aug 29
On the evening of August 29, 2024 in Geneva we’ll have Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk and Rexhep Rexhepi of Akrivia on a panel moderated by our founder SJX, and hosted by Phillips at its downtown Geneva office. The two eminent watchmakers will be discussing the topic: “What is Soul in Independent Watchmaking?” The panel is taking place outside Geneva Watch Days so we can’t promise any new watch launches, but there will be interesting and engaging conversation, and a few drinks. If you’re interested in attending, drop us a line via our website contact form.
SJX Watches
Business News: Biver Names James Marks CEO
Established two years ago by Jean-Claude Biver and his son Pierre, Biver has just named the first outsider to its management ranks with James Marks as chief executive officer. The longtime head of Phillips Perpetual, the auctioneer’s watch boutique headquartered in London, Mr Marks is now based in Zurich for his new role; he remains a consultant to Phillips. (Pictured above, from left: James Marks, Jean-Claude and Pierre Biver.) Now 74 years old, the inimitable Jean-Claude Biver is something of an industry legend for having resurrected Blancpain and Hublot, but his eponymous brand is the first venture that is his own. Or more specifically, a Biver family affair: his youngest son Pierre, who is turning 25 this year, was cofounder of the brand. Mr Marks, who is 44 years old, will both help lead the brand as well as manage the transition from one generation of Bivers to the next. The movement of the one-off Biver Catharsis Minute Repeater Carillon Mr Marks is a longtime watch enthusiast who was a fund manager before he joined the watch industry six years ago. Soon after he set up Perpetual, a then-novel concept for an auction house where watches were available for sale year-round and not only during auction season. One of his earliest hires was Pierre Biver as an intern. Both an industry insider and outsider, Mr Marks is expected to bring a new perspective to Biver. Although the brand has only sold a few dozen watches to date, it has garnered volumes of praise and criticism...
Time+Tide
James Marks becomes the new CEO of Biver
The long standing watch expert from Phillips auction house will be joining the young independent brand as its new CEO. The post James Marks becomes the new CEO of Biver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Up Close: Philippe Dufour Duality No. 3
The most significant example of independent watchmaking in Phillips’ upcoming New York sale is Philippe Dufour Duality no. 3 in white gold. One of just nine made, this Duality is unusual in several respects. For one, it is delivered with two dials, each representing one of Mr Dufour’s trademark style – silvered and a white lacquer resembling enamel. Besides being an exceptionally rare watch, this Duality is also significant for its provenance: the current owner is both a gentleman and a collector with a discerning eye. In fact, he recognised the importance and appeal of the Duality well before most others did. At the time he bought this watch, now almost 20 years ago, a Philippe Dufour Simplicity was selling for barely more than a Lange Datograph. In fact, there were sought-after Panerai and Audemars Piguet Offshore models selling easily for more than a Simplicity. The owner’s discerning and forward-thinking taste in watches can also be inferred from his other watches in the sale. Amongst them is an F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain ref. TN – with a special-order 38 mm case instead of the conventional 40 mm, as well as a matched, three-piece set of the F.P. Journe Vagabondage in platinum. A tribute to the Vallée Launched in 1996, the Duality is one of the two landmark double balance wheel watches in contemporary watchmaking, alongside the F.P. Journe Resonance that debuted four years later. While the Resonance is arguably more abstract and inventive in its concep...
Hodinkee
HODINKEE Radio: Eric Ku And Justin Gruenberg (Loupe This)
Talking auctions, markets, Cartier London and a whole lot more with two mega dealers. They also tell us the one watch they'd love to snag from the other's collection.
SJX Watches
In-Depth: Patek Philippe Grand Complication with Double Split-Chronographs Ref. 767
One of the most fascinating timepieces in Phillips’ upcoming Hong Kong auction is the Patek Philippe grand complication pocket watch ref. 767. Made in 1950 and sold in 1952, this one-of-a-kind pocket watch boasts a minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and double split-seconds chronograph. More accurately, it is a mono-pusher, double split-seconds, or even triple-split seconds. This ref. 767 features not two, but three, chronograph seconds hands. As a result, it can simultaneously measure three elapsed times of up to one minute. The complication is possibly unique amongst Patek Philippe watches. A historically significant watch in itself, this ref. 767 also has notable provenance: it once belonged to Seth Atwood, the American industrialist who founded the now-closed Time Museum. According to Philips, this ref. 767 was Atwood’s everyday watch, not surprising since he was a legendary collector of his day with a collection that included the Patek Philippe Graves Supercomplication and the Duc d’Orléans Breguet Sympathique. Three seconds hands, two in blued steel and one in gold Initial thoughts I’ve been impressed by many pocket watches – some that come to include a Patek Philippe observatory tourbillon and the Philippe Dufour Grande Sonnerie – but I’ve rarely been surprised. This ref. 767 was, however, entirely unexpected. When it was first described to me, I was confused and immediately thought of the Lange Double Split. But as it turns out, this is entirely d...
Worn & Wound
Here We Go Again: the Swatch x Omega Mission to Moonphase New Moon
Well, here we go again. Just a few weeks after the launch of the Swatch x Omega Mission to Moonphase, which saw Snoopy appearing on a pure white MoonSwatch, we’ve got an entirely new creation featuring our beagle friend. By entirely new of course what I really mean is: another color. The Mission to Moonphase New Moon is an all black rendering of the Mission to Moonphase concept. Swatch has been teasing this release over the past several days on social media, so it’s not exactly a surprise, unless you think about the very existence of these watches in the first place, and the conversation that develops around them whenever a new one drops, which is, on its face, surprising. The new Mission to Moonphase New Moon arrives just before April’s new moon, which is also the date of the total solar eclipse that will be visible to millions of Americans in the eastern part of the country (and many more will see a partial eclipse, which is still quite a thing). One wonders why Omega and Swatch didn’t come up with an eclipse themed watch for the occasion. There are all kinds of ways to play with the idea of blotting out the sun. A Bioceramic rendition of the sun’s corona could have been a pretty cool thing. I shouldn’t say “could have been,” of course. It could well be in the works. Quantum physics has proven that if enough time passes, every possible rendition of the MoonSwatch will eventually come to fruition. Back to the Mission to Moonphase at hand. The New Moon re...
SJX Watches
Swatch Unveils the MoonSwatch “Snoopy” Mission to the Moonphase
Swatch and Omega are once again dropping another collaboration that is bound to be a hit, the MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase. Inspired by the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch “Snoopy”, the new MoonSwatch features a moon phase along with an all-white Bioceramic case and matching white strap. Snoopy resides on the moon phase display at two o’clock, which features a hidden quote printed in Super-Luminova, “I can’t sleep without a night light!”, that is invisible except in the dark or when exposed to UV light. The Mission to the Moonphase is not a limited edition and instead part of the permanent collection. Initial thoughts Although the MoonSwatch has been a massive hit in terms of units sold – the total sold to date is in the low millions – recent iterations of the model haven’t been particularly exciting, with most of them simply having the addition of a gold-plated seconds hand. With the MoonSwatch Mission to the Moonphase, however, Swatch is bringing something more interesting to the table. While it certainly isn’t imaginative, the appeal of the watch is obvious. For one, it builds on the capitalises on the desirability of the actual Speedmaster “Snoopy”. At the same time, the all-white livery sets it apart from the other MoonSwatch iterations. Like the other versions of the MoonSwatch, the new Snoopy edition offers decent value at US$310. It is inexpensive, though it does feel inexpensive since the case is essentially plastic mixed with ceramic. B...
Deployant
News: unique F.P. Journe élégante raises $420k in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Miami fundraising event co-hosted by Phillips and F.P.Journe sets a new record price for a non-diamond-set quartz watch. Details in press release here.