Important Watches Sotheby’s New York May 24 2018
SOTHEBY’S IMPORTANT WATCHES AUCTION ACHIEVES $9.1 MILLION
15 LOTS OVER $100,000, INCLUDING:
Frères Rochat Pair of Four-Color Gold and Pearl Singing Bird Snuff Boxes Realizes $519,000
***
Rolex ‘Paul Newman’ Daytona Ref 6241 from Circa 1967
Leads Vintage Wristwatches, Fetches $200,000
– All 10 Daytonas Sell for a Combined Total of $915,000 –
***
Modern Wristwatches Headlined By
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore & Richard Mille RM008,
Each Sold for $423,000
NEW YORK, 25 May 2018 – Yesterday’s auction of Important Watches at Sotheby’s New York achieved $9.1 million, the highest total since 2016. Highlighting the diversity of timepieces available at auction – from singing bird boxes and marine chronometers to vintage wristwatches and modern sport watches – the sale featured 15 lots over $100,000.
Daryn Schnipper, Chairman of Sotheby’s International Watch Division, and Sam Hines, Worldwide Head of Sotheby’s Watches, commented: “Yesterday’s auction in New York followed in the footsteps of successful sales in Hong Kong, London and Geneva, bringing the total for Sotheby’s Watches spring season to $37.1 million. We look forward to continuing this momentum – driven by strong interest from clients around the world for vintage and modern wristwatches as well as unique timepieces from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries – into our online-only auctions of timepieces this summer as well our fall auctions, kicking off in Hong Kong in October.”
Katharine Thomas, Head of Sotheby’s Watches & Clocks Department in New York, and Nate Borgelt, Head of Sale for Sotheby’s Watches in New York, added: “From modern marvels by Audemars Piguet and vintage wristwatches by Rolex, to bird boxes by Frères Rochat and marine chronometers by Breguet, yesterday’s sale of Important Watches represented the full spectrum of horology. We were delighted to see enthusiasm for these multiple disciplines throughout our sale of over 5 hours –including a record for a Mark 3 Double Red Sea Dweller – which totaled $9.1 million, the highest result in two years.”
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
The sale was led by an Impressive and Rare Consecutively Numbered Pair of Four-Color Gold and Pearl Singing Bird Snuff Boxes by Frères Rochat, which reached a final price of $519,000 (estimate $300/500,000). Separated for decades before being reunited by the owner, these automatons are believed to be the only known reunited pair of consecutively numbered bird boxes by the horological house to be offered at auction; one of the two boxes was formerly in the collection of Henry Ford II.
Lot 134
Frères Rochat
An Impressive And Rare Consecutively Numbered Pair Of Four-Color Gold And Pearl Singing Bird Snuff
Boxes For The Chinese Market Circa 1820
Estimate $300/500,000
Sold for $519,000
A pair of extraordinary wristwatches by independent watchmakers highlighted the modern offerings. Audemars Piguet’s Massive Limited Edition Platinum Tourbillon Chronograph Wristwatch with Double Power Reserve Indication and Bracelet made its auction debut and attracted significant competition in our New York headquarters. Expected to fetch $100/150,000, this Royal Oak Offshore from circa 2004 – a cornerstone of the company’s Tradition d’Excellence Collection – sold for a final price of $423,000. Later in the sale, Richard Mille’s magnum opus, an Impressive Platinum Tonneau Form Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Wristwatch, achieved $423,000. Inspired by Formula 1 racing and composed of over 500 parts, the RM008 with power reserve and torque indication is one of the most complicated objects ever made.
Lot 29
Audemars Piguet
A Massive Limited Edition Platinum Tourbillon Chronograph Wristwatch With Double Power Reserve Indication And Bracelet Mvt 571231 Case E88363 Tradition D'excellence No 4 Royal Oak Offshore Circa 2004
Estimate $100/150,000
Sold for $423,000
Lot 240
A Collection of Modern Complicated Wristwatches from an American Collector
Richard Mille
An Impressive Platinum Tonneau Form Tourbillon Split Seconds Chronograph Wristwatch With Power
Reserve And Torque Indication Mvt 13 Rm008 Ag Pt No 24 Circa 2006
Estimate $250/500,000
Sold for $423,000
The appetite for Rolex Daytonas remains robust, with all 10 chronographs sold for a total of $915,000. The group was led by a Rare Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch with Registers and Bracelet, Ref 6241 from circa 1967. In excellent condition, the crisp dial and defined numerals and indexes attracted over four bidders who pushed the final price to $200,000 (estimate $100/200,000). A Rare Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch with Registers and Bracelet Ref 6241 from circa 1970 also made a significant price of $193,750 after bidding opened above the high estimate of $130,000.
Lot 312
Various Owners
Rolex
A Rare Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch With Registers And Bracelet Ref 6241 Case 1764815
'Paul Newman' Cosmograph Daytona Circa 1967
Estimate $100/200,000
Sold for $200,000
Lot 164
Vintage Rolexes from a Distinguished Collector
Rolex
A Rare Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch With Registers And Bracelet Ref 6241 Case 2371115
'Paul Newman' Daytona Circa 1970
Estimate $90/130,000
Sold for $193,750
Offerings by Patek Philippe were highlighted by a Fine and Very Rare White Gold Cushion-Form Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Wristwatch, which sold for $250,000 (estimate $200/300,000). This particular Ref 5020G-013 – carrying the nickname of the Patek TV set watch – is believed to be one of only 8 examples of Ref. 5020 in white gold known to the market.
Lot 280
Patek Philippe
A Fine And Very Rare White Gold Cushion-Form Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Wristwatch With Moon-Phases, Registers And Breguet Numerals Ref 5020g-013 Mvt 3046211 Case 2994144 Circa 2001
Estimate $200/300,000
Sold for $250,000
Lot 239
A Collection Of Modern Complicated Wristwatches From An American Collector
Greubel Forsey
A Limited Edition Pink Gold Quadruple Tourbillon Wristwatch With Power Reserve Indication No 15
Quadruple Tourbillon Circa 2009
Estimate $200/400,000
Sold for $350,000
Lot 95
Property from a Private West Coast Collector
Patek Philippe
A Fine Pink Gold Perpetual Calendar Split Seconds Chronograph Wristwatch With Moon-Phases Leap
Year And 24 Hour Indication Ref 5004 Mvt 879877 Case 411566
8 Made In 2004
Estimate $120/180,000
Sold for $193,750
Lot 33
A Collection Of Modern Complicated Wristwatches From An American Collector
Greubel Forsey
An Impressive Limited Edition Platinum 24-Second Inclined Tourbillon Wristwatch With 72-Hour
Power Reserve Indication No 26 Tourbillon 24 Secondes
Contemporain Execution Speciale Circa 2013
Estimate $100/150,000
Sold for $162,500
Lot 322
Property of a Private New England Collector
A Fine Yellow Gold Chronograph Wristwatch With Registers And Tachometer Scale Ref 1463 Mvt 869209 Case 2647864 Made In 1966
Estimate $100/150,000
Sold for $150,000
Finally, yesterday’s auction featured a Rare and Early Eight Day Octagonal Boxed Marine Chronometer with Twin Barrels No. 106 by Breguet et Fils. One of the earliest marine chronometers by the firm, the present lot also carries the distinction of being Breguet’s earliest-known recorded sale of a marine chronometer, which took place in 1816. Carrying a pre-sale estimate of $30/50,000, two collectors battled for the timepiece, bringing the final price to $81,250.
Sotheby’s is pleased to continue our auctions of clocks & watches this summer with Watches Online, open for bidding 18 through 25 June. The sale will feature a diverse range of property, including modern and vintage wristwatches from a variety of brands.
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