Sotheby’s unveils the Hong Kong iteration of Gérald Genta: Icon of Time

Following the success of the Geneva Sale this February Sotheby’s unveils the Hong Kong iteration of Gérald Genta: Icon of Time

Sale of 34 Original Drawings by World’s Most Famous Watch Designer including:

The Original Design for The Nautilus for Patek Philippe

Mickey Mouse Watch Made Especially for the Handover of Hong Kong

A series of Designs Inspired by Animals and Chinese Zodiac Signs

Online Bidding Opens From 6 – 19 April

Browse the catalogue here

The Collection Will be Showcased in Sotheby’s Curated @K11 MUSEA from 13 – 17 April

(Pre-registration Required – Click here for more information)

Propelled by the huge success of the first auction in February which was 100% sold, with pronounced bidding and buying from Asian collectors, the “Gérald Genta: Icon of Time” sale series continues with a further 34 original watercolour designs offered in Hong Kong this April. Open through 6 – 19 April, the sale will again feature designs for some of the most iconic timepieces of all time and even a few never-before-seen, each paired with a unique NFT. Hot on the heels of the exceptional price achieved for the original design of the Royal Oak in Geneva (US$610,586 / CHF 564,500), the Hong Kong sale will be led by the original design of the Nautilus for Patek Philippe– another timeless horological masterpiece.

The second in the auction series will also reflect the lifelong connection that Gérald and his life and business partner, Evelyne, had with Asia – a love and admiration of the culture and people of the region cemented through their years of travel across the continent, and a region of the world that influenced Gérald’s work but also from which the watch designer received unrivalled support throughout his career. Highlights include a Mickey Mouse watch made especially to mark the Handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997, the most complicated watch in the world and perhaps Gérald’s most important contribution to high watchmaking: the Grande Sonnerie, as well as a series of designs inspired by animals and signs of the Chinese zodiac. Please find a listing attached, or online here

All 34 lots will be showcased in the Sotheby’s Curated @K11 MUSEA, a pop-up gallery taking place in K11 MUSEA, the ‘Silicon Valley of Culture’ in Hong Kong, alongside other highlights of the Sotheby’s Hong Kong 2022 Spring Auctions from 13 – 17 April.

Set apart in the pantheon of great horologists, “the Picasso of watchmaking”, Gérald Genta (1931-2011), was to transform the future of the industry with his visionary designs that continue to set the gold standard today. The first true “watch designer” and acknowledged as the greatest ever in his field, Genta approached his work above all else through the eyes of an artist, spending more than 50 years at the drawing board, producing designs that later became the biggest bestsellers of watchmaking history.

Each design in the sale will be coupled with a unique NFT, a non-fungible token, that will feature an artistic digital replica of Genta’s masterful design. Highly valuable in their own right, NFTs have become some of the most sought-after contemporary artworks of our time. The Genta NFTs will also 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.

Bidding on the lots will start at HKD 800 and USD 100 for the New York sale taking place from 8 – 22 June. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will also benefit the Gérald Genta Heritage Association, and their mission to encourage and reward the next generation in the watch industry, notably with the launch of the first edition of the Gérald Genta Prize.

Hong Kong Auction Highlights

The Nautilus for Patek Philippe

The brand’s first luxury sports watch, The Nautilus represented a subtle – yet at the time revolutionary – balance between a sports and luxury watch, ushering in a new modern era for the traditional brand. Prized today as an icon of modern design, it remains one of the most coveted watches on the international market.

In 1976, Genta was in the Drei Könige bar during the Basel Fair and the CEO of Patek Philippe, Philippe Stern happened to walk in. Genta asked himself how he would design a steel sports watch for the brand. The story goes that Genta sketched the watch in just five minutes on a paper napkin, when he was quietly observing the Patek Philippe team sitting in the opposite corner of the room. Not so long after, Genta was contacted by Patek Philippe to design a stainless-steel luxury watch, for which of course, he already had the design. This unique piece is the only Genta design to feature a double-option fold with two separate suggestions for the side of the watch and the crown. Indeed, this design features what is known to be the Nautilus by many today, but also, a separate, unknown design profile that Gérald suggested in 1976.

Similar to the Royal Oak, The Nautilus too was inspired by the nautical world, but this time with the soft-angled bezel based on the portholes of the transatlantic ships. Mr Stern was himself a keen yachtsman, and the blue dial is in the same colour as the Swiss lakes where Stern would sail. The watch was named in tribute to Captain Nemo’s submarine in Jules Verne’s novel “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”.

Mickey Mouse Watch Made Especially for the Handover of Hong Kong

As regular visitors to Hong Kong, Gérald and Evelyne were very impressed by the importance of the event of the Handover of Hong Kong. At the time, Genta Mickey Mouse watches were already extremely popular across the region, prompting Gérald to create a special commemoration series of 100 men’s and 100 ladies’ watches with Mickey holding the three flags of the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and China. The series was released in shops in Hong Kong one week before the Handover and sold out completely in just two days. On 1 July 1997, Gérald and Evelyne were in Hong Kong and watched the very historical moment of the Handover on television from the Kowloon Peninsula Hotel.

The couple always regretted having not saved one of the models for themselves. However, one day in Monaco a few years ago, Evelyne and their daughter Alexia saw one of the Hong Kong Mickey ladies’ watches in a shop window. On revealing who they were, the retailer was thrilled and generously insisted on gifting the piece to Alexia.

Designs for the most complicated wristwatch in the world: The Grand Sonnerie

In 1995, after five years of research and development, Gérald Genta unveiled the Grande Sonnerie, the most sophisticated and complex wristwatch in the world at the time. Perhaps Genta’s most important contribution to high watchmaking, this watch, which emulated the chimes of London’s Big Ben, was a first in many ways and included more than a thousand spare parts. Minute repeater, Westminster four-hammer chime, perpetual calendar, dual power reserve display, this watch is a true masterpiece of watch engineering that few have matched to this day. Before this, the Grand Sonnerie had only existed as a pocket watch. Genta made 20 in total, each of which is unique. Designs for three of these are included in the sales.

Designs Inspired by Animals and Chinese Zodiac Signs

Initially requested by a Hong Kong client and friend of the Genta’s, the Chinese Zodiac series inspired in the Gentas a lifelong fascination and appreciation of Chinese astrology. Following the first design, and on their return to Switzerland, the couple immersed themselves in books on the subject, with Gérald becoming fascinated with his own sign - the Goat - considered to represent great creativity. Incorporating the animals and zodiacs into not only the dial but also the shapes of the watches, an extraordinary series of watches emerged, and continue to be much sought after by watch collectors to this day.

Auction Calendar

Gérald Genta: Icon of Time Sale, Hong Kong, 6 -19 April 2022

Featuring Genta’s original design for Patek Philippe’s The Nautilus & Three designs for the most complicated wristwatch in the world: The Grand Sonnerie, Comprising 1000 parts, this watch took five years to develop

Gérald Genta: Icon of Time Sale, New York, 8 – 22 June 2022

Including Genta’s original designs for the most impressive and valuable Disney watches ever made

Important Watches, Sotheby’s Biannual Auction in Geneva, 10 May 2022

Including Genta’s unique Royal Oak, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of its release And four oil paintings by Gerald Genta, paying tribute to the Nautilus and the Royal Oak.