World Records Set for Eric Clapton’s Patek Philippe Watch and Patek Chronometer

Eric Clapton's watch with moon phases sold for $3.6 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

A Patek Philippe platinum perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases owned by famed guitarist Eric Clapton sold for $3.6 million at Christie’s Geneva Important Watch auction held Monday.

Described by the auction house as a reference 2499/100, movement number 869'308, and case number 2'817'876, it was manufactured in 1987. The Calibre 13''' mechanical movement was stamped twice with the Geneva seal. The watch from the famed rock and blues musician and songwriter (nicknamed “slowhand”) has 23 jewels, silvered matte dial, applied gold baton and square numerals, gold dauphine hands, outer Arabic five minute divisions, windows for day and month, three subsidiary dials for constant seconds, 30 minutes register and moon phases with date, circular case, stepped downturned lugs, snap on back. Finally it has a platinum Patek Philippe buckle, case, and a signed 37.5 mm. diameter dial and movement.

Patek Philippe unique platinum chronometer wristwatch sold for $4 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

While Clapton’s watch may have been the piece the received the most press, it didn’t receive the highest bid at the auction. That honor went to “J.B. Champion Platinum Observatory Chronometer.” a Patek Philippe unique platinum chronometer wristwatch with Guillaume balance, Bulletin d’Observatoire, additional diamond-set dial and platinum bracelet that sold for just under $4 million, a world auction record for a watch without complications.

Manufactured in 1952, the historically significant 13''' caliber, 13 Lépine, mechanical movement is numbered twice and stamped twice with the Geneva seal, three-quarter plate, 20 jewels, blued steel Breguet balance spring, Guillaume balance, micrometer regulator, silvered matte dial, applied baton numerals, outer beady minute divisions, gold feuille hands, subsidiary seconds, circular heavy case, snap on back, platinum Patek Philippe buckle, case, dial and movement signed 36 mm. diameter.

It great day for Patek Philippe as the top 10 lots was manufactured by the renown Swiss watch brand. This includes three other Pateks that sold for more than $1 million:

* An extremely rare, platinum chronograph wristwatch that sold for $1.6 million. One of three platinum examples ever made of this reference; it’s signed Patek Philippe & Co., Genève, ref. 1579, movement no. 867'005, case no. 645'566. Manufactured in 1946, the Calibre 13''' mechanical movement has 23 jewels, micrometer regulator, silvered matte dial, black enameled baton and applied gold Arabic numerals, Arabic five minute divisions, outer tachymetre scale, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds and 30 minutes register, large circular case, downturned angular or "spider" lugs, snap on back, and 18K white gold Patek Philippe buckle.

* An 18K gold World Time wristwatch with cloisonnè enamel dial depicting the Eastern hemisphere sold for more than $1.04 million. Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 1415 HU, movement no. 964'802, case no. 669'492. Manufactured in 1949, the calibre 12'''120 HU mechanical movement has 18 jewels, bimetallic compensation balance, micrometer regulator, polychrome cloisonné enamel dial depicting the map of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, applied gold baton and Roman numerals, gold hands, outer revolving ring depicting the diurnal and nocturnal hours on silvered and black background, circular case with revolving bezel engraved with the names of 41 cities in the world, teardrop lugs, and snap on back.

* An 18K pink gold chronograph wristwatch with two-tone silvered dial also sold for more than $1.04 million. Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, retailed by Gobbi, Milano, ref. 530, movement no. 868'800, case no. 514'608, it was manufactured in 1955. The Cal. 13''' mechanical movement stamped with the Geneva Seal, 23 jewels, two-tone silvered dial, applied pink gold baton and Arabic numerals, gold hands, outer railway five minute divisions and tachymetre scale, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds and 30 minutes register, large circular case, downturned lugs, snap on back, two rectangular chronograph buttons in the band, 18K pink gold buckle, case and movement signed by the maker, dial signed by the maker and the retailer.

Possibly the world's first chronograph. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

A timepiece of historical significance that was part of the auction was what may have been the first chronograph. It sold for $245,274. The “probably unique” and historically important inking chronograph with cylinder escapement, housed in mahogany box is signed Rieussec Horologer du Roi, Chronographe, Brevet d'Invention, circa 1821/22.

Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec is credited with inventing the chronograph on September 1, 1821.

The timepiece has a mechanical cylinder movement, plain three-arm balance, two revolving silvered dials on the front plate—the upper one for minutes, the lower one for seconds—both with fixed blued steel inking hand, brass button on the left side of the fausse-plaque activates the inking hand, brass button on the right starts and stops the movement, front plate signed. It measures 143 mm. long & 114 mm. wide not including the box.

This lot includes a note from Christie’s, which reads as follows:

It is very interesting to note that this historically important inking chronograph by Rieussec is not numbered, but instead inscribed "Chronographe, Brevet d'Invention". One may speculate for the reasons why Rieussec didn't number this superb piece, but one very logical explanation may be that this example here is the very one he used to obtain his patent.

Vaucher Fleurier 18K gold and enamel identical numbered, mirror-image pair of duplex watches. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

Another interesting item that received a great deal of interest was a set of two Vaucher, Fleurier 18K gold and enamel identical numbered, mirror-image pair of openface center seconds duplex watches with matching gold and enamel keys and fitted box, made for the Chinese market. It fetched $385,432, nearly triple its high estimate. Signed Vaucher, Fleurier, No. 160 & 160., circa 1830, it features mirror-polished and blued steel keywound duplex movements, bimetallic compensation balances with blued steel wedge-shaped weights, hinged gold cuvettes, white enamel dials, Roman numerals, gold spade hands, centre seconds, large circular cases, pink, light blue and translucent scarlet champlevé enamel floral decorated bezels, rims, pendants and bows, the backs decorated with finely painted, mirror-image polychrome enamel bouquet of flowers on mauve background.

All totaled, the auction held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva achieved more than $28.5 million in sales with 96 percent sold by lot and 97 percent sold by value. All prices realized for individual items and auction house totals include commissions.

“Today’s seven-hour marathon auction welcomed some 500 registrants from five continents, generating stellar sell-through rates as well as breaking numerous records,” said Aurel Bacs, International Head of Christie's Watch Department. “Collectors, public and private museums, the trade and also an investment watch fund, battled out the bidding for the best watches seen at auction this season, reconfirming.”

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Web site.

‘Only Watch’ Charity Auction Raises $6.2M for MD Research

From left: Ronnie Wood from The Rolling Stones, Luis Garcia (Directeur de Recherche CNRS), Philippe Ferreyrolles, Monique Pettavino, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, Tess Pettavino, Gaëlle Tallarida (Managing Dierctor Monaco Yacht Show), Peter Rigby (Chief Executive Informa), Paul Pettavino, Luc Pettavino (President AMM) - Photo: © Claude Charvin

The "Only Watch" charity auction raised more than 4.5 million euros ($6.2 million) for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.

The biennial event was held September 23 at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco in a star studded affair that included Prince Albert II of Monaco and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. The auction featured a collection of 40 timepieces created specifically for the auction from the top brands in the Swiss watch industry. The pieces went on a world tour to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Geneva and Monaco prior to the sale.

A Patek Phillipe attracted the highest bid of the evening for its Ref. 3939. The stainless steel minute repeater wristwatch with tourbillon escapement, black enamel dial with a stainless steel prong buckle fetched 1.4 million euros ($1.9 million), nearly three times its asking price. Other timepieces that led auction results included a DeWitt, "Concept Watch No. 3 – X-Watch," that sold for $410,000 euros ($558,381); a BLU Gagarin Platinum flying tourbillon that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic flight in space that sold for 300,000 euros ($408,571); and a a Van Cleef & Arpels, Poetic Complication “From the Earth to the Moon,” No. 1/1 that sold for 215,000 euros ($292,673).

View 38 of the 40 timepieces that were sold.
 
In addition to a full room of buyers and celebrities, the fourth edition of the event attracted strong internet and intense telephone bidding. International participation included Japan, Switzerland, Hong Kong, China, the United States and the Russian Federation.

“The auction result is more than exceptional,” said Luc Pettavino, president of the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies and Founder of Only Watch. “Only Watch 2011 is the fruit of an excellent collaboration between watch manufactures, partners, media, organizers ... but it is first and foremost an outstanding work done by men and women coming from very different horizons who joined their energies to create hope in research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.”

All proceeds from the auction will finance research, organize scientific roundtables and fund International Collaborative Effort (ICE).

“Thanks to Only Watch, we are going to be able to finance ICE (a program that was started in 2008),” said Luis Garcia, directeur de Recherche at the CNRS. “This program brings together 15 leading teams worldwide who work on therapeutic strategies on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, in particular exon skipping, gene and cell therapies.”

The event is organized by the Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies, Antiquorum Auctioneers and the Monaco Yacht Show (which is held at the same time), along with the support of 40 of the watchmakers, the auction concluded a series of preview exhibitions that took place in (during the Monaco Yacht Show).

Jewelry and Watch Sales Kick off Christie’s ‘Luxury Week’

Christie’s New York will begin its bi-annual “Luxury Week” series of auctions with jewelry and watch sales. The four-day sale devoted to jewelry, watches, wine and 20th Century design from will be held June 12 - June 15. More than 1,000 items will be offered, with a combined week-long total expected to realize in excess of $23 million. The auctions are as follows:

New York Important Jewels: Auction June 12 at 2 p.m.; viewing, June 9-11
More than 180 items, including investment-quality diamonds, rare gemstones, and period jewels will be offered. Highlights include an array of large top-quality diamonds, with more than a dozen colorless stones rated as D, E or F, the finest color quality possible. The largest in the group is a 22.46 carat rectangular-cut E-color diamond ring by David Webb (pictured), with an estimate of $1.2 - $1.8 million. The sale also features signed jewels from vintage and modern periods, including an Art Deco diamond bracelet by Cartier circa 1930 (estimate: $200,000 - $300,000) and a selection of designs by Van Cleef & Arpels, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Marina B. from the estate of Lucille E. Davison, a prominent New England philanthropist. The total sale is expected to achieve in excess of $10 million.

Important Watches: Auction June 13, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; viewing, June 9-12.
Comprised of nearly 300 timepieces, the sale features a selection of investment-quality Patek Philippe wristwatches. The star lots of the sale include a rare Patek Philippe reference 2523, an 18k gold world-time wristwatch with two crowns, manufactured in 1963 (pictured), with an estimate of $700,000 - $1.2 million), and a vintage Patek Philippe reference 1436, an 18k pink gold split-seconds chronograph watch manufactured in 1950 (estimate: $300,000 - $550,000). Other sale highlights include vintage and modern timepieces from Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex, Panerai, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Phillipe that include pocket watches, dress watches and sports watches for men, jeweled wristwatches for women, and antique desk clocks.

Other auctions will be dedicated to 20th Century decorative art and design (June 14) and fine and rare wines (June 15). The e-catalogs and other information are on Christie’s website.

Stephen S. Palmer Patek Philippe Grand Complication May Fetch $1.5 Million

Christie’s New York said it will offer the earliest and most significant example of a Patek Philippe grand complication as the highlight of its New York Important Watches auction on June 11. It is estimated to fetch $1 to $1.5 million.

The Stephen S. Palmer Patek Philippe Grand Complication No. 97912 is a minute repeating perpetual calendar split-seconds chronograph clockwatch with grande and petite sonnerie and moon phases, manufactured in 1898. It has never before seen in public, and it is the first time ever on the auction block.

Until the appearance of the Palmer watch, it was broadly accepted that Patek Philippe did not make its first Grand Complication until 1910 and that the second ever made was reserved before World War I for James W. Packard in 1916, Christie’s explained.

Purchased on Oct. 3, 1900, for 6,500 Swiss francs by Stephen S. Palmer, the discovery of this watch serves as a “spectacular addition to scholarship surrounding Patek Philippe and Grand Complications in general,” Christie’s said in a statement. “Adding to its rarity, it is the only example known to have been cased in pink gold whereas all following pieces were cased in yellow gold according to the style of the early 20th century.”

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes Website.

Patek Chrono Sells for $815,000 at Sotheby’s Geneva Auction

A Patek Philippe, ref. 2499, 18k yellow gold perpetual calendar chronograph watch sold for $815,637 Sunday during Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva. It was sold to a private U.S. collector.

All totaled, the auction held at the Hôtel Beau-Rivage took in $8.75 million, with 69 percent of the 280 lots offered sold by lot and 73 percent sold by value.

Other highlights of the auction after the jump:
 

 

A Greubel Forsey platinum double tourbillon wristwatch, no. 77, circa 2007, that sold for $341,495 to a European collector.

 A Patek Philippe: 18k yellow gold open-faced minute repeating perpetual calendar watch, ref 767. circa 1927. It sold for $273,761 to a private Swiss collector.

An extremely rare Rolex Daytona “Paul Newman” stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with registers and Bracelet, Circa 1967, Ref 6263. It sold for $233,120 to a private European collector.

Bulova Stopwatch Used on Apollo 15 Moon Flight Up for Auction

Photo credit: Bonhams

There are plenty of watches at auction with lunar calendars. Here’s one that was actually on the lunar surface.

Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott took a specially made Bulova stopwatch with him to the moon while inside the Command Module Endeavor and the Lunar Module Falcon. This watch is among personal items of several astronauts will be sold at Bonhams New York Space History Sale on May 5. The stopwatch, with Scott’s signed provenance note, has a presale estimate of $120,000 to 180,000.

The watch was used to time the duration of the Descent Orbit Insertion maneuver and to time the rendezvous maneuvers after launch from the lunar surface. The DOI maneuver had to be terminated within 0.3 seconds of the planned 24.5 seconds to ensure that the spacecraft would not impact the moon (as indicated by the small strip of tape on the face of the timer). The timer could also be used with the rendezvous back-up charts to ensure the LM could join the CSM in lunar orbit after the crew launched from the lunar surface.

Scott also had a standard-issue Omega Speedmaster on hand with a stopwatch function, but its dial was dark, and the markings and buttons small, Bonhams said. With its bright, clear dial and large plungers and crown, the Bulova stopwatch was considered ideal for double-checking the duration of engine burns.

The Bulova stopwatch has a two-inch main dial with second hand registering up to 30 seconds in increments of 0.1 second, with a subsidiary dial cumulator registering up to 30 minutes. , numerals in red on white dial. Blued steel hands. Blue stenciled "S" below Bulova name. Strip of duct tape at 23-second mark, and additional strip around rim near right plunger. Two plungers and crown. Reverse with ½-inch square of red velcro, and engraved letters "DRS" (Scott's initials). With original box and papers.

Watch back Photo credit: Bonhams

Scott obtained this timer from Bulova during preflight training at the request of a friend. NASA verified that the stopwatch was onboard the spacecraft during the mission. However it was not included in the official onboard stowage list due to an oversight by the personnel who packaged and stowed the flight equipment. NASA deliberately withheld the name of the manufacturer to avoid commercialization.

Bulova's Accutron clock was an integral part of the spacecraft computer systems, and a Bulova timer was left by Apollo 11 astronauts Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Neil Armstrong on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility, to control the transmissions of data back to Earth. Despite these achievements, it was Omega's Speedmaster that received fame as the "moon watch."

Very few timepieces from the lunar surface have been offered in auction, and no other stopwatch is likely to come to the market, Bonhams said.

Other highlights of the sale include:
• A Russian spacesuit, Sokol K, worn by cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, Commander of the Soyuz 19 Spacecraft, during the historic Apollo-Soyuz Test Project on July 15-19, 1975. This mission represented a symbolic end to the Space Race. Estimate, $100,000-150,000;

• A Russian spacesuit, Sokol KV-2, used by cosmonaut Gennadi Strekalov on the Soyuz TM 10, from August 1 to December 10, 1990, during a mission to the Mir space station. Estimate, $60,000-80,000;

• Apollo 14 Maurer Camera, from the personal collection of Edgar Mitchell, the Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 14 and the sixth person to walk on the Moon. This 16mm Maurer Data Acquisition Camera was used to film movies through the Lunar Module Pilot's window during the approach and landing of the Lunar Module. Estimate, $60,000-80,000;

• Apollo 14 Tissue Dispenser, flown into orbit to the moon. Estimate, $6,000-8,000.