Christie's Hong Kong is set to make horological history once more with two live sales on May 26 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Ultimate Collection sale will present a comprehensive selection of both contemporary and vintage pieces, featuring a number of elusive "double seal" and "special dial" lots by Patek Philippe, as well as highly desirable commissioned pieces by F.P. Journe.
With Rolex recently unveiling new Daytona models at the Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this legendary watch model, there will also be a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire sought-after, discontinued Daytona references, ranging from the Ref. 116500LN to the vintage Ref. 6264 Paul Newman.
The Important Watches sale features an array of extremely limited "special dial" Patek Philippe references, including highly sought-after blue-chip models such as Ref. 3970S and Ref. 5970. Most notably, this auction presents the most valuable timepiece ever to be offered in Christie's Hong Kong auction room: a Patek Philippe Ref. 2523J 'Dual Crown World Time' with a map of North America depicted on its cloisonne enamel dial (Est: HK$55 million-120 million).
Alexandre Bigler, Vice-President, Head of Watches Asia Pacific, said: "Christie's Hong Kong is capitalizing on the market vibrancy in Asia and the resounding successes of our record-breaking sales last Autumn, including the spectacular sales of The Champion Collection and the fresh record set by the Patek Philippe 'Sky Moon Tourbillon' sold at our online auction in March. The live auctions we are excited to present in May are poised to further fuel the strong buying momentum: both The Ultimate Collection and the Important Watches sales are set to shatter previous records. The exceptional quality of the offerings once again demonstrates Christie's Hong Kong's commitment as the leading platform, backed by the unrivalled expertise of our specialist teams, to serve collectors in the sale and acquisition of horological treasures."
Single Owner Live Auction: The Ultimate Collection
This Ref. 5207P-001 stands as one of the most complicated timepieces ever crafted by Patek Philippe. The watch combines a minute repeater, instantaneous perpetual calendar, moon phases, day/night and leap year indications, as well as a tourbillon, all housed within a platinum case featuring hand-engraved flanks surrounding a bronze dial. Circa 2010.
A rare 18k white gold and diamond-set by Patek Philippe is a limited edition automatic chronograph wristwatch with date and bracelet, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Nautilus collection. This single-sealed Nautilus model, Ref. 5976/1G-001, dates back to circa 2017.
A remarkably rare and well-preserved 18k gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, retailed by Gubelin, Ref. 3448, manufactured in 1977. The Reference 3448, introduced in 1962, was the world's first serially produced self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch, and until 1978 remained the only one of its kind on the market. This offered piece is therefore one of the last of its kind.
A stunning 18k pink gold automatic Rolex, featuring diamond and multi-colour gemstone-set accents, sweep centre seconds and date, this Yacht-Master "Candy" model is truly eye-catching. Ref. 116695SATS, circa 2019.
Various Owners Live Auction: Important Watches
A historically significant Patek Philippe 18k gold Dual Crown World Time wristwatch with 24-hour indication and cloisonn� enamel dial depicting a map of North America, this Ref. 2523J was masterfully crafted in 1955.
A magnificent and highly complicated Patek Philippe 18k pink gold double-dial wristwatch featuring twelve complications, including a "cathedral" minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar with retrograde date, moon age and angular motion, sidereal time, and sky chart. Unique in this configuration, this Sky Moon Tourbillon model, Ref. 5002R-014, showcases a black dial and diamond indexes and dates back to circa 2012.
This Patek Philippe Ref. 3670A-001 chronograph in stainless steel is part of an exclusive limited edition of just 16 watches.
Made circa 2012, it features one of the 16 vintage chronograph movements -- the legendary Calibre 13-130 from 1955 -- which were discovered perfectly preserved in a chest at Patek Philippe's historic headquarters in Geneva. To celebrate this fortuitous find, the calibres were disassembled, reassembled, and rehoused in a cushion case -- in steel for this edition -- reminiscent of the original 1950s chronograph.
The F.P. Journe China 2010 Tourbillon Souverain Limited Edition is significant not only for its stunning combination of a platinum case with a red lacquered dial but also for its extreme rarity: a mere 5 pieces of this exceptional timepiece were crafted by the independent legend. In addition to the show-stopping tourbillon, the "China 2010" features a remontoir d'egalite, a constant force mechanism ensuring extreme precision, and deadbeat seconds. Circa 2010. [IANS/JS]
