:Antiquorum's recent sale of 252 lots of exceptional collectors'
timepieces, horological tools and documents achieved a total of
$12,053,000, with 82 percent of the lots sold. The saleroom in
the Noga Hilton Hotel was packed with bidders representing many
nationalities. The telephone bidding was fierce, with many lines
connected to clients all over the world. Hundreds of people
followed and bid over the Internet, sometimes leaving the
auctioneer waiting until the worldwide online battle had ceased.
A total of 25 percent of the online bidding came from the Asian
market - Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. Several
representatives from horological museums were attending and able
to acquire important pieces for their collections in competition
with passionate individual collectors.
World records were broken with a Patek Philippe Ref 2497 - also
the sale's top lot - which sold for $1,197,000, and a Patek
Philippe Ref 5004P, which brought $170,000, double its estimate.
This silver jewel casket with serinette singing musician and
singing bird was purchased by a museum for $922,000.
A very likely unique piece, "Art Deco Birds" made by
Longines, a magnificent, frosted platinum, iridescent translucent
cloisonné enamel, diamond and sapphire keyless pendant watch, sold
for a world record price of $53,000.
One of the most spectacular lots of the sale and a true rarity to
come up in the market was a unique silver jewel casket with
serinette musician, singing bird and automaton sable that went
for $922,000 to a private museum. A "Singing Canary" attributed
to Jaquet Droz and made circa 1770 attained $180,000. The
beautiful "Chinese Peony" tripled its lower estimate in fierce
bidding in the room to eventually sell for $281,000.
The Breguet museum added several pieces to its collection,
purchasing "Lord Gower," a rare travel clock made in 1826, for
$198,000, twice its estimate. Other acquisitions were a
"Regulateur A Tourbillon - hunting cased" for $212,000 and "To
Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland" quarter repeating pocket watch
for $77,000.
The Jacquet Droz Museum acquired important enameled pocket
watches from the late 1700s. Vacheron Constantin pieces sold very
well, a fine example being a "Tourbillon Malte Squelette" that
was sold to a South European collector at $123,000.
Osvaldo Patrizzi, chairman of Antiquorum and principal
auctioneer, said after the sale, "The market interest is as
strong as ever and spreading geographically to reach every corner
of the globe."
A Patek Philippe ref 5004P doubled its estimate at $170,000.
Rounding out the sale's top ten lots were: a set of eight
commemorative watches, including a complete set of seven Patek
Philippe "Pagoda" watches: four gentleman's and three lady's and
one Patek Philppe "Officier Répétition Minutes," each in a fitted
box, $537,000; a rare Patek Philippe astronomic 18K rose gold
minute-repeating keyless pocket watch with perpetual calendar, moon
phases and lunar calendar, made in 1882, $455,000; a rare "Black
Dial" Patek Philippe Ref 1463. water-resistant, 18K yellow gold
gentleman's wristwatch, made in 1954, $446,000.
Also, an extremely rare "Tachometer Scale" Patek Philippe Ref
2499, second series, astronomic, 18K yellow gold gentleman's
wristwatch with round button chronograph, tachometer scale,
register, perpetual calendar and moon phases, $354,000; a Patek
Philippe Ref 3979 "150th Anniversary Minute Repeater" made in
1989, $290,000; and a very rare Patek Philippe Ref 1463 18K pink
gold gentleman's wristwatch, made in 1956, with round button
chronograph, register and tachometer, $248,000.
Prices reported include buyer's premium.
2007
2006
2005
20032
2003
2002
2001
2000
