Yellow gold, first series Patek Philippe, Genève, Ref. 2499, made in 1956, was the sale's top lot at $1,514,400.
:Antiquorum's first auction of the fall season attained a total of $9,892,812 for its sale of important collectors' wristwatches, pocket watches and clocks. A substantial number of clients were bidding on the Internet as evidenced by the record number of more than 1,000 bidders and viewers using Antiquorum's online bidding system. As a result, more than 34 percent of the lots were sold via the Internet.
A notable 82 percent of the 404 timepieces offered were sold by lot and 148 percent sold by value. The auction saw immense global interest from countries such as Hong Kong, China, the Russian Federation, Germany and Italy.
"The results from this auction are confirmation that despite the current erratic economic climate, important timepieces continue to be extremely sought after, highly collectible and sound, tangible investments that have consistently proven to appreciate exponentially over time," said Robert Maron, chairman, Antiquorum.
The star lot of the sale was a Patek Philippe Ref. 2499, first series, which sold for $1,514,400. Also, several other Patek Philippes sold well. A Ref. 3450 with red leap year indicator attained $237,600. Another exceptional price was fetched by a Patek Philippe Ref. 1518, which sold for $327,200. In addition, the Patek Philippe Ten Day Tourbillon sold for $276,800.
Without a doubt, the most exciting part of the auction was the frenzied bidding for the Einstein watch. A final price of $596,000 was fetched for the Longines wristwatch that belonged to the world famous physicist, Albert Einstein, a world record for both a time only and for a Longines wristwatch at auction, more than 2,000 percent of its estimate.
This unique and historically important Longines was made in 1930 and presented to Professor Albert Einstein on February 16, 1931, in Los Angeles, Calif. It realized $596,000.
"We're delighted to see such an excellent outcome for our first auction of the season," said Julien Schaerer, watch expert and auctioneer, Antiquorum USA. "In particular, we're excited by the exceptional result achieved by the Longines wristwatch that belonged to the
Time
magazine Man of the Century — the world's most noteworthy physicist, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Albert Einstein."
Vacheron Constantin also did exceptionally well, with a Malte perpetual calendar, minute repeater that achieved $260,000. In addition, the skeleton minute repeater in rose gold brought $282,400. Gerald Genta attained the notable sum of $225,800 for a Grande et Petite Sonnerie.
Finally, Rolex realized impressive results. A black diamond dial Datejust sold for $72,000, a new world record for such a model, while a platinum day date watch also achieved a world record at $78,000. Finally, the ultra-exclusive Bamford & Sons black Rolex Daytona sold for 48,000.
"We're thrilled that Robert Maron, a world-renowned authority on and market maker for modern and vintage wristwatches, has joined the Antiquorum team as chairman," said Evan Zimmermann, chief executive officer and president, Antiquorum USA. "With his knowledge and leadership, we look forward to building upon Antiquorum's success and to a very bright future ahead."
Prices reported include the buyer's premium.
Antiquorum looks forward to its 720-lot sale in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 15 and 16. The Antiquorum team returns to New York City on December 10. For information, 212-750-1103 or
www.antiquorum.com
.
