Odd Fellows, Mount Vernon, Me. – Pier 90.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Several world record prices were established at Antiquorum’s thematic auction “The Evolution of Forms in Horology” on November 16-17.
A Patek Philippe, Ref 2524, minute-repeating wrist watch realized $325,000, a world record for this reference; a Rolex “Super Prince Brancard,” Ref 1690 sold for an unprecedented $41,400; and a new world record was set for a Cartier “Tank Cintrée” from 1927 at $119,700.
Top prices were also fetched by three Gerald Genta wrist watches, which sold for a combined total of $674,300.
“Unlike Antiquorum’s October sale, which focused on exceptional pieces costing on average $166,700 each, this auction also included many highly collectible pieces with lower estimates. The success of the sale proves that the watch market is accessible to all,” said Osvaldo Patrizzi, chairman of Antiquorum.
The selection of horological tools, workbenches, books and documents also realized outstanding prices and were mostly bought by European and Middle Eastern collectors. Particularly noteworthy was Abraham Louis Breguet’s 47-page daily journal, which sold for $233,300, and established a new world record for any horological document. Also highly sought after by collectors was Jean Lavaivre’s book Cours du Pendule et d’Echappement, circa 1890, which fetched more than 15 times its presale estimate.
The top five lots from this sale are as follows:
Breguet, No 1348, sold to Messrs Meyer and Tues for 2,160 francs in 1805. Large, 20K gold pocket watch with annual Gregorian calendar, signs of the Zodiac, equation of time and days of the week ($809,000).
Patek Philippe, Ref 2499, rare, astronomic, 18K yellow gold wristwatch, with tachometer, perpetual calendar and moon phase ($427,700).
Patek Philippe Ref 2524. ($325,000).
Gérald Genta, Grande Sonnerie self-winding double-train, water-resistant gentleman’s platinum wrist watch with grande and petite sonnerie ($259,000).
Daily journal of Abraham Louis Breguet, 1804-1805, in Breguet’s hand, $233,300.
