Nothing can juice the price of a watch quite like celebrity provenance. Case in point, when Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona sold for over $17.75 million in 2017, eclipsing the uber-rare Patek Philippe 1518 in stainless steel, watch blog Hodinkee called the event “truly shocking.” To give you a sense of how much money that is, the exact same model minus Newman’s previous ownership goes for about 100 times less.
If you start with that extreme, Andy Warhol’s Patek Philippe, which is hitting the auction block at Christie’s in June, seems like a downright steal. The 18k gold Calatrava reference 570 wristwatch previously owned by the artist is estimated to sell in the $45,000-95,000 range, whereas a similar model not owned by a pop art icon sold last year at Sotheby’s for just under $18,000.
“It’s believed the artist once owned in excess of 300 timepieces, some of which were rare and desirable wristwatches by Patek Philippe,” Christie’s wrote in a press release, “and it’s been said that Warhol kept his most prized watches at the center of the canopy that hung over his bed.”
One other detail that makes this particular Patek more desirable, besides Warhol wearing it and apparently sleeping under it, is the “double-signed dial.” That designation alludes to the second brand name on the lower half of the face: “Hausmann & Co.,” a storied watch retailer in Rome that traces its beginnings back to 1794.
Warhol’s watch is part of the “Watches Online: The New York Edition” sale, which takes place from June 8-22, meaning you can place bids from your couch. If you’d like to see it in person before getting in on the action, viewings are available on this piece — as well as a wide selection of rare Rolex, Cartier and similarly extravagant models — from June 4-9.
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