Last month, Phillips sold a steel Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph for nearly $18 million at its Geneva Watch Auction. Now, following a tremendous showing both in Switzerland and in Hong Kong, the big auction houses are moving on to New York and Abu Dhabi, where countless vintage and modern treasures will come under the hammer.
Which of the horological goodies coming up for auction in December are worth keeping an eye on? We thought we’d bring you a taste of some of our favorite lots: a possibly unique stainless steel dress watch from Patek; a modern guilloché-dial dress watch from American watchmaker J.N. Shapiro; and a wildly rare Rolex Daytona that may very well fetch in the millions.
Christie’s: Patek Philippe ref. 2509 Stainless Steel Amagnetic “Gübelin”
Estimate: $50,000-$100,000
The ref. 2509 is perhaps one of the most underappreciated Calatrava-style dress watches of the maison’s 20th-century output. Measuring roughly 35mm in diameter, it’s larger than the legendary ref. 96 and smaller than current time-only Calatrava references by several millimeters — the “Goldilocks” size, if you will. This particular version is notable for several reasons: It’s made of stainless steel, rendering it rarer than its precious-metal cousins; it’s double-signed by the famed retailer Gübelin; and it’s powered not by the more common cal. 12-200 or cal. 12-400 movements, but by Patek’s cal. 27 AM 400 — a caliber typically reserved for “Amagnetic” references such as the ref. 3417 and 2570/1. Oh, and did we mention that it’s the only known example of a steel 2509 with both an amagnetic (that is, anti-magnetic) movement and a luminous dial? Incredibly well proportioned and handsome in addition to being wildly rare, this puppy should easily clear its upper estimate.
If This Watch Sale Is Any Indication, We’re in for a Heck of a Fall Auction Season
Phillips just sold a steel Patek Philippe ref. 1518 for nearly $18 million
Phillips: J.N. Shapiro Infinity
Estimate: $20,000-$40,000
If you’re not familiar with Joshua Shapiro, he might well have one of the most fascinating backgrounds in modern watchmaking: Growing up working with his hands, he nevertheless studied history and became a school principal. However, after making a watch dial in 2011, he was hooked. Leaving his old career behind, he set up J.N. Shapiro, and currently crafts some of the most desirable engine-turned-dial watches on the market. This possibly unique example of his Infinity series features gorgeous basketweave and barleycorn guilloché patterns in purple achieved through the use of a traditional engine-turning machine. Housed in a 40mm stainless steel case, it’s powered by a hand-wound movement from Uhren-Werke Dresden (UWD) hand-engraved with…Mario. (Yes, as in Super Mario.) Accompanied by an extra blue guilloché dial and handset, it presents an excellent opportunity to own an exquisite American-designed piece.
Sotheby’s: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6263 “Albino”
Estimate: $500,000-$1,000,000
In vintage Rolex collecting circles, the devil’s in the details. Such is certainly the case with this ref. 6263. An otherwise run-of-the-mill Cosmograph Daytona housed in a waterproof Oyster case with screw-down pushers and crown, it features a rarely-seen white dial with matching chronograph totalizers (rather than the contrasting black versions typically seen in a “panda” dial). This, and the lack of “Daytona” text, make it rare as hen’s teeth, with only a few known examples ever having hit the auction block. While the most famous of these has actually come under the hammer more than once — owned by Eric Clapton, it was sold at Christie’s for roughly $50,000 in 2003, then $505,000 in 2008, then $1.4 million in 2015 — this particular example is said to be fresh to market. Dating to the early 1970s and featuring a well-preserved dial, it’s a beautiful example of midcentury horological design.
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