The auctioneering giant Christie’s, a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and international expertise, is once again holding one of their most anticipated auctions –The Christie’s Rare Watch Auction; this time at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva on 13 May 2019 at 10:00 am. With estimates ranging from CHF 2,000 to CHF 1,000,000, the sale is expected to realize in the region of CHF 12 Million.
The timepieces going under the hammer include a Rolex ref. 3525 that was once owned by one of the most famous and enduring artists of the 20th century, Andy Warhol which is expected to fetch CHF 200,000-300,000, and a personal pocket watch of Patek Philippe’s co-founder Jean-Adrien Philippe (1815-1894) that is estimated to sell for as much as CHF 100,000.
The Rolex ref. 3525 that once belonged to Andy Warhol is a very rare and highly desirable vintage wristwatch in its own right. With a timeless appeal, it was sold as lot 250 during the sale of his extensive jewellery and watch collections in New York on 4 December 1988, then fitted with a leather strap which was replaced to a later date by the present, perfectly matching stainless steel and pink gold version. This ref. 3525 is doubtlessly also one of the most appealing and attractive examples. It impresses with a superb multi-scale dial with both tachymeter and telemeter scales and raised gilt numerals and indexes, showing a gently aged, extremely beautiful and soft patina, free of any cosmetic enhancements.
Patek Philippe, 1889, owned by
Jean-Adrien Philippe – Estimate CHF 50,000-100,000
Patek Philippe, 1889, owned by
Jean-Adrien Philippe – Estimate CHF 50,000-100,000
The historically important personal watch of Patek Philippe’s co-founder Jean-Adrien Philippe (1815-1894) is the top lot of the pocket watch section and is signed by Jean-Adrien’s son, Joseph Émile Philippe, dated 1889. Featuring Jean-Adrien Philippe’s famous design for the two-train independent centre seconds movement, it is one of the first ever to be made according to Swiss patent no. 1017, dating May 1889. Mr. Philippe invented the first mechanism for watches which allowed them to be wound and set by means of a crown rather than a key and was rewarded by a Gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, in 1844. A year later, in 1845, he patented his invention and founded with Antoine de Norbert Patek the watchmaking company Patek Philippe. Consigned from the same descendants of Jean-Adrien Philippe is another remarkable and highly personal piece of Patek Philippe history, Joseph Émile Philippe’s watchmaking school timepiece.
