Trio of Rare Vintage Patek Philippe Watches Steal the Show at $17m USD Antiquorum Auction
The perpetual calendar chronographs went for up to double their high estimate.
Genevan watch auction house Antiquorum saw sales of $17.1m USD over two days in Geneva this weekend.
The haul, which was just one sale in a weekend of major watch auctions in the Swiss city, was led by five half-million-dollar vintage lots from Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, three of which were among 175 watches consigned from a single collection.
Lot 144
CHF 625,000 ($684,300 USD)
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
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One of two star lots was a yellow gold Patek Philippe 1518 from 1950 and engraved with the name of its original owner, General Eduardo Hernandez Chazaro, a Mexican general. The 1518 was Patek Philippe’s first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, with just 281 pieces being produced between 1941 and 1954.
Lot 147
CHF 625,000 ($684,300 USD)
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
The 1518 was immediately succeeded by the Patek Philippe Ref. 2499, which was produced until the early 1980s. This yellow gold Fourth Series example from 1982 managed to achieve the same price as its older, rarer predecessor thanks to a double-signed dial from retailer Gubelin and the fact that this example is new to the auction market.
Lot 563
CHF 575,000 ($629,600 USD)
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Antiquorum
Antiquorum
A second yellow gold 1518, this one from 1946, was consigned by the family of the original owner, making it another “fresh to market” piece. The dial has developed a champagne-colored patina over the years, which complements the hue of the case and bracelet.
Lot 84
CHF 525,000 ($575,000 USD)
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
A diminutive (29mm x 37mm) and extremely rare platinum minute repeater from Audemars Piguet. The watch was originally sold in 1927 and it is thought that no more than 35 were ever made, with very few examples in platinum. The watch last sold at Sothebys in 2003.
Lot 453
CHF 462,500 ($506,000 USD)
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
Antiquorum
Just 25 years old, this Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar was one of 272 stainless steel examples created between 1982 and 1998. While most were fitted with black or silver dials, this is a rare example with a salmon dial.
Elsewhere in watches, G-SHOCK debuts new rainbow case material with forthcoming “Rainbow Mountain.”
