Geneva | Marie?Béatrice Morin | marie?beatrice.morin@sothebys.com | +41 22 908 48 14
London | Matthew Weigman | matthew.weigman@sothebys.comLeyla Daybelge | Leyla.Daybelge@sothebys.com | +44 20 7293 6000
SOTHEBY'S GENEVA NEW "DAY SALE" OF IMPORTANT WATCHES ON 15 MAY 2012 TO CELEBRATEThe Founding Fathers and Great
Inventions of Modern Horology
On 15 May 2012, Sotheby's Geneva will inaugurate its new "Day
sales" of Important Watches, with a morning and an afternoon
session starting at 9am and 2pm respectively. Independent
watchmakers, from Breguet to George Daniels, are at the core
of Sotheby's international watch sales this year and the May
sale will pay tribute to the founding fathers of modern
horology, while also celebrating inventions that
revolutionised watchmaking, such as the tourbillion. Covering
five centuries of watch history, the 388 lots, estimated in
excess of CHF 10 million/$10.9 million comprise iconic pieces
from each pivotal era, from a 1540 French table clock (lot
208) to an exceptional grande complication pocket watch
Reference 959 by Patek Philippe (illustrated above). The
antique pocket watches and the Rolex sections are also
highlighted by illustrious provenance, with many timepieces
that belonged to great names of the European aristocracy and
Rolex models owned by the acclaimed British author, Graham
Greene and Ibn Saud, the first King of Saudi Arabia.
Commenting on the sale, Geoffroy Ader, Head of Sotheby's
European Watch Department, said: "In a truly globalised watch
auction market, our new "Day sales", sitting astride several
time zones, will facilitate the participation of collectors
from around the world. The May sale has been put together to
share with them our knowledge and passion, as well as to pay
homage to genius watchmakers. With that view, we are
extremely pleased to be able to exhibit in Geneva the lots of
the sale alongside highlights of George Daniels' personal
collection (to be auctioned in London on 6 November). The
most important horologist of the 20th Century, George Daniels
represents a link between Masters of the past and
contemporary independent watchmakers".
At the core of the May auction will be a section entirely
dedicated to the celebrated French watch and clockmaker,
Breguet ? an absolute reference in the world of horology for
the past two centuries. Comprised of 45 timepieces dating
from 1785 to 1997, this section reflects the constant search
for innovation and the distinguished style that has
characterised Breguet's production since the
18th century.
Watchmaker to the European monarchs as well as the
scientific, military, financial and diplomatic elites of his
time, Abraham?Louis Breguet (1747?1823) designed exceptional
timepieces for prestigious clients including King Louis XVI,
Queen Marie?Antoinette, Napoléon, the Tsar Alexander I
and
Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, for who he famously
conceived the world's first wristwatch in 1810.
Testament to Breguet's prestige and reputation among the
elite of the 18th and 19th
centuries, the auction will present a large selection of
antique clocks and pocket watches, most of them with
important provenance. Leading this group are two carriage
clocks described in the Breguet archives as "Pendules à
Almanach". The first, a large gilt brass grande et petite
sonnerie, quarter repeating carriage clock (No. 3145) was
delivered in 1825 for 6,000 francs, an astronomical price at
the time, reflecting the outstanding quality of this piece
(lot 365, est. CHF 350,000?450,000/ $385,000?495,000,
illustrated above). One of the largest models of travelling
clocks made by the watchmaker, it is identical to a clock
sold the Queen
of Spain in 1831.
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The second, an exceptionally small gilt brass quarter
repeating carriage clock (No. 2497) was sold in 1810 to
Prince Camillio Borghese Aldobrandini (1775?1832), a
descendant of the illustrious Florentine family and the
second husband of Napoléon's sister, Pauline Bonaparte (lot
364, est. CHF 250,000?350,000/ $275,000?385,000, illustrated
p.2).
Known as the "Watchmaker of Kings and the king of the
watchmakers", Breguet received pocket watch commissions from
numerous members of the European aristocracy and wealthy
classes. Prestigious names represented in the sale include
Baron Hottinguer (1764?1841) (lots 345, 350), George William
Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll (1768?1839) (lot 348), the
British diplomat and politician Lord Clanwilliam (lot 351),
Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein (1760?1836) (lot
357), the Russian Prince André de Galitzine (Lot 363) and the
Hungarian Count Batthyany who bought a very fine yellow gold
souscription à tact watch (No. 3561) in 1821 (lot 354, est.
CHF 60,000?80,000/ $66,000?
88,000, illustrated left).
A piece of supreme horological art revealing Breguet's unique
ability to incorporate innovations is to be found in a highly
complicated 18 carat pink gold minute repeating keyless lever
watch, with a Brassus calibre gilt movement by Louis
Audemars. Sold in 1908, the "Louis Audemars Grande
Complication" (No.
The Breguet section also comprises modern watches, including an extremely rare pink gold minute repeating perpetual calendar tourbillon wristwatch dating from circa 1997 (ref. 3857) appearing for the first time at auction. Featuring Breguet's classic aesthetic, it is part of a limited edition of three pieces produced to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Abraham?Louis Breguet's birth (lot 388, est. CHF 200,000?300,000/ $220,000?330,000, illustrated left).
HOURIET & HIS DISCIPLES
The May sale will pay tribute to another horological genius:
Jacques?Frédéric Houriet (1743?1830). "Father of
Swiss Chronometry", Houriet spent most of his career
producing watches for eminent horologists of his time,
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including his close friend Abraham?Louis Breguet and Ferdinand Berthoud. The sale will comprise examples of the very few watches signed by Houriet, including a yellow gold, enamel and pearl?set centre second watch made for the Chinese market circa 1820 (lot 336, est. CHF 30,000?50,000/ $33,000?55,000, illustrated left).
Houriet's considerable influence on the work of his students
and their successors is illustrated by watches signed by
Urban Jürgensen, Sylvain Mairet
and Frédéric Louis Favre?Bulle. Favre?Bulle (1770?1849) is
represented by an exceptional and rare yellow gold tourbillon
with thermometer dating from circa
good example of the best pocket chronometers ever produced in
Switzerland (lot
343, est. CHF 250,000?350,000 / $275,000?385,000, illustrated
right).
A section of the sale will be dedicated to an invention that
revolutionised modern horology: the tourbillon, developed by
Abraham?Louis Breguet in 1795 to nullify the effects of
gravity in pocket watches and increase their precision. The
evolution of the tourbillon over the past two centuries is
illustrated in the catalogue by rare timepieces, including an
18 carat yellow gold open?faced keyless chronometer watch
made in 1882 by the London horologist, S. Smith & Son (lot
179, est. CHF
15,000?25,000/ $16,500?27,500). This watch is equipped with
what is almost certainly the first of the "No. 239" series of
Karrusel with a detent chronometer escapement, a device
patented in 1893 by the Danish watchmaker Bahne
Bonniksen to augment the robustness and accuracy of the
tourbillon regulator.
In the early 1920s, the German horologist Alfred Helwig
invented what is now commonly known as the flying tourbillon.
In 1931, together with his student Woldemar Fleck, he
produced a silver open?faced keyless pocket chronometer with
flying tourbillon which will be offered for sale with an
estimate of CHF
150,000?200,000 ($165,000?220,000) (lot 186, illustrated
above).
A further highlight of this section is a rare Patek Philippe
Reference 5101 "Tourbillon" dating from 2005. Paying tribute
to the firm's legendary Art Deco designs, this platinum
rectangular wristwatch boasts a combination of two rare
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complications, the tourbillon and a 10?day power reserve (lot 187, est. CHF 200,000?250,000/ $220,000?275,000, illustrated p.4).
PATEK PHILIPPEPatek Philippe is celebrated for its highly complicated watches, combining a timing function with a large number of indications. The top lot of the sale is a unique keyless 18 carat yellow gold grand complication pocket watch ref.
959 with petite and grande sonnerie, minute repeating, perpetual calendar,
moon phases, split seconds chronograph and 24 hour
indication. Dating from
1992, this exquisite piece is one of the few examples of
grand complication pocket watches produced by the company in
the early 1990s. (lot 141, CHF
500,000?800,000/ $550,000?880,000, illustrated right and
p.1).
The Patek Philippe section will also feature the Reference
3979HP Beyer, an extremely rare platinum automatic minute
repeating wristwatch dating from
1995. The reference 3979, now discontinued, was the first
automatic minute repeating wristwatch produced by Patek
Philippe. Only three models in platinum are known on the
market and the present one is the only which has been
retailed by Beyer, the oldest watch retailer in Switzerland
(lot 118, est.
500,000?700,000/ $550,000?770,000, illustrated left).
Patek Philippe's extraordinary craftsmanship will also be
represented by a group of superb antique and vintage pieces.
Among them is the Reference 1436 "Sena Ltd Singapore", a 18
carat yellow gold chronograph dating from 1959 and which is
one of the rare examples of Reference 1436 retailed by an
Asian agent of the brand. Manufactured between 1938 and 1971,
this reference was the first split second chronograph
wristwatch produced in series by the company (lot 252,
est.
CHF 300,000?400,000/$330,000?440,000, illustrated right).
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ROLEX
Rolex features strongly in the sale. Leading this group is
the exceptional Reference
6062 "Star Dial". Dating from circa 1950, this rare 18 carat
pink gold triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases is said
to have belonged to the late Ibn Saud, the founder of the
modern state of Saudi Arabia and the country's first King.
One of the most beautiful examples of the legendary reference
6062 of which only few models were made, the present watch is
fitted with the highly sought after "Star Dial" or "Stelline
Dial" and preserved in its original condition (lot 307, est.
CHF 200,000?300,000/
$220,000?330,000, illustrated left).
In addition to a wide array of Daytona vintage models
covering different references and dial combinations, this
section will present a rare Rolex Submariner Reference
6538 "Tropical". Made circa 1958 and featuring a Tropical
dial, this stainless steel
automatic centre seconds wristwatch is an attractive version
of the famous reference 6538, also known as the "Big Crown
James Bond" (lot 260, est. CHF
60,000?80,000/ $66,000?88,000, illustrated right).
Another undoubted highlight of this section is a Rolex
reference 18038 Day?Date
that belonged to the acclaimed British writer Graham Greene
(lot 294, est. CHF
6,000?8,000/ $6,600?8,800, illustrated left). Dating from
1981 and coming from the Estate of Yvonne Cloetta who shared
his life from 1959 until his death in Vevey, Switzerland in
1991, this 18 carat yellow gold automatic centre seconds
wristwatch with day and date is engraved with the inscription
"To an English brother of General Torrijos from General
Paredes, Panama, 1983" at the case back. In 1976, Greene,
aged 72, was invited to visit Panama by the then ruler
General Omar Torrijos Herrar. Within the next seven years, he
was to travel four other times to Panama, forging an unusual
and enduring friendship with Torrijos and the head of the
military at the time, General Ruben Paredes from who he
most certainly received this watch. Greene's close
relationships with the heads of the Panama regime
inspired
him a fascinating book, Getting to the Know the General: The
Story of an Involvement, published in 1984.
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ANTIQUE POCKET WATCHES
Recent sales have been marked by a considerable interest from
international collectors in historic timepieces and most
notably antique pocket watches. At the heart of this section
are rare timepieces from the 16th and
17th centuries coming from the collection of
Adolphe Chapiro, the famous watch historian. Among them is a
very fine yellow gold oignon watch made circa 1695 by Isaac
Thuret, clockmaker to Louis XIV (lot 224, est.
CHF15,000?25,000/ $16,500?
27,500, illustrated right). The French royal emblem on the
watch's bow is most probably the crest of Philippe d'Orléans
(1624?1723) who served as regent of the Kingdom of France
until Louis XV reached the age of majority.
The subject of an ever?increasing demand on the international
auction market, enamel pocket watches made for the Chinese,
Ottoman and Indian markets are also largely represented. At
the turn of the 18th and 19th
centuries, Swiss watchmakers, goldsmiths, engravers and
enamellers worked together to create pieces of extraordinary
craftsmanship for the lucrative Chinese market, as shown in
an 18 carat yellow gold, enamel and pearl?set centre seconds
watch dating from circa 1820 (lot 226, est. CHF
80,000?120,000/ $88,000?132,000, illustrated left). This
exceptional watch is the result of the work of three leading
craftsmen: Bovet, an eminent Swiss watchmaker, Jean?Louis
Richter, one of the best enamel painters in Geneva and
Ilbery, the main retailer of Chinese watches at the time.
Another undeniable highlight of this group is a luxurious 18
carat yellow gold and enamel hunting case minute repeating
clock watch made in 1890 for the Indian market and signed F.
White & Co., Bombay (lot 269, est. CHF 60,000?80,000/
$66,000?88,000, illustrated right). Typical of the "Rajah
watches" which were made
in Geneva for Indian high dignitaries in the late
19th century, both sides of the watch case are
decorated with enamel portraits. Featuring the Maharaja
Thakore saheb Dajiraj of Wadhwan and his younger brother His
Highness Thakore saheb Basingh Chandrasingh, these portraits
are signed by John Graff (1836?1902), one of
the few and most esteemed Geneva enamel portraitists of the
late 19th century.
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Complementing this historical panorama are rare pocket watches with automata (lots 151,178) and a yellow gold open?faced watch with a concealed portrait of King Charles IV of Spain made circa
1790 by the French watchmaker François?Louis Godon (1755?
1800) ? the official clockmaker to "his Catholic Majesty"
(lot 256, est. CHF 20,000?30,000/ $22,000?33,000, illustrated
left).
French historical and cultural patrimony is illustrated by a
silver hunting cased verge watch with "French revolutionary
time" (dividing the day into ten decimal hours) made in
Geneva in 1795 by J.J. Pattay (lot 161, est. CHF 6,000?8,000/
$6,600?8,800, illustrated right) and a yellow gold open?faced
keyless lever chronograph watch by A.H. Rodanet that Gustave
Eiffel (1832?1923), the famous architect of the eponymous
Parisian tower and the Statue of Liberty, offered to his
grandson in 1909 (lot 191, est. CHF 6,000?8,000/
$6,600?8,800,
illustrated below).
Hôtel Beau?Rivage, Genève
13 Quai du Mont?Blanc
Tuesday 15 May 2012, Session 1 at 9am (lots 1?252), Session 2 at 2pm (lots 253?388)
Public Exhibition: Hôtel Beau?Rivage, Genève11?13 mai, 10am?6pm
Private views on 14 May, 10am?6pm
Highlights of George Daniels' Personal Collection of Clocks and
Watches (to be auction on 6 November 2012)
will be exhibited alongside the sale's lots.
ALL PRESS RELEASES ARE PUBLISHED ON WWW.SOTHEBYS.COMIMAGES ARE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST* Pre?sale estimates do not include buyer's premium
Vente dirigée par le Ministère de Maîtres Claude Naville et Marco Breitenmoser, Huissiers Judiciaires.
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