IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph (IW3777-09)

Marking the 190th anniversary of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), Sotheby's Geneva auction of Important Watches on 12 November 2013 will celebrate the legacy of the father of modern watchmaking. The sale will be led by a highly important and rare pocket watch made circa 1831 by Breguet and coming directly from the descendants of the great collector Sir Richard Wallace (1818-1890). This prime example of Breguet's creative genius will be presented alongside an impressive offering of 330 timepieces, covering 200 years of watch history. Further highlights from the sale include exclusive vintage and modern wristwatches as well as rare complicated timepieces.
 
Pocket watches
Pocket watches feature bly in this autumn sale. The centerpiece - an extra flat pair cased gold half quarter repeating pocket watch with equation of time, power reserve, indication calendar and moon phase based on chronometer principles - was bought from Breguet by Lord Henry Seymour Conway in Paris in 1831 and thereafter bequeathed to his brother Richard Seymour Conway, 4th Marquis of Hertford and then to Sir Richard Wallace (1818-1890), his illegitimate son. Sir Richard Wallace - who inherited his father fortune and immense art collection - is widely known for the world-famous eponymous 'Wallace Collection' in London.
This watch boasts an exceptionally large number of complications for a watch of this time, including equation of time complication, power reserve indication, calendar and moon phase based on chronometer principles. Only three watches of this period by Breguet are known to pertain to such a specific complication type and design: one is currently part of the collection of L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem; the other once belonged to Saïd Pacha the Viceroy of Egypt and was passed on to his successor Ismaïl Pacha. With their highly complex movements contained within an extra slim case, these impressive watches count among the most expensive timepieces created by the celebrated French watchmaker. Their original price ranged from 7,000 to 8,800 Francs, a substantial sum of money at the time.
It is reported that Sir Richard Wallace wore this watch until his death. Coming directly from his descendants, the watch - lot 330 in the sale - will appear for the first time on the market with an estimate of CHF 600,000-1,000,000 ($650,000-1,080,000).
The sale will pay tribute to Breguet and present a series of items that belonged to both Abraham-Louis Breguet and his son Antoine Louis. The property of their descendants, these lots include an oil portrait and a bronze bust of Abraham-Louis Breguet dating respectively from circa 1800 and 1830 (lot 325, est. CHF 20,000-40,000/$21,600-43,200, and lot 327, est. CHF 2,000-3,000/ $2,200-3,250) as well as Antoine Louis Breguet's notebook from circa 1820, containing sketches, horlogical calculations and notes on his daily life and work (lot 326, est. CHF 6,000-10,000/ $6,500-10,800).
 
The fine selection of rare pocket watches also includes a chronometer (ref. 923) made by Patek Philippe in 1985 (lot 170). Offered for sale by its original owner, this minute repeating keyless open face pocket chronometer with detent escapement was purchased from the famous Milanese retailer, Orologeria Luigi Verga in 1989, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Patek Philippe. It is the largest of the only two known examples of the reference 923 and comes to the market in immaculate condition with an estimate of CHF 100,000-200,000 ($108,000-216,000, illustrated right).
Testament to Vacheron Constantin's long tradition in the manufacture of complicated pocket watches, a fine yellow gold chronograph chronometer from circa 1925 is among the very few watches by the Swiss watchmaker with perpetual calendar, minute repetition and split seconds chronograph known to the market (lot 268, est. CHF 80,000-120,000/ $86,500-130,000).
Vintage wristwatches
The offering of vintage wristwatches is spearheaded by a rare model of Patek Philippe's reference 1518 made in 1951 (lot 289). Together with the reference 1526, the reference 1518 was the first perpetual calendar wristwatch ever produced in series by the prestigious brand. Only 281 reference 1518 wristwatches were created between 1941 and 1954 and this yellow gold wristwatch with register tachometer and moon-phases carries an estimate of CHF 150,000-250,000 ($162,000-270,000, illustrated left).
 
Highlighting this section are also two chronograph wristwatches from the 1940s. The first is a very rare example in stainless steel of the reference 3666 by Rolex dating from circa 1940 (lot 262, est. CHF 25,000-35,000/ $27,000-37,800). The second - a superb stainless steel and pink gold chronograph wristwatch by Audemars Piguet - is one of some ten examples of the reference 1533 produced by the watchmaker in 1941 (lot 261, est. CHF 15,000 - 25,000/ $16,200-27,000t).
In 1930's, the Italian Navy ordered from Panerai a water and pressure resistant watch with luminous numeral and index hour markers for their secret unit the "10a Flottiglia MAS" (10th MAS Fleet). The result was the "Radiomir" which included movements, cases, and crowns made by Rolex. The sale will include a rare example of stainless steel diver's wristwatch made by Rolex for Officine Panerai in circa 1940 (lot 293, est. CHF 30,000-50,000/ $32,400-54,000, illustrated right).
 
Modern wristwatches
Complementing the offer is a fine group of modern timepieces, led by a Grande and Petite Sonnerie wristwatch made by F.P Journe in circa 2006 (lot 97). This piece in stainless steel comes to the market with an estimate of CHF 250,000-350,000 ($270,000-378,000).
A further highlight of this group is to be found in an exceptional prototype of the RM038 "Bubba Watson" by Richard Mille dating from circa 2011. Made in honour of the golf's champion, Gerry Lester Watson Jr. called 'Bubba', this tonneau skeletonized tourbillon in a magnesium case features a movement designed to withstand the extreme G force created while playing golf (lot 147, est. CHF 280,000-450,000/ $303,000-486,000).
The sale will also include complicated modern wristwatches. Among them are an important platinum split seconds chronograph wristwatch (ref. 5959) by Patek Philippe (lot 158, est. CHF 180,000-280,000/ $195,000-303,000) and an impressive "Bugatti Type 370" model in white gold made by Parmigiani Fleurier circa 2005 and inspired by the renowned French automobile company Bugatti (lot 146- est. CHF 40,000 - 60,000 / $43,200-65,000, illustrated p.5).
Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the first publication of "The Little Prince" - Antoine de Saint-Exupery's bestselling novel, the sale will present a unique version of the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince" (ref. IW502801) in platinum with a mid-night blue dial. All the proceeds from the sale will benefit Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation and contribute to the construction of a school in Cambodia.