Japanese Rolex Automatic Replica, Fake Rolex Automatic

Rolex Day-Date 40 Yellow Gold Champagne Roman (228238-0006)

I would recommend as far as functionality but I would not recommend the band.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Nathaniel P, From Australia Lidcombe

Rolex Lady Datejust Automatic White Dial 18k Yellow Gold Watch 179178WSO

This is a very accurate watch which has reliable quality and elegant design. I really appreciate it!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Bethany N, From USA Natick

Rolex Datejust Mother of Pearl Automatic 18kt Yellow Gold President Men's Watch 178238MDP

If you like Black & White with a mirror effect, then this watch is for you. Is sort of fun and eclectic but not what I was looking for. I expected it to be fun yet classy. Is not. Maybe if it goes on clearance I will reorder.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Christy F, From Australia Qld

Telling the difference between a Carrera and a Daytona is easy, as is spotting an Aqua Terra from a Terra Luna. You don't even need the brand names to help you. But what about the new collections by Emile Chouriet and Ernest Borel, two Swiss brands with a presence in Hong Kong and China that is difficult to conceive unless you have been there and seen the giant billboards that dominate the skyline. The two new models presented today on WorldTempus both embody the ultra-classic style that appeals to the Chinese consumer, combined of course with an affordable Swiss Made calibre. They go to show that at a certain price point buyers are definitely making their choices based on looks rather than brand or collection names.

Inspired by a photo showing 18 Rolex Submariner "Comex" watches on the Internet, David Chokron offers some interesting insights into the notion of exclusivity in watchmaking. Can a one-thousand-piece limited edition (not to mention a 15,007-piece one) really be considered as exclusive?

Our build-up to the GPHG 2015 officially starts this week as Camille Gendre takes a look back over 14 years of Aiguille d'Or winners. Will she find a pattern that could give a hint about this year's winner? We will continue over the coming weeks with a look at the members of the 2015 jury and some interviews with previous winners.

By now most of us are preparing for the summer break and finally find the time to think about and analyze the state of the market for fine and rare collectors watches. First of all, I can hardly remember an auction season that has been so eagerly anticipated as the series of sales that took place in Geneva this past May. Not only were there really amazing and uber-rare watches on offer (and also many not so good ones…) but for the first time there were four auction houses wanting a piece of the cake. Besides Antiquorum, Christie's and Sotheby's (in alphabetical order), Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo made its debut in the arena.

Let me start with the good news first: in terms of participation, sell-through rates and results, it was one of the most successful and animated seasons ever, with over US $ 60 million of sales and a number of new all-time world-records established. Many insiders who carefully studied the catalogues expected such positive results but a large number of players also wondered if the market was hungry enough to absorb the large number of watches on offer. Also, some observers asked themselves if the absolute number of watches coming to the auction market every season wasn't too limited to properly fill four auction catalogues and hence diluted the quality of the sales.

Then, late April, some two weeks before the Geneva auctions, my dear friend, well-informed market observer and Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer asked openly in an article "Is now the best time to buy a 2499, or the worst?", opening Pandora's box and prompting one of the most animated discussions, on-line and off-line, about the state of the market. Unusually, the four auction houses each offered a Patek Philippe reference 2499/100 for sale, the last generation of the venerable manufacturer's all-time legendary model. Would this be good or bad for the market? Were their enough bidders out there to bid, and to bid bly, on all four of the watches? Opinions varied, with some saying that this is the beginning of the end, while others suggested that it is always good to buy a 2499, regardless of the circumstances.

With delight I can report that all four watches sold, and sold well above their estimates. Antiquorum sold their Tiffany-signed example for CHF 471,750 (estimated at CHF 300,000/500,000). Phillips achieved even more with the Beyer-retailed specimen fetching CHF 533,000 (against the same presale estimate). The next day Christie's achieved a highly appropriate CHF 650,000 (against an estimate of CHF 400,000/800,000) for their mint example and lastly Sotheby's sold their Gobbi-signed example for CHF 382,000 (against an estimate of CHF 200/400'000). Certainly, the four watches weren't identical in terms of condition and completeness but with an average price of over CHF 500,000, one should rather think of all time record levels than crisis! It shows that the appetite for fine and rare vintage watches is greater than ever before and the political turbulences around the world aren't stopping collectors from pursuing their passion. In fact, it is rather the contrary.

Consequently, we have seen at all auctions the same pattern. The greatest pieces were fiercely fought over by the world's leading collectors and dealers while the average (and below-average…) quality struggled to reach the low estimate or even failed to sell. This may appear as bad news - but actually it isn't. As mentioned in my past articles, collectors around the world are very well informed and do their homework before bidding. Since the offerings at the four auction houses weren't at the same level of quality, we have seen mixed results. In terms of performance, we could observe sold-rates going from anywhere around 70% to close to 100%! Also, the different propositions meant that the sale totals and average lot values couldn't be more different: Ranging from less than CHF 7 million (Antiquorum) in global sales with an average lot value of less than CF 20'000 to Phillips with sale totals at some CHF 30 million, averaging at over CHF 140'000 per watch!

The other good news is that we have seen beautiful results across the board, regardless of the maker, model, vintage or price level, showing it is no longer the classic "Federer-Nadal-Wimbledon-style final" between Patek Philippe and Rolex. Certainly, there were some results which stunned the market, be it the CHF 4.6 million paid for the spectacular stainless steel Patek Philippe single-button chronograph (Phillips) or the Audemars Piguet minute repeating wristwatch at Christie's fetching over CHF 600'000. The new world-record for any Rolex ever sold at auction, the ex Eric Clapton "Albino" Daytona selling for over CHF 1.3 million (Phillips) made headlines but the General MacArthur Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso at Antiquorum reaching CHF 87'500 was a memorable moment, too. The pattern is always the same: collectors are seeking quality, expressed by condition, rarity, originality, provenance and freshness to the market.

Also antique (pocket-) watches enjoyed a solid performance with many notable results, demonstrating that we are not only looking at a phenomenon linked to wristwatches.

Certainly, Rolex continues to be the hottest name in terms of audience, as demonstrated by the themed Glamorous Day-Date Auction staged by Phillips where an exceedingly rare example in platinum (Ref. 6612 from 1958) fetched CHF 473'000, setting a new absolute world-record for any Day-Date ever sold at auction. But when looking at the top-ten lists published by the auction houses, one can spot a number of other names, showing that the market is more varied and open-minded than ever before.

So, we have all the good reasons to look forward to our summer holidays and expect an even more interesting fall auction season, as I expect all players (sellers, buyers, dealers and auction houses) will do their analysis and adapt their strategies to this 2015 reality - already understood by some, by others maybe soon.
 

When we arrive at the Polo Club Saint-Tropez, Pablo Mac Donough, casually clad in jeans and sneakers, greets us with Spanish-infused English. He confirms that there is nothing surprising about that, but also that things could just as well have gone the other way: until his grandfather's time, and as his name betrays, the Mac Donoughs were a completely Irish family whose members "only inter-married amongst themselves". For the past two generations, however, Argentinian blood has been mingled with these purebred Irish. And in Pablo, the family now has a new champion in the polo world.

King of the media and close friends
Richard Mille's ambassador strategy may be slightly bewildering, given a proven ability to establish a presence at the very top of disciplines that attract intense media coverage: sailing, golf, tennis, cars. It also however encompasses a number of lesser-known talents.
Thus, in total contrast to ultra-publicised Rafael Nadal and his b development in the design of his "RMs", Pablo Mac Donough is completely unknown to the public and admits he "did not in any way take part in the development" of his RM 05. He even adds with a smile: "I am a polo player, not a watchmaker". At the opposite end of the spectrum to the slightly controversial role played by Natalie Portman, the least involved of the brand friends, one might well mention Michelle Yeoh, the wife of Jean Todt, who is also a company ambassador! Clearly an example of shared family tastes. Personal preferences thus remain the predominant factor in these choices, although the business side of things is clearly significant: Richard Mille invests 2.5 % of its turnover in its ambassadors, meaning around 4.5 million euros.

A family affair
Richard Mille remains bly driven by the automobile world, to which the brand is primarily committed, through associations with Sebastien Loeb, Jean Todt, the Princesses Prestige Rally, Le Mans, Lotus F1, Felipe Massa and Romain Grosjean to name but a few. This passion for mechanics is not so much fuelled by the brand as by the man, Richard Mille himself, who is car crazy. The company's ambassador model therefore relies on his personal friendships. Nevertheless, even as the brand has developed, Richard Mille has retained these essentially friendly ties with ambassadors.

Since 2012, Pablo Mac Donough has also embodied this esprit de corps. "Richard and I met through a mutual friend who is also a very good Argentinian player" explains the champion. If that was the case, why did the relationship not develop with this friend rather than with Mac Donough?"."Because I am professional and he is amateur. For Richard, that was what made the difference."
And for the Argentinian rider as well it would appear - because in his day, he was also widely sought-after, notably by Rolex with whom he still enjoys an excellent relationship, thanks to his wife who was an employee. One might well also imagine him being approached Jaeger-LeCoultre whose Reverso has embodied the polo spirit for 85 years. Fate however smiled on Richard Mille and the idea proved immediately worthwhile in that Mac Donough's season encompasses quarter-years divided between Dubai, England and Argentina - thus ensuring multiple representations at close quarters on these markets targeted by the brand.

Mutual trust
At the end of the day, discretion is a quality that Richard Mille shares with polo. "I am not as well- known as Rafael Nadal and polo is not as popular as tennis, but Richard Mille is also relatively less known than some brands. We understand each other. I like not being just a number in a big commercial machine" says Pablo Mac Donough.
Under the rays of the setting sun over the Polo Club Saint-Tropez, one could almost forget to talk about his RM 053 Tourbillon. "Oh, there's not much to say," says Pablo Mac Donough. "In the very beginning, three years ago, I lost a watch hand. Richard's team put it back. Since then nothing has ever gone wrong and I wear it every day." That has to be the best possible 'customer testimonial… from a friend.

Our Venezuelan contributor Rafael Fernandez was astonished at the efficiency of the Swiss customs when he arrived at Zurich airport to cover Baselworld. He and his wife were politely screened at the airport and asked whether they were carrying any watches. Like any self-respecting watch journalist, Rafael had brought with him a small collection to last him through the show, which he offered for inspection. He was impressed when the customs official could instantly tell from the serial number of his Rolex that it had indeed been shipped originally to his home country of Venezuela.

Last week I discovered that this highly knowledgeable "customs inspector" was in fact one of the Swiss Watchmaking Industry Federation's team of roving experts, who were stationed at the cargo and passenger terminals at Basel and Zurich airports and prowling the halls of Baselworld during the show, looking for violations of the Swiss Made label, misleading customs declarations and breaches of trademark law. With the kind permission of the Federation Horlogere we have just reproduced the detailed report on this highly coordinated surveillance operation.

We also delve behind the scenes of another story this week, as Olivier Muller reveals the secret history of Carl F. Bucherer's Patravi TravelTec model, which ultimately led to the brand becoming a genuine manufacture. The leading figures of the industry continue to share their thoughts with WorldTempus. After today's profile of Longines CEO Walter von Känel, Bulgari's Guido Terreni and Romain Gauthier take the floor later on this week.

WordTempus: What sets Ball watches apart from the competition?

Daniel Alioth: Ball Watch has always been linked to the history of railways and the establishment of railroad standard time but nowadays we communicate around the kind of exploration that was first made possible by the railways connecting the world.
If you take a piece such as the one Olivier Muller tested on his trip, you can see that it is extremely robust, shock-resistant and has very masculine qualities. We are not afraid of saying that we have a collection that is 95 per cent masculine.
Unlike many brands who work exclusively on developing the movement, we work on both the interior and the exterior, aiming to improve precision by eliminating the impact of factors that can affect it, such as shocks and magnetism. We have a reputation for working a lot on cases. If we consider the two major new launches this year, the Slide Chronograph and the Magneto S, both have patented improvements to the case.

Tell us more about the new Magneto S…
With the Magneto we worked on the anti-magnetic properties of the case. We did not want to enter the titanic battle in which Omega and Rolex are already engaged and we felt that the customer is already a little lost when we start to talk about resistance to magnetic fields (or even sometimes about water resistance). We like to remain down to earth and honest.
The concept of an anti-magnetic watch is not something new. The Rolex Milgauss has been around for a decade, I think. What we wanted to do was introduce a more playful element to it. The idea behind the Magneto S was for the customer to understand the concept of anti-magnetism by playing with the watch.

What are the important markets for Ball Watch Co.?
Asia is by far our biggest market, with the USA in second place. But we have done things a little differently. A lot of brands started with their Swiss Made philosophy and initially targeted Europe, then expanded to Asia and the USA. We are an American brand but with a philosophy that remains very Swiss. So the idea was to redevelop the brand in the USA and take a bet on Asia long before other brands.
We have been present in Asia since the early 2000s so for us it is an established market. It may sound surprising, but our investment to develop the brand is now being made in Europe, Russia and the Middle East.

And what about the local market in Mexico?
As you may have seen the level of watchmaking knowledge here is very high. But there is also an important aspect related to notoriety. Customers have a high purchasing power and not only do they want something different, they often want something that meets their needs for a mechanical watch but is perhaps not as well known. I had a customer here who purchased a watch from me because it was less well-known than some of the bigger brands and he was worried that if he wore one of the more recognizable brands he would be exposing himself to robbers.

What can we expect from Ball Watch Co. over the next twelve months?
This year we worked on anti-shock and anti-magnetism. I think next year we will continue along these lines but perhaps adding other functions. We will also work on reducing the size of some of our robust watches and adding the Magneto function to a chronograph, for example.

Undoubtedly besieged by newsdesks from all over the world, the green giant with the crown thus decided to react with these two sentences sent to the media: "Rolex confirms the arrival of Jean-Frederic Dufour, current CEO of Zenith, to ROLEX SA to take over the direction at a date still to be determined, and in agreement with the company's standing CEO, Gian Riccardo Marini. All other communication will be released in due course."

This is a big surprise in industry circles, since nobody expected Jean-Frederic Dufour to leave Zenith in the middle of its resurgence, nor Rolex to change managing director again so soon. Under the influence of the man from Geneva, Zenith had once again started to experience b growth. One of the symbols of this new direction was Zenith's sponsorship in 2012 of the fastest man in the world, Felix Baumgartner, the famous adventurer who broke the speed of sound in freefall from a capsule on the edge of space at an altitude of 39,000 metres.

After the stars of Zenith, the loyal captain of Jean-Claude Biver (the boss of LVMH's watchmaking activities) now sets sail for the crown of Rolex. A yachtsman in his free time, he will undoubtedly be looking forward to attending a few stops on the Rolex circuit, since this brand is one of the most heavily involved in sailing with events on all oceans from January through to December.

In what is either a coincidence in career paths or a genuine acknowledgement of the "Chopard school", Jean-Frederic Dufour will be bumping into his former colleague from Chopard, Philippe Peverelli, once again in the corridors, since he heads up Tudor, the other brand in the Rolex group. From Le Locle to Geneva is a small step for a commuter but from Zenith to Rolex is a giant leap for its boss.
 

Having a passion for a job is wonderful but it can make us lose touch with… reality. Exactly: we in the watch media are spoiled by constantly reporting on extraordinary creations and stratospheric masterpieces that can be worth the same as a penthouse in a major European city or a luxury yacht; sometimes we get to test many of them, but we can seldom afford most of those dream watches. In my case, I'm frequently pulled back to Earth by friends wanting me to write about "regular watches for ordinary people" or asking me for advice regarding the purchase of a good mechanical timepiece with a price tag between 1,000 and 2,000 euros - and even though there are several brands capable of providing a nice product in that range, there aren't many affordable ones exuding icon status and capable of capturing your imagination. I would say the Eterna KonTiki Automatic Date is one of them.

I must confess to being emotionally attached to Eterna's KonTiki line since I acknowledged it existed, because in my youth I read Thor Heyerdahl's book on his 1947 saga across the Pacific on a primitive balsa raft (christened KonTiki, 'God of Sun') just to prove an anthropological point of view. During that journey, the Norwegian ethnographer and his five-man crew chose to wear Eterna watches on their wrists, specifically commissioned to endure the sternest tests. In 1958, Eterna adopted the KonTiki name for its most rugged line of timepieces as a homage to the 101-day oceanic odyssey; since then, there have been many Eterna models (and many cocktail bars around the world!) bearing the KonTiki label - including some more attractive than others, a few remarkable ones and a couple of forgettable versions. The Eterna KonTiki Automatic Date, first launched in 2008, is definitely one that stands out for both its price point (around 1,600 Euro on a steel bracelet) and its looks, which are reminiscent of the 1958 original.

Compared to the first KonTiki, the KonTiki Automatic Date is naturally bigger - with a 42-millimeter case that sits rather well even on midsize wrists. It emulates many elements of style of the 1950s and can be compared to another timepiece that I consider to be the essential Rolex: the Explorer, whose origins are contemporary to the Eterna KonTiki and tied to another famous explorer. Legend says Sir Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first men on top of Everest in 1953 and specifically prepared Rolexes were part of the expedition, inspiring the 1957 model christened Explorer that was last updated in 2010 with a 39mm version (ref. 214270). It also features a black dial that gives prominence to a luminous triangle (at 12 0'clock), whereas the typical Eterna KonTiki boasts four (at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock).

I bring the Rolex Explorer into comparison not only because of certain similarities in style and origin, but also because of the price. Not to mention the famous quotes associated with their famous owners: it is said that Sir Edmund Hillary, when questioned why he escalated the Everest, answered "because it is there", whereas Thor Heyerdahl once stated "Borders I have never seen one. But I have heard they exist in the minds of some people". And also because I happen to know the Explorer and the KonTiki Date quite well, having taken both to an iPhonographic photo session at the picturesque Cresmina Beach near Cascais, in the outskirts of Lisbon. Of course, the Explorer exudes Rolex's overall quality and the remarkable in-house automatic caliber 3132 - but, at round 5,500 Euro, it costs over three times more than the Eterna KonTiki Date. Granted, 1,600 euros can still be a big sum for a lot of people in a crisis-ridden Europe, but it sounds about right for a quality product from an historic Swiss brand - a start-up watch for those moving on to mechanical watches, a 'beater' for aficionados who have more expensive timepieces but wish to have a sturdier one to knock around.

I love the steel case of the KonTiki Date and how it combines with the metal bracelet. The size is perfect, whereas I would like the Explorer to be a tad bigger (a mere 1mm would do!). The finishing is quite fine, with polished touches contrasting with the dominant brushed surface. The dial center bears an engraved outline of Raroia (the Polynesian atoll where the KonTiki arrived after the epic 4,300 nautical-mile journey), surrounded by the emblematic luminous triangles under the four numbered hours and strips of luminous compound. Like in every KonTiki timepiece, the case back is identified by an engraved medallion of the iconic raft. The movement is an automatic Sellita SW200, inspired by an ETA caliber (and Eterna had historic ties to ETA in the past, having perfected the ball bearing system for the rotors in 1948).

Right now, the regular KonTiki collection includes the 42mm KonTiki Date available in several dial colors and also on rubber and leather straps besides the metal bracelet; the 40mm KonTiki Four-Hands, with an analogical flange calendar framing a centerpiece inscribed with ancient runic characters; the 44mm KonTiki Four-Hands XXL that also carries a pointer-type date display; the 42mm Chronograph, an exercise in style on how to use the emblematic triangular areas on the dial in spite of the counters; and the fabulous Heritage Super KonTiki 1973, a faithful reedition of a Seventies model adopted by the Israeli secret services.

But stay tuned! In a couple of days, Eterna will introduce new KonTiki versions at Baselworld, further affirming its ties with one of the most significant anthropological expeditions of modern times. The Grenchen-based brand will also confirm the launch of the Royal Kon-Tiki Two Time Zones, unveiled last year and equipped with the first of 88 possible variants of the new in-house Caliber 39. Thor Heyerdahl's legacy continues to inspire Eterna. And myself.

On 11 May 2013, Sotheby's Geneva first Saturday auction of Important Watches will present worldwide collectors with a rich selection of over 400 horological creations. Covering two centuries of watch history, the sale has been curated to include some of the finest timepieces from the 19th century through the present day. The impressive group of vintage and modern wristwatches is led by renowned manufacturers, such as Rolex and Patek Philippe, as well as timeless legendary models, such as the IWC Ingenieur and Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, which have been constantly reinvented over the past several decades.
 

Highlights of the sale include a very fine example of the reference 5029 by Patek Philippe from 1997 (est. CHF 350,000-450,000/ $371,000-477,000), the No.10 Royal Oak Chronograph Leo Messi sold to benefit the Leo Messi Foundation, as well as an entire section dedicated to rare vintage examples and limited editions of the Ingenieur watch, tracing almost 50 years of its history. The group of vintage wristwatches is also highlighted by illustrious provenance, with two Patek Philippe timepieces that belonged to Georges Simenon (1903-1989) - the masterly Belgian novelist whose Inspector Maigret Mysteries made him one of the most widely published authors of the 20th century. The total sale is expected to achieve in excess of CHF 6.5 million. 

On 13 May 2013, Christie's Geneva will present its Spring auction of Important Watches. The sale is expected to achieve in excess of US$15 million.

Christie's is particularly proud to announce the highlight of the sale: a newly rediscovered, historically important and probably unique, white gold, perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases and leap-year, ref. 3448, manufactured by Patek Philippe in 1981, which carries a pre-sale estimate of SFr.800,000-1,400,000 (US$850,000-1,500,000/ €670,000-1,200,000).

The rich and varied catalogue will also include the most valuable and historically important selection of vintage Rolex wristwatches ever to be offered in a Christie's auction, highlighted by an extraordinarily rare, oversized stainless steel split seconds chronograph wristwatch, ref. 4113, manufactured in 1942 (estimate: SFr.700,000-1,200,000 / US$740,000-1,300,000/ €590,000-1,000,000). Christie's is international market leader in the field of vintage Rolex wristwatches.

Aurel Bacs, International Director of Christie's Watch Department: „The upcoming Geneva sale is a treat for scholars, historians and collectors, but most importantly for all those with a passion for the highest quality collector's watches. I can hardly remember an auction featuring over 100 Patek Philippe watches and, simultaneously, also offering over 100 of the world's finest and rarest Rolex timepieces. These two celebrated Geneva names are the most recognized in the field of wristwatch collecting and for the market this auction promises to be the main event in Europe this coming season. Our team of specialists has applied unforgivingly rigid standards when hand-selecting the finest watches from the world's most important private collections. We are also very proud to offer numerous significant watches, never before shown or offered publicly, directly from the original owner's families. With estimates ranging from SFr.1,000 to over SFr.1,000,000, the only common denominator of all the 360 watches is their uncompromised quality.

Patek Philippe : A Rediscovery
Christie's is proud to announce the exciting discovery of a historically important and probably unique, white gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases and leap-year, ref. 3448, manufactured by Patek Philippe in 1981 (estimate: SFr.800,000-1,400,000 / US$850,000-1,500,000/ €670,000-1,200,000). This extraordinary example is most likely the first ever wristwatch by Patek Philippe featuring a leap year indication, besides prototypes. Perpetual calendar wristwatches manufactured by the maker did not include such an indication until 1982, with the introduction of reference 3450. Therefore, the present watch, indicating 1, 2, 3 and a red dot (for the leap year) during the 4 year cycle, constitutes a spectacular discovery to the world of watch collectors and scholars alike. Presented in mint condition, it also benefits from an ultra-rare white gold case enhancing the beauty of the celebrated "padellone" design. Coming from the property of the family of its original owner and previously unknown to the public, this watch has never been offered on the market before. Amongst the highlights on offer is another Patek Philippe gem: an important and extremely rare platinum dress watch with perpetual calendar and moon phases, ref. 725/2, movement no. 930710, manufactured in 1947. (estimate: SFr.250,000-350,000 / US$270,000-370,000/ €210,000-290,000). Considered to be one of the world's most beautiful complicated pocket watches of post-war production, this example is offered in virtually mint, unworn and unpolished condition.

A Gentleman's Pursuit for Excellence part II
A superb private collection of complicated Patek Philippe wristwatches and pocket watches
Following the success of Part I of A Gentleman's Pursuit For Excellence, which was offered at Christie's Geneva in November 2012, we are delighted to announce the sale of the second part of this superb private collection of complicated Patek Philippe wristwatches and pocket watches. Equally sophisticated, Part II displays a great selection of some of the most beautiful and rare wristwatches ever manufactured by Patek Philippe. One of the most precious pieces from this section of the sale is a very rare gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, ref. 2499/100, manufactured in 1981 by Patek Philippe (estimate: SFr.250,000-350,000 / US$ 270,000-370,000 / €210,000-290,000). Widely considered by collectors as the last, true vintage complicated wristwatch ever created by Patek Philippe, the production of reference 2499 started in the early 1950s.
Further highlighting Part II is a probably unique gold open face two-train trip minute repeating pocket watch by Patek Philippe, ref. 841, its movement manufactured in 1909 and encased in 1963 (estimate: SFr.100,000-150,000 / US$110,000-160,000/ €85,000-120,000). This watch features the rare and desirable tandem wound two-train movement, one for the going and one for the repeating work.
Traditionally, the repeating mechanism of a watch is activated by pushing a slide in the case band, thus winding and releasing it at the same time. The train of a trip repeater is wound in conjunction with the going train and released at will through a button in the crown. The advantages of this system are the clean lines of the case, the enhanced dust resistance and most importantly, permitting the owner the activation of the repeat train many times at will from only one winding.

The most important selection of Rolex vintage wristwatches ever offered in a Christie's auction
An extraordinarily rare, oversized stainless steel split seconds chronograph wristwatch, ref. 4113, manufactured in 1942 (estimate: SFr.700,000-1,200,000; US$ 740,000-1,300,000/ € 590,000-1,000,000), is the highlight of the richest selection of Rolex vintage watches ever offered in a Christie's auction, including some 115 Rolex timepieces overall. Being the firm's one and only ever produced split seconds chronograph wristwatch model, reference 4113 is considered the rarest and most exclusive Rolex ever created. Impressing with its unique case shape and size, it has a substantial diameter of 44 mm which surpasses all other Rolex chronographs by at least half a centimeter in size. Furthermore, its case design is unique in the family of Rolex chronographs with a bezel as thin as technically possible, allowing a dial size nearly as big as the entire case, resulting in an impressive level of legibility. The history of reference 4113 has always been the subject of speculation and legends, although all of these speculations have led to the world of car racing. The vast majority of reference 4113, which have returned to the market during the last thirty years was linked to Sicily, home of the famous "Giro Automobilistico di Sicilia", with its 11,000 bands, at the time the longest closed circuit race in Europe.
The roll call of impressive vintage Rolex wristwatches continues with an extremely fine and probably unique gold chronograph Daytona wristwatch, Paul Newman model, ref. 6241, manufactured in 1968 and retailed by Hermes (estimate: SFr.200,000-300,000 / US$ 220,000-420,000/ €170,000-330,000). The rarity of this lot is marked by the stamp of the Hermes brand on the back of the watch, to date the only Rolex Daytona known to exist retailed by Hermes Paris: a pairing of the world's most mythical names. This fact is confirmed by the Hermes archives and the watch is prominently published in key literature.
Further highlights include one of the historically most important watches ever made by Rolex, the Zerographe reference 3346. Considered a crossover between a Rolex bubble back watch and Rolex chronograph, Zerographe reference 3462 marks a turning point in Rolex history. Probably never made beyond a small number of prototypes, this reference is the foundation of Rolex's future developments. Notably, it launched the success story of Oyster chronographs, culminating with the Daytona, but also sports watches with revolving bezels, later to become the world-famous Turnograph and Submariner families. Zerographe reference 3346 was the first Oyster chronograph model produced by Rolex and furthermore the first to be powered by an in-house movement. What made the movement so special was the addition of a return-to-zero or fly-back mechanism. The present Zerographe is preserved in award-winning condition and fascinates by virtue of its sharp outlines, the very crisp milling on the bezel rim and back, the perfectly sharp writing on the back and the well-preserved markings on the bezel. (estimate: SFr.250,000-350,000 /US$ 270,000-370,000/ €210,000-290,000).

 
The Palladio collection part I
Complementing the sale, Christie's is pleased to offer Part I of a Private Collection of stainless steel Rolex Chronographs, composed of 10 timepieces dating from the late 1920s to the 1960s. The top lot of the collection is a rare stainless steel triple calendar chronograph wristwatch with luminous numerals and hands, ref. 4767, manufactured circa 1948 by Rolex (estimate: SFr.120,000-180,000 / US$130,000/190,000 / €100,000-150,000). The present watch is an outstanding example of this reference, the first Oyster-series triple calendar chronograph model ever presented by Geneva's "crowned" watch manufacturer. Known to have been made in an exceedingly limited series, original and unspoilt examples of this landmark model are extremely rare. In fact, the present reference 4767 is distinguished by its beautiful original dial, and enhanced by the rarity of the luminous numerals and hands.

Contemporary timepieces
Christie's will also offer a very b selection of limited contemporary collector's watches from the most important manufacturers. This section of the sale is highlighted by an extremely rare stainless steel wristwatch with oversized date and power reserve Lange 1, which is one of only three examples of this model known in stainless steel by A. Lange & Söhne (estimate: SFr.50,000-100,000 / US$53,000-110,000/ €42,000-83,000). Introduced in 1994, Lange 1 is the first Lange watch of the new era and represents a culmination of what connoisseurs of fine watches associate with the legendary "A. Lange & Söhne" heritage. The present stainless steel version is especially appreciated by watch purists as the simplicity of the case material enhances the beauty of the movement. The stainless steel version of this model was never available to the public.

Sold for the benefit of Children Action
Christie's is honored to have been chosen to auction a superb selection of ten contemporary Patek Philippe wristwatches. An anonymous gentleman collector has consigned these watches from his personal collection and will donate the proceeds to benefit Children Action, a Swiss Foundation aiming to bring help to children in need, regardless of their nationality, race, or religion. All the timepieces from this collection will be offered without reserve, with the global estimate ranging from SFr.450,000 to SFr.700,000. The highlight from this section of the sale is a fine, white gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, leap year and day and night indication, ref. 5270, manufactured by Patek Philippe circa 2011 (estimate: SFr.100,000-150,000 / US$110,000-160,000/ €85,000-120,000). Considered as the "top of the line" of Patek Philippe production, reference 5270 can only be obtained after considerable delay due to a long waiting list. As a "perpetual calendar chronograph", this is the legitimate successor of Patek Philippe's famous family including reference 1518, 2449, 3970 and 5970.

WORLDTEMPUS - 20 August 2012
When I am evaluating the condition of a watch, I always examine the case's lugs for thickness and uniformity. With experience after studying lots of watches, you will learn what a case looks like before it is refinished. For example: on complicated Patek Philippe models, especially perpetual calendar chronographs starting with the second-series 2499 models, the lugs have steps. Study these watches closely to learn what the steps look like when they are new. Stay away from cases with soft lugs or request a deep discount for a soft case. The metal can never again be made whole once it is polished away.
In the previous three parts of this series, we have learned that the dial is the most important and valuable part of a vintage watch. Accordingly, the condition of the dial is paramount. Ideally, there will be no imperfections like flaking paint, no rust, or missing applied pieces. Many vintage watch dials have lacquer on them; after many years lacquer can craze or crack. This is actually a desirable effect on some watches like the glossy dial of the Rolex 5513 Submariner. Spotting on a dial that is a few decades or more in age is normal, and as long as it doesn't detract from your enjoyment of the watch, it is normally acceptable. The hands, usually included with the dial in grading condition, are frequently in different condition than the dial. Oxidation or pitting can often be found on hands. If there is luminous substance on the hands, it can be cracked or have completely fallen out. In this regard, original hands, regardless of their condition, are more valuable than replacement hands, even if the latter are like new.

In terms of dial condition, there are some specific discolorations that enhance the value of the watch. Most common is patina, which is the word used for something whose color changes over time. The luminous hour markers on Rolex dials are the most useful example. Study the dials of, say, Reference 5513 Submariners. You will find hour markers from snow white (no patina) to deep butterscotch color. The important thing, in terms of value, is that the patina is uniform across all luminous elements. Another permutation in hue is the so called Color Change (or "Patrizzi") dials on the Rolex 16520 Daytona models. This only occurs on the black dials and, specifically, on the chapter rings around the subdials. Originally, the chapter rings were white or pale silver. Some, over time, develop a brown coloration. For many collectors, this is a pleasing effect and makes the watch more valuable. Incidentally, dials with a propensity for having chapter rings turn brown usually also have an inverted 6 on the chronograph hour totalizer subdial. One last example of a desirable color change is the Rolex Explorer II reference number 16550, whose white dials have turned to a deep cream color.

Bracelets hopefully stand the test of time without stretching or losing links, however this is not as important as replacement bracelets are usually fairly easy to find, though likely expensive. Nothing is more personally disgusting than a used strap, much less a really old used strap. A new strap is preferred, as no one likes to wear a strap that someone else has sweated on. An exception to this is certain vintage pilot's watches with special straps or even ankle straps, which are basically almost as historic as the watch itself.
The last variable in determining the value of a vintage watch is provenance: the old "box and papers" thing. Without exception or qualification, it is always better to get as many of the elements that were originally delivered with the watch as possible. For many high-end vintage watches, the presence of the original box, documents and other paraphernalia can enhance the value of the watch by as much as 25 to 35 percent.
Interestingly, what was given out with the watch was often different depending on where in the world the watch was purchased. Let's face it, we all like to get as much as possible for our money, and the goodies and extras are important and quite valuable. The original guarantee or chronometer certificate for a watch also proves authenticity. There is an active market for vintage watch boxes, product booklets, hang tags and the like. Buyer beware, however: these items can also be faked. You can never be too careful in learning about the paraphernalia, what to look for to know if you are looking at genuine artifacts or fakes.
A final thought when it comes to finding a watch with its original elements: the original owner and perhaps subsequent owners who cared enough to keep the watch and its things together was probably an owner who took good care of the watch itself. Easily 90 percent of vintage watches have no box and papers, so finding a complete package is rare, exciting and valuable. Good luck!

Related stories:

COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (1)
COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (2)
COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (3)

WORLDTEMPUS - 16 August 2012

Dials deserve special mention when talking about the originality of vintage watches because, in my opinion, an original dial comprises approximately half to three-quarters of the watch's overall value. For example, a vintage Rolex Daytona with a normal original dial is worth only half of the same watch with an original Paul Newman dial. A Rolex Submariner from the 1950s with its original unmodified dial is worth double the same watch with a later Rolex replacement dial. Naturally, very few such early watches survive to this day with original perfect-condition dials, but such pristine original dials exist. These perfect watches command a substantial price premium over watches with degraded, but otherwise original, dials. Degraded original dials command more value than OEM (original equipment maker) replacement dials.

I mentioned last week how dials can be modified for aesthetic or functional reasons - known in the jargon as re-painted, as re-dialed, re-lumed, etc. - and dials that fall into this category have the least value. Fake dials, fairly prevalent on otherwise valuable original watches, have no value and are considered a serious demerit to the watch for obvious reasons. However, the other real parts of the watch have value, which is to be remembered for the serious collector who may have a collection of original parts accumulated over many years, which he or she can combine to form a watch comprising all original parts. So-called "put-together" watches are less than optimal because they are not original. As the years go by, however, and parts and/or entire watches get damaged, discarded or become otherwise unavailable, these spare original parts can result in a complete original watch that would otherwise be a broken or less-than-original watch. 

It's not surprising that the dial is the most important part of the watch because the dial is how the wearer interacts with the watch. A compromise with the dial is a compromise in the enjoyment of the watch, and ultimately in its value.
Cases and movements are also often less than completely original and, again, this can be for various reasons. Both are still critical factors in arriving at the value of a watch, however. Ideally, both the entirety of the case and movement will be original. Hopefully, the movement will have been serviced over the years and be running. If the movement needed or needs parts, OEM parts are preferred. However, the bottom line is that the watch is running. An original movement with some non-original parts is preferred to a broken movement that doesn't run. In more complicated watches, especially vintage Rolex Daytonas, the movements are sometimes not original. Vintage Daytonas were powered by Valjoux movements that were commonly found in other quality chronographs of the era. A vintage Daytona may have the Valjoux movement numbers 72B, 722, 722-1 or 727. Rolex made their own modifications to these movements and, of course, engraved the bridges. Given the value of vintage Daytonas, resourceful crooks have "put together" vintage Daytonas using real Valjoux movements from non-Rolex watches (without the Rolex modifications or with faked modifications), and a combination of other real or faked parts. Watch cases are not usually counterfeited, but you may find a Universal Geneve case masquerading as a Daytona case.

One other point needs to be made about cases and movements: Rolex stocks replacement cases and replacement movements for watches received for servicing with irretrievably compromised parts. These cases often have a distinct serial number starting with the numeral 44. Likewise, the movement in a vintage watch may be a replacement movement if the original was rusted or somehow destroyed. Knowing which movements belong in which watch is a matter of experience and building an excellent resource library; so many part numbers can get confusing for anyone.
The condition of the watch is the next most important variable in determining the watch's value, and sellers grade condition. Some sellers will use a number scale with 100 percent condition meaning the watch is as perfect as new. Other sellers use words like mint, mint+, near mint, excellent, etc. I like to believe most sellers make an honest attempt to describe their watches accurately. Not surprisingly, the seller often describes the condition of the watch more optimistically than the buyer will describe it once receiving it. So if you are buying a watch, make the guarded assumption that the seller's condition assessment is probably optimistic.
Obviously, the better the condition of the watch, the more valuable it is. As such, there are some specific things to pay attention to and there are tradeoffs. Every collector has to decide what is most important to him or her in this regard.

Specifically, when a watch case leaves a factory it is new, shiny and not diminished from being polished. Some collectors put a premium on a watch that has been polished so that its surfaces are clean enough to give the appearance of being like new. Other collectors prioritize originality over appearance. A watch case has a specific finish when it is new, and many watches have a combination of alternating finishes like mirror-polished, matte, sandblasted, or brushed surfaces. If a watch returns to its manufacturer for service, the watchmakers will restore the original finish, which is important. Using Rolex once again as an example, many Oyster cases are brushed on the top surfaces of the case, mirror-polished on the sides, and the case back is mirror-polished on its outer ring and brushed in the center. The center may be concentrically or laterally brushed. Send a watch to Rolex for service and it will come back looking perfect.
However, careless watchmakers have ruined hundreds of thousands of watches by applying a mono-finish when working on a case. I have seen far too many fully mirror-polished Rolex cases and all brush-finished Panerai cases that should have been polished. Fortunately, this is reversible, but remember: each and every time a watch case is polished, metal is eroded and lost forever. Also, check the case for serial and model numbers and other engraving or printing that should be on the watch. All should be crisp and legible. Many cases have been polished to the point where original markings are either illegible or removed altogether. On precious metal watch cases, look to make sure that the metal's hallmarks are present. If you are looking at what appears to be a gold or platinum watch, the case should have hallmarks. Finding a crisp, deep hallmark means the case is both made of the metal it purports to be made from and has only been lightly or never polished.

Related stories:

COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (1)
COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (2)
COLLECTING - Vintage Value Equation (4)

Juan Martín Del Potro had an easier time bringing home the gold at this tournament than perhaps others. It was obvious he felt right at home on the red clay of the Lisbon suburb's courts: disposing of France's Richard Gasquet (number 18 in the ATP rankings) in the finals and Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka (number 21) in the semifinals, the gentle giant put his Rolex Milgauss on his wrist directly after shaking his opponents' hands at every match.

Furthermore, Salomão Kolinski of the retail chain Boutique dos Relógios was on hand to present the winners with timepieces from Omega for the third year running. As Del Potro's Rolex ambassadorship prevented him from wearing other timepieces, he gifted his Seasmaster to the best Portuguese player, João Sousa, who lost to Spain's Albert Ramos in the quarterfinals in a valiant battle.
 

The ladies' champion, Estonia's Kaia Kanepi - currently number 26 in the world - received a ladies' Constellation.

Thomas Perazzi joins Sotheby's from his position as specialist at an auction house specialising in horology. Mr. Perazzi began his career in the industry in 2006, further developing his b interest in Omega and Rolex watches as well as vintage wristwatches made between 1940 and 1970. Mr. Perazzi will strengthen Sotheby's existing team in Europe with his solid expertise and b relations to Italy, a key centre in the watch auction market in Europe.
Commenting on Thomas Perazzi's appointment, Marc Michel-Amadry, Managing Director, Sotheby's Switzerland said: "I am delighted to announce the appointment of Thomas Perrazi as Deputy Director of Sotheby's European Watch Department. Thomas brings to Sotheby's outstanding expertise as well as a thorough understanding of the auction business and the Italian market. His appointment will enhance the company's ability to ensure the best service to watch collectors".
Geoffroy Ader, Head of Watches, Sotheby's Europe, added: "Through his deep knowledge of the vintage and modern wristwatches, Thomas Perazzi will reinforce our existing team in Europe" .
Another b addition to Sotheby's global watch team, Charles Tearle, appointed Director, Head of Watches, Asia, will be based in Hong Kong, working closely with Tim Bourne, Worldwide Head of Watches, as well as an international team of specialists, in driving Sotheby's business in auctions and private sales of watches in Asia.
Together, Mr. Tearle and Mr. Perazzi will further strengthen Sotheby's watch business worldwide by working closely with the international team of watch specialists, reporting to Tim Bourne, Worldwide Head of Watches.

A Timely Perspective - 28 March 2012

Jason Heaton is passionate about diving and has even achieved Rescue Diver Certification. Heaton, who lives in Minneapolis, grew up around Lake Michigan, where there are pristine ship wrecks thanks to the cold water. He has spent years diving in top spots around the world - in water ranging from Lake Michigan to the Honduras, Bonaire, Sri Lanka and even Boston Harbor (a murky site that wasn't his favorite). Heaton has found way to combine his love of diving with real-world dive-watch reviews for a variety of publications. Here he shares his thoughts with Atimelyperspective on what makes a good dive watch.

Jason Heaton somewhere off of Roatan, Honduras, wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Geographic Navy SEALs in rose gold. "Crazy watch in all respects!""The truth is that you don't really need a dive watch today because there are so many other dive instruments you can use, but there is a saying in the dive world that is critical: 'two is one and one is none'. If you have two pieces of equipment, it's like having one, and if you have one, it's like having nothing because anything can happen to a single instrument. You always need backup, and for me, that's a great dive watch," says Heaton.
Several times, Heaton has had to rely only on his watch when diving. In fact, he refers to a trip in Sri Lanka, where a diving buddy's dive computer died. Heaton lent his computer to that diver, and relied on his watch to track his own time and depth.

 Heaton uses his dive watch to track intermediate things he is doing under water, and asserts it's a valuable timing tool, as well. He especially notes that since underwater navigation is tricky, using the watch to time how long you are swimming in one direction, helps you to assess when you need to turn around in order to get back in time before using up air. Thus, says Heaton, the most important feature on a dive watch is a one-way ratcheted bezel for the ability to track elapsed time. Also, in keeping with the ISO dive standards, the watch should be water resistant to at least 100 meters and have minute and hour hands that are distinctively different from each other.
"Additionally, when looking to buy a diver's watch, one really needs to look at the strap. It's the first thing you have to deal with after putting on your wetsuit, so it's good to have a rubber or Velcro strap that fits over the suit, or a quick change bracelet. Divers also want a bezel that's grippy and turns easily enough to set. Luminescence is so important because you need ease of telling time under water, and finally the big clunker watches can get hung up on gear and snagged on things, so a lower profile watch is better."
Among Heaton's favorites: Rolex, Citizen, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Doxa.

This new 18 ct yellow gold version is beautifully enhanced by a dazzling bezel set with 48 brilliant-cut diamonds. Its new champagne colour dial is adorned with eight diamonds and, at 6 and 9 o'clock, 18 ct yellow gold Arabic numerals are each set with 16 rubies. The deliciously whimsical personality of this DATEJUST LADY 31 with all its allure of fine jewellery is paired with the technical qualities proper to every OYSTER.

Distinguished and highly elegant, the Oyster Perpetual LADY-DATEJUST unveils a new facet of its enticing femininity. The 18 ct yellow gold case of this gem for all occasions is exalted by a new champagne colour dial on which a large VI set with 11 rubies delicately and discreetly underlines the precious character of the model. The fluted bezel, a Rolex signature aesthetic feature, reasserts the watch's place in the lineage of the DATEJUST, an emblematic Rolex model which became renowned for its style and horological performance from the moment of its launch in 1945.
Rolex yellow gold
The 18 ct yellow gold of the case and bracelet of these two models is alloyed by Rolex in its own foundry before being shaped in the brand's workshops. Its unique lustre is the result of the extreme care with which it is shaped, machined and finally polished.

The OYSTER case, symbol of waterproofness
The OYSTER case of these two models (31 and 26 mm respectively), guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of proportion and elegance. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of 18 ct gold. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TWINLOCK double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The crystal, with a CYCLOPS lens at 3 o'clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof synthetic sapphire. The waterproof OYSTER case allies refinement with efficiency in protecting the high-precision movement.
Calibre 2235, a superlative chronometer
The DATEJUST LADY 31 and the LADY-DATEJUST are equipped with calibre 2235, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. Like all PERPETUAL movements, the 2235 is a certified Swiss chronometer, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. Its architecture, like that of all Oyster watch movements, makes it singularly precise and reliable.

Comfort, elegance and prestige of the OYSTER and PRESIDENT bracelets
The DATEJUST LADY 31 is fitted with an 18 ct yellow gold OYSTER bracelet with a concealed folding CROWNCLASP. Developed and patented by Rolex, this elegant solid-link bracelet offers remarkable comfort and ease of use. The LADY-DATEJUST model is fitted with an 18 ct yellow gold PRESIDENT bracelet with a concealed folding CROWNCLASP. This prestigious and elegant bracelet with solid semi-circular links is uniquely comfortable to wear and contributes fully to the aesthetics of the watch.

The DATEJUST II continues the tradition of the DATEJUST, the emblematic model created by Rolex in 1945, the first self-winding waterproof wristwatch chronometer to display the date in a window on the dial. A reinterpretation of that symbol of the modern watch, the DATEJUST II inspires admiration with its impressive case and technical attributes.
The OYSTER case, symbol of waterproofness
The DATEJUST II's 41 mm OYSTER case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness. The characteristically shaped middle case is crafted from a solid block of particularly corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The fluted case back is hermetically screwed down with a special tool exclusive to Rolex watchmakers. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TWINLOCK double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The crystal, with a CYCLOPS lens at 3 o'clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof synthetic sapphire. The waterproof OYSTER case allies refinement with efficiency in protecting the DATEJUST II's high-precision movement.

Calibre 3136, a superlative chronometer
The DATEJUST II is equipped with calibre 3136, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. Like all PERPETUAL movements, the 3136 is a certified Swiss chronometer, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests. Its architecture, like that of all OYSTER watch movements, makes it singularly precise and reliable. The oscillator, the true heart of the watch, has a blue PARACHROM hairspring patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive alloy. Insensitive to magnetic fields, the PARACHROM hairspring offers great stability when exposed to temperature variations and remains up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks. The oscillator is fitted between high-performance PARAFLEX shock absorbers, patented by Rolex, which offer 50 per cent greater resistance to shocks.

Comfort and elegance of the OYSTER bracelet
This DATEJUST II model is fitted with a 904L steel OYSTER bracelet with a folding OYSTERCLASP. Developed and patented by Rolex, this elegant solid-link bracelet offers remarkable comfort and ease of use. It also features the ingenious EASYLINK rapid extension system that allows the wearer to easily increase the bracelet length by approximately 5 mm, for additional comfort in any circumstance.

The present Rolex ref. 5513, modified by the famous Q Branch, is certainly the most memorable Submariner to appear in movies and must be considered a veritable trophy not only for the watch aficionado but also for the amateurs of cinematography and of James Bond in general.

Especially designed for James Bond to be worn during 007''s mission in Live and Let Die, it was created in 1972 by the world-famous film production designer Syd Cain.
Featuring not only a bezel spinning at high speed to cut ropes and chains, in the movie it also bore an ultra-b magnet which was supposed to neutralize bullets but was, instead, used by 007 to unzip Ms. Solitaire's dress.
The lot will be sold together with an original construction drawing and two signed images from the set (estimate: SFr. 200,000 - 400,000).

WORLDTEMPUS - 24 October 2011

It was hard to imagine the watch industry before George Daniels, and it will be hard to imagine this place now that he has left it: Daniels was nothing if not an iridescent figure, often setting the tone of good horological taste behind the scenes.
This might be hard for newcomers to imagine today since Daniels only created a total of 37 watches - pocket watches, no less - in addition to a series of 50 wristwatches completed together with protege Roger Smith called Millennium as well as the beginning of the collaborative venture with him introduced last year. As avid followers of horological history will know, the Omega base caliber powering the 50 Millennium timepieces held special meaning. Daniels was, of course, the inventor of the co-axial escapement that is now utilized in every single Omega wristwatch.
 

A true expert
Though Daniels began his professional life after serving his country in World War II with the proverbial 50 quid in his pocket - just enough to buy his first set of tools, as the story goes - his drive, ambition and enormous talent made him a very wealthy man. Some of his fortune was acquired by buying and selling precious vintage pieces and selling 35 of his own unique pocket watches, but most of it came from selling what was to become his most famous invention to the Swatch Group.
No two of Daniels' creations were ever completely alike. The next watch was always undertaken because Daniels had another idea to try out, another escapement to experiment with or desired other functions. He invented the co-axial escapement in 1975, but did not patent his perfected design until 1980. After a long search that involved talks with both Patek Philippe and Rolex over the course of a decade and a half, Daniels eventually sold the design to Omega, who needed almost another decade to bring it to serial fruition. Though the patent has now run out, no other watch brands use the co-axial aside from Omega and Smith, who has adapted it for use in his own masterfully crafted timepieces, which also contain other traditional elements of English watchmaking.
 

Personal memories
When I entered the watch industry, I had no idea who Daniels was. I soon read his opus "Watchmaking" (which was recently republished by Watchprint) in order to learn the basics. However, it was only after becoming friends with various independent watchmakers - predominately members of the AHCI - that I began to understand his place in our industry. One year at Basel, one of them even stood in line at the Omega booth in order to get his own copy of "Watchmaking" signed by the master - and couldn't stop beaming at the chance to meet his idol. Tellingly, François-Paul Journe also worshipped Daniels, even going so far as to present him with one of his own watches last year. For my own part, I found myself fairly well in awe in the presence of Dr. Daniels (he was presented with an honorary title later in life). His technical and industry insights and knowledge were eternally enlightening.
 

George Daniels passed away at his estate on the Isle of Man following complications arising from hip replacement surgery at the age of 85. A funeral is expected to be held on the Isle of Man in about two weeks' time. Fans of Daniels will be pleased to know that a biography written by Michael Clerizo with the current working title "George Daniels: A Master Watchmaker and His Work" is due to be published next fall.
George Daniels, A Master Watchmaker & His Art
FRENCH VERSION (216 Pages • 240 ill. • Format : 29.5 x 29.5 cm. Price : CHF 160.00 • € 140.00).
ENGLISH VERSION (216 Pages • 240 ill. • Format : 29.5 x 29.5 cm. Price : CHF 105.00 • € 93.00).
 

Rumor has it that the new Rolex Explorer II was ready for presentation in 2010, but that Rolex did not present this new face-lifted version of the sporty watch until 2011 - 40 years after the first Explorer II was launched.
For many years, Rolex has been respected as well as ridiculed for its conservative approach to case sizes: 40 millimeters seemed to be the biggest case diameter offered in the sports collection. In the last few years, we have seen more and more models with a tendency toward growth: Yacht-Master II and Sea-Dweller DeepSea both come in a case of 44 millimeter diameters, and now the Explorer II also offers a diameter of 42 millimeter.
The Explorer II has never been the most popular reference made by the famed Swiss watch brand. The Submariner and GMT models have been the favored siblings, but even these two models still offer a moderate case diameter of 40 millimeters. Maybe Rolex wanted to push needed attention towards the Explorer II, hence the extra two millimeters?
 

Large watch
42 millimeters may seem like a large watch. However, since many parts and details of the new reference have grown, the visual size does not seem that radical. The case, hands, crown and hour markers are in other words dimensionally on par with the new case diameter. Visually, that is.
Wearing the watch, however, does challenge the visual impression. The Explorer II is a large watch. Comparing this to Reference 1655 or Reference 16570, which came out even later, the size difference is almost shocking. As mentioned, this will please those who have not yet bought a Rolex because they thought the watches looked too puny on their wrists.
Inspired by the past
One of the obvious details on the new Explorer II is of course the orange 24-hour hand. "Freccione," as Italian Rolex collectors long ago named this hand, means "arrow". This is a feature taken directly from the Reference 1655 Explorer II launched in 1971. The 24-hour hand was not separately adjustable on the early version, though. It merely functioned as an AM/PM indicator. However, bezel design looks more like the bezel of the short-lived Reference 16550 that was introduced in 1985 and face-lifted already four years later.
 

Phantom hands
The hands of the new Explorer II sport a so-called phantom effect, which means the lower part of the hour and minute hand is painted black. This little detail makes the hands look like they float free of the arbor. This works well on the black dial version, and merely represents a great contrast on the white dial version.
Latest movement update
Reference 216570 is outfitted with Caliber 3187, which features the latest technical updates like Paraflex shock absorbers and the non-magnetic Parachrom hairspring, which "ensures unparallel reliability, and shock resistance," according to Rolex.
 

White dial winner
The white dial version, even if it does not correspond perfectly to the 1971 version that was only offered with a black dial, gets my vote as favorite of the two dial versions. The b, graphic black/white contrast makes it stand out as this watch brand really does not offer a lot of white-dial sports watches. Actually, only the Daytona and Yacht-Master II come with a white dial, but the GMT, Submariner and Yacht-Master models do not.
Oldies but goodies
This said, I admit to favor not only Reference 1655, but also the 16550 or even the 16570. Not only due to their case diameters of "only" 40 millimeters, but also because these earlier versions have a more tool-ish approach to horology. And this is, after all, where the Explorer II started - as an instrument watch for cave explorers.
Rolex Explorer II Reference 216570 is offered with black or white dial and has a suggested retail price of 6,400 euros.
 

Limited edition of only 2,000 copies. Attached are the updated estimates of all Rolex Milgauss, Explorer I, Explorer II, Turn-O-Graph and Yacht-Master watches. Together with "Rolex Submariner Story", it is the world's biggest book on Rolex watches.

BUY

"Collecting Rolex Milgauss, Explorer I, Explorer II, Turn-O-Graph and Yacht-Master" represents a new adventure, a journey through these models which nobody has yet "Explored" in such depth.

ORDER BOOK

After the great success of the first edition "Collecting Rolex GMT-MASTER wristwatches", now sold out, Mondani Editor has decided to publish a second version which also presents the models produced in recent years, in order to give the information which has become essential today for buying and selling GMT-Master watches and to improve the contents of the preceding edition.
 

Some of the questions a collector asks himself nowadays are:
- Are the aluminium bezel inserts of the ref. 6542 coeval?
- Is there a way to know if the bezel has been replaced?
- The ref. 1675 in stainless steel has been created with the possibility to fit two bezels: red/blue and black?
Thanks to the in depth study, this edition helps to dispel these doubts.
 

Only in this book will it be possible to find the first models of the 50's down to the most recent watches. Special attention has been paid to the variations of the bezels, dials and cases - factors which today help determine the value of the watch. "Collecting Rolex GMT-MASTER" is a specific volume about Rolex GMT - MASTER which includes timepieces from the first models of the 1950's to the ones of the last period, including prototypes, military models, bracelets and all case and dial variants.

This edition also offers a widening of those references which have always been desired by enthusiasts and collectors, such as for example the refs. 6542, 1675, 16750 and many others.
 

For each reference, a detailed sheet is reported, indicating the years of beginning and end of production, the calibre and all the characteristics of the watch (crystal, bezel, bracelet, case back, winding crown, case number with production year, dial, movement, ...).
"Collecting Rolex GMT-MASTER Wristwatches" also offers a widening of those references which have always been objects of desire of enthusiasts and collectors, such as the refs. 6542, 1675, 16750 and many others.

WORLDTEMPUS - 22 June 2011

Veloptuous Times demanded the best that its protagonists could produce: endurance, resistance to cold and rain, the ability to focus attention after strenuous physical activity for interviews, and stopping as frequently as necessary to take a good photo. There was continuous mental and physical activity at the same time. Between bursts of pedaling, sun and wind, we also needed to find the time to care for our electronic equipment in order to write and publish. This is the reason why this last trip summary is only being published today, three working days after Veloptuous Times officially ended with a successful cocktail party in Neuchâtel.

PHOTO GALLERY

b Prices for 19th Century Pieces made for the Chinese, Turkish and Indian markets A rare Chronograph Patek Philippe ref. 2499 sold for CHF 722.500 ($815.637) An 18K Gold and enamel scent flacon made for the Chinese market by Piguet & Capt circa 1807 fetched CHF 242,500 ($273,761)

Sotheby's sale of Important Watches this evening was led by a highly rare Patek Philippe chronograph which fetched CHF 722,500 ($815,637) and one of the most exclusive examples of a stainless steel Rolex Daytona "Paul Newman" with inverted lines, which realised CHF 206,500 ($233,150). With b prices for pieces made for the Chinese, Turkish and Indian markets, the sale attracted buyers from around the world and more than 300 clients had registered to participate.

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WORLDTEMPUS - 4 May 2011

Rolex reported yesterday that a change has taken place at the top of its management. Up to this point, Gian Riccardo Marini was head of Rolex Italy. The 64-year-old had been managing the Italian branch since 2000.
Bruno Meier took over as Rolex's CEO in 2008; before that he was the company's chief financial officer. In Rolex also announced that Daniel Neidhart is now in charge of the foreign branches of the company. Neidhart will fill this newly created position from an office in Hong Kong. Neidhart was previously in charge of Rolex's Chinese distribution.

The new Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust in yellow or white ROLESOR exudes elegance and distinction. A harmonious marriage of colours and materials, this redesigned classic celebrates the timeless beauty of Rolex precision. The moment is precious, the future full of promise.

The infinite poetry of gold crystals
The GOLD CRYSTALS dial of the new Lady-Datejust is an exquisite homage to femininity. Obtained using an exclusive process that magnifies the natural crystal structure of the gold, it captures the light and gleams in an extraordinary play of glistening reflections. Infinite poetry, an invitation to dream. As if by magic, the crystals of the noble metal are revealed in all their splendour, creating incomparable depth that delights the eye. On one particular version of this model, the Rolex JUBILe motif appears in a secret and mysterious filigree, a door opening onto the imaginary. Each GOLD CRYSTALS dial is a work of art in itself, as unique as the lady who wears it.

Sublime in its delicate design, the version with the ivory coloured dial with a "sunbeam" guilloche pattern enchants with its clean lines, its extreme finesse, its infinite charm.

The elegance of diamonds
All the dials of this new interpretation of the Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust are graced with 10 diamonds which add to the originality and the subtle radiance of the watch face.

Entirely gem-set, the bezel brings yet another touch of luxury and elegance. Its 46 brilliant-cut diamonds sparkle like so many invaluable treasures which, at each reading of the time, remind us of their timeless splendour.

A hymn to femininity
Feminine down to the last detail, an ode to charm and romanticism, the new Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust embodies absolute grace. It is nonetheless, like all Oyster watches, a waterproof chronometer equipped with a PERPETUAL rotor self-winding mechanical movement. To wear this gem of a watch is to live every moment intensely with the promise of a radiant future.

Harry Winston's Opus has become more than a collection of outstanding timepieces. This blend of watchmaking dreams come true tells a story of determination that has turned into a cultural phenomenon, recreated annually by talented people who know how to derive synergy from an equal commitment to art and technology. For the past 10 years, Harry Winston has called on the originality and skills of independent watchmakers to realize its concept of superior watchmaking. For Harry Winston, watches reflect a passionate belief that you can - and must - go beyond the imaginable. Today, the House of Harry Winston is proud to present its 11th Opus, a watch that shatters watchmaking notions to bring you the disintegration of time itself.

An extremely complex case stages the show. The three overlapping cylinders on three levels are configured to deconstruct time. The main circle is the hour's domain, flanked by two pavilions. One shows the minutes on a jumping disk for the tens and a running disk for the units. The other, slightly lower, displays the regular beat of a big titanium balance-wheel.
Anarchy takes hold of the hours indication beneath the sapphire-crystal dome every 60 minutes. The numeral of the hour, assembled in the center of the circle, explodes into chaos before instantly reassembling as the new hour. It then remains still until the next disintegration. Instead of a hand, 24 placards revolve and rotate on a complicated system of gears mounted on an epicycloidal gear-train. Four satellites mounted on a rotating platform, each with three pairs of placards, provide a vertical transmission through a train of eight intermediate wheels, three elliptical gears, a triangular wheel and six conical pinions. The bevel gears are responsible for changing the axis of rotation of the placards and positioning them according to an elaborate drill maneuver. The triangular wheel and elliptic gears are calculated to vary the gear ratio to absorb shocks and prevent the placards colliding.
The tooth profiles of the triangular and elliptical gearing have been obtained using sophisticated programs. These are today so powerful that they can calculate and display unconventional, and even extreme, gearing and analyze different parameters such as backlash. Parts are manufactured using photolithography, which produces micro-components to a precision unobtainable by traditional machining methods.
The conical pinions for the bevel gears are just 1.2mm wide, yet their teeth are exactly profiled and angled, thanks to a new gear-cutting technique.
The path taken by the placards has been calculated to minimize the space required for them to turn over. However, the shell of sapphire crystal, also extremely difficult to manufacture, gives ample room for the hourly animation.

The transparent display back of the gold case reveals a manually wound movement in the style of the old pocket-watch movements with a big balance-wheel. Consisting of 566 components, including 155 jewels, the mechanism is finished in the most traditional manner of classic watchmaking, in sharp contrast to the crazy display of the hour. One version of the watch is gem-set in the contemporary style: a simple line of princess-cut diamonds lights up the contour of the caseband.
The appointment has been fixed. The hour comes apart at its end, leaving its particles to explode outwards and be turned into new hours ad infinitum. Such complexity and ingenuity make Opus Eleven an important milestone in Harry Winston's exploration of time.
Limited edition of 111 watches.

DENIS GIGUET

Denis Giguet trained as an engineer and started making a name for himself in fine watchmaking. The experience he gained with such firms as Rolex and Harry Winston developed into a visionary approach far in advance of the watchmaking industry. Familiar with the design and construction of highly complicated watches, he worked as production manager at Harry Winston. In 2007 he launched his own brand, MCT, and designed the Sequential One, a far-reaching development in creative engineering for which he involved the crafts of more than 20 experts in their fields. His creative energy has given birth to Opus Eleven, a timepiece where his own vision of time is perfectly expressed by the Harry Winston personality.

WORLDTEMPUS - 22 March 2011

Expect to see hordes of people, nose flat on the doors before the fair opens. These people will most likely rush to Rolex's showcases and Tweet and blog their blurry pictures in order to be the very first to show the new products from the world's most famous watch brand. Even the tiniest changes to existing references will have readers of the online forums and blogs oooohing and aaaahing. Such is the world of Rolex fans - every year.

Rolex
Personally, I can wait for my presentation of the Rolex news, but I do expect to see a new Explorer II. At the very least, there should be a new dial and hand configuration. Rumor has it that this new Explorer II was all set for launching last year, but for some reason Rolex decided to wait another year. We shall see.
I also expect to see an all-steel version of the Rolex Submariner No-Date in the maxi case with ceramic bezel inlay. It would only be a natural evolution for Rolex to add this model to the "maxi case" sports collection.
Breitling
Breitling introduced its in-house B01 movement two years ago, and the famed watch brand has since introduced a couple of models sporting this new movement. I expect to see more models using this new movement, and probably not only B01 and Navitimer models.Patek Philippe
It is always a great pleasure to visit the enormous Patek Philippe stand in Hall 1. Even if you can't get inside for a presentation, the showcases surrounding the outside of the luxurious booth present the horological luxury that Patek Philippe does so well. The Nautilus collection is growing and it would be nice to see a gold version on a bracelet instead of a strap. This goes for the three-hander as well as the complicated models.

Hermes
Thanks to the recent dialogue between LVMH and the Hermes management, I certainly look forward to getting a closer look at the new watches from Hermes. I have never paid much attention to the watches from this company, but the "We are not in luxury; we are in quality" remark made by Bernard Puech, president of the board of directors of Hermes, when LVMH recently purchased 17.7 percent of the shares in the company makes it extra interesting to see if the watches are also part of this "quality."

Bulgari
In one breath, Italian luxury provider Bulgari also became part of the LVMH family when the group purchased 51 percent of the family-owned company. Will the Daniel Roth and Gerald Genta designs still feature Bulgari on the dial or will LVMH break the ties that were such a topic last year? Maybe it is too early to find out, as the takeover is rather recent. But, then again, maybe we can find out.
Either way, this is bound to be an interesting year at Basel. Stay tuned to Worldtempus for the coverage.

WORLDTEMPUS - 18 March 2011

"If you're shy, you cannot go round with this car. It's a special car for special people. You need a big ego. It's like going out in the evening with a beautiful woman - it's not for everyone," said Daniele Adetto, responsible for the PR of the Lamborghini Countach, talking to Morley Safer of the U.S.'s "60 Minutes" TV show back in 1987.
This powerful Italian car certainly was a spectacular piece of work. Only three left the Italian car factory back in the 1980s each week - hand assembled, of course, it was the hottest car around back then: dramatically low, fitted with a large back spoiler and looking like "a sexy virgin" in white, according to Adetto.
Watching the interview on YouTube, I cannot help comparing the Countach with some of the spectacular watches offered on the market today. These watches look like nothing else, and they are created by people who not only explore creative and innovative high-end horology, but also understand how to communicate it.

The Ego Watches
Wearing a watch like the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Double Tourbillon, the MB&F ReBel, Urwerk's Tarantula, or the ultra-light Richard Mille RM 027 Tourbillon undoubtedly demands a certain ego.
These watches are the crazy Lamborghini of the 1980s. These watches are the impossibly long-legged Brazilian beauties that leave a fancy restaurant strutting their stuff between the tables - holding your hand. These watches certainly take a certain kind of man with a certain kind of ego. These watches, indeed, are not for everyone, as Adetto claimed of the Lamborghini.
Anyone can buy a Rolex, Breitling or Omega and be an instant member of the luxury watch club. But people wearing one of the more exotic watches mentioned here belong to a very different kind of club. They would probably never wear a Rolex, Breitling or Omega again (however, this is most likely where they started out when they entered the horological scene). These watches are, of course, nice, but they are too commercial for an experienced person in the know. They do not boost the inner horological ego that demands something way out of the ordinary.
Wear with Caution
Remember the movie classic "Cannonball"? Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman starred as Marcie and Jill: two Spandex-clad hotties in a black Lamborghini Countach. Pretty? Yes. Over the top? Indeed!
Just like a Countach driven by the wrong guy will expose him as a poser trying to compensate for losing his childhood sweetheart to Butch the Bully, so an Excalibur Double Tourbillon on the wrong wrist will expose the nouveau riche, the fake enthusiast who does not understand that such extravagant accessories are like every other human endeavor: understatement wins you the respect you deserve. So buy the RM 027, but wear long sleeves. Indulge in the Tarantula, but only wear it in the company of friends. And in the name of everything that's holy, don't drive a Countach AND wear a ReBel at the same time.

Geneva - Antiquorum's weekend sale of « Important Vintage and Modern Timepieces » held on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th of November at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva, realised CHF 7'006'275 with 80% of the lots being sold. This concludes Antiquorum's autumn auction season with a total of CHF 15'922'890.
In addition to the 339 online bidders, there was a substantial presence in the room as well as numerous telephone bidders. Attendance came from around the world , including Germany, Italy, the United States, Romania, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore and Canada.
"We are very satisfied by the results achieved this weekend in Geneva, in particular with the impressive price obtained for the Everest Rolex of Alfred Gregory", said Julien Schaerer, Managing Director & Auctioneer. "This demonstrates the great interest of collectors for timepieces that not only have historical significance, but also bear great emotional value."

The top lot of the auction was the extremely rare Patek Philippe Ref. 2499, in Pink Gold (lot 643), which sold for a remarkable CHF 1'082'500. Other Patek Philippe timepieces achieved very good results, including the Ref. 3450 (lot 252), acquired for CHF 212'500 and the Ref. 866/75 in yellow gold (lot 636), with enamel hunting scene on the case back: "Departure of the pack at daybreak" that reached CHF 92'500.
 The Rolex Ref. 6098 (lot 621) worn by Alfred Gregory on Everest during the successful expedition of 1953, drew a lot of attention and excitement among the collectors. After fierce bidding in the room against the phone and internet, this watch of enormous historic significance sold for an exceptional CHF 145'300, more than 5 times its high estimate.
Another timepiece of great interest, the Quarter-Repeating Navette-Shaped Ring Watch (one of only two known examples) given to The Emperor Napoleon I. (lot 466), reached a remarkable CHF 92'000.
Girard-Perregaux wristwatches also obtained notable results including the "Opera Two, Tourbillon, Carillon 'Westminster' Minute Repeater with Tourbillon," No. 2, Ref. 99740 (lot 548) that achieved CHF 182'500. The "Vintage 1945 Collection Prestige Set Unique" (lot 547), comprising four exceptional platinum wristwatches, sold for CHF 112'900.
"Superb complicated modern wristwatches made both by the renowned Manufacturers and the independent artisan makers draw increasing interest amongst a new generation of collectors, seeking exclusive and limited series watches", commented Etienne Lemenager, Director & Watch Expert.
Omega aficionados were thrilled by the important collection of 40 Limited Edition Omega Speedmasters, property of a private Italian collector. These timepieces evoked great enthusiasm among bidders and achieved the exceptional result of CHF 223,250, with 100% of the lots being sold. Some of the highlights included the "Speedmaster Professional" Apollo XIII Ref. 3450022 (lot 12) which sold for CHF 9'375, the "Speedmaster Professional" 999 Galaxy Train Ref. 3571.50 (lot 25), made especially for the Japanese market which attained CHF 10'000 and the "Speedmaster Professional" Ref. 3570.40 (lot 27), another limited edition for the Japanese market, was acquired for CHF 8'750.
Finally, the Panerai "Luminor" Ref. 6152/1, made for the Italian military frogmen circa 1950 achieved an outstanding result of CHF 100'900.
"The Italian bidders have proven once again that they are key players within the European market continuing their traditional great interest for vintage wristwatches, in particular for Patek Philippe, Rolex and Panerai timepieces", said Thomas.

Results

swisster.ch - November 12, 2010

Hillary's son and daughter obtain a legal injunction, saying the timepieces consigned by their stepmother for bids rightly belong to them, while the New Zealand government also expresses concerns.
A New Zealand court is blocking the planned auction in Geneva this Sunday of Rolex watches originally owned by the late legendary mountain climber Sir Edmund Hillary as members of his family feud over who owns them.
Antiquorum has advertised several of the luxury timepieces consigned for sale by Lady June Hillary, widow and second wife of the late adventurer, who died in 2008.
But a high court from Hillary's native country granted an injunction this week at the request of lawyers acting on behalf of the climber's son Peter and daughter Sarah, who claim they own the watches.
In addition, the New Zealand government said it regards the watches of national cultural importance.
The injunction instructs Lady Hillary to ask Antiquorum to withdraw them from sale.
The auctioneer continued on Friday to include the watches in advertising for its weekend auctions on its website.
An Antiquorum representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
The collection is part of a group of 643 "important modern and vintage timepieces" to be sold under the hammer by Antiquorum during a two-day sale this weekend at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

One of them is a Rolex "Oyster Perpetual" chronometer dating from 1953 that was presented to Edmund Hillary in India after his descent from Mount Everest in honour of his achievement the same year.
At the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have climbed the summit of the world's highest mountain.
Hillary subsequently wore the watch on a trans-Antarctic expedition from 1955 to 1958, the first overland crossing of Antarctica and the first expedition to reach the South Pole since British explorer Robert Scott in 1912.
"It has immense historic significance," Antiquroum says in its online catalogue, noting that the caseback is engraved "Sir E. Hillary".
The watch is valued at between 10,000 and 20,000 francs.
Another timepiece in the collection is an 18-carat yellow gold Rolex bought on May 29, 2003 by Hillary on the 50th anniversary of the day he reached the summit of Everest.
Its estimated value is between 8,000 and 10,000 francs.
Among the other Rolexes are ones bought by Hillary to commemorate the 20th anniversaries of the Everest climb and his attempted ascent of Himalayan peak Cho Oyu from the Nepal side in 1952.
The estimated value of the watches is not in the upper reaches often seen at Geneva auctions.
The headline watch in Antiquorum's weekend sale, for example, is a rare Patek Philippe "pink gold" wristwatch valued at between 800,000 and 1.2 million francs, and the auction house says it has sold 49 watches valued at more than a million francs.
But the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage said at least one of the Hillary watches has legal protection under the country's Legal Objects Act.
According to press reports from New Zealand the government wrote to Lady Hillary's lawyers on Friday to inform her of the watch's protected status.
Under the country's law, protected objects cannot by exported without the permission of the culture and heritage ministry.
However, its is not clear whether the injunction has any legal bearing in Switzerland.
It is possible that officials New Zealand government may have to contact Bern in order to intervene.
Hillary's son and daughter said their stepmother put the watches up for sale without asking them, according to a report from the New Zealand Press Association.
Peter Hillary said it was "very sad" he and his sister had had to take court action to stop Lady Hillary from going ahead with the sale, but it was the straw which had broken the camel's back.
"There have been a number of very significant items from the Ed Hillary collection that do belong to Sarah and I, that have been disposed of inappropriately," he said.
"I believe that it has been stopped for the time being and we are hopeful we can preserve these legacy items," Peter Hillary added.
"They, along with a lot of other items, are of great significance to this family and I would suggest in some respects to New Zealand, in terms of being important items from the Ed Hillary collection."
Neither Lady Hillary nor her lawyer were available to the press for comment.
June Hillary married the climber in 1989 after his first wife and one of his two daughters died in a plane crash in Nepal in 1975.

Some of the world's foremost scientists, explorers, environmentalists, doctors and educators will gather in Lausanne, Switzerland, in November to honour the first five winners of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates Programme.
The Young Laureates Programme seeks to foster a spirit of enterprise in the next generation by giving young people the financial support and recognition to tackle the challenges facing humanity with innovative projects.
More than 600 leading figures from Switzerland and around the world are expected to attend the Awards ceremony on 11 November 2010 at the new Rolex Learning Center at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), one of Europe's leading science and technology universities.

Polymath Brian Eno, the British record producer, composer, singer, multimedia artist and a noted technological innovator, will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony. Long concerned with the future of society and the global environment, he will talk about the relationship between science and the arts.
The Young Laureates, all aged between 18 and 30, are: Jacob Colker from the United States, Reese Fernandez from the Philippines, Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu from Nigeria, Piyush Tewari from India and Bruktawit Tigabu from Ethiopia. Their projects range from transforming volunteering for the 21st century to enabling impoverished women to create eco-ethical fashion goods, from developing interactive radio in order to promote sustainable farming, to training volunteers to provide rapid care to road accident victims and developing TV programmes to improve children's health.
"On the occasion of the Awards ceremony, Rolex is taking the opportunity to showcase both the winners and their visionary projects and to foster intellectual exchange between them and some of the best thinkers from Switzerland and abroad," said Rebecca Irvin, head of the Rolex Institute, the company's philanthropic and educational arm. "Our ultimate goal is to encourage an enterprising spirit among under-30s worldwide and to stimulate innovation in the region in order to help ensure a better future for the next generation."
An inspiring programme
To coincide with this celebration, from 9 to 11 November, Rolex and the EPFL are co-hosting a series of presentations encompassing the theme of innovation. All of these activities are designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas among the Young Laureates and international guests, including more than 40 former Rolex Awards Laureates and Jury members, as well as the 22 Young Laureate finalists and EPFL faculty members and students.
As part of the interaction between the young Rolex entrepreneurs and the EPFL community, visits are being organized to two of the university's groundbreaking research labs: the Blue Brain Project, the first-ever attempt to reproduce fully a biologically accurate digital model of a mammal's brain in order to understand brain function and dysfunction; and the Global Health Institute, created to contribute to the understanding, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. In addition, there will be presentations of the university's landmark research in areas such as health and diagnostics, and water and sustainability.
"We are honoured to co-host the ceremony and to welcome the young innovators and other Rolex guests to our campus," said Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli, vice president of Innovation and Technology Transfer at EPFL and a member of the 2010 Young Laureates Jury. "The EPFL wants to stimulate entrepreneurship among students, and the Rolex Young Laureates Programme is a great match for us."
Rolex Young Laureates Programme
An expansion of the long-standing Rolex Awards for Enterprise, the Young Laureates Programme, launched in January 2009, honours men and women between the ages of 18 and 30 with inventive ideas to solve tomorrow's challenges in science and health, applied technology, exploration, the environment and cultural preservation. Each Young Laureate receives US$50,000 over the course of two years, giving the winners time to focus on their pioneering projects and move forward in implementing them. The Rolex Awards international network of innovators, comprised of former Laureates and Jury members, is available for guidance.

The Young Laureates Programme complements the original Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which will be held again in 2012 and for which applications are already open (rolexawards.com).
The five Young Laureates in the inaugural Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates programme are:
Jacob Colker, 26, United States - is changing the way people get involved in community service. His internet-based programme allows volunteers to use their smartphones to donate spare minutes to charitable and scientific organizations.
Reese Fernandez, 25, Philippines - is committed to alleviating poverty by training people to become social entrepreneurs. Her Rags2Riches enterprise has already empowered hundreds of women to earn a living by turning scrap materials into elegant fashion accessories.
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, 27, Nigeria - intends to boost the living standards of millions of Nigerian farmers through his interactive, mobile radio network. Hundreds of thousands of rural listeners are already receiving and exchanging information on sustainable farming practices and health issues.
Piyush Tewari, 29, India - has set up a foundation to train a network of police officers and volunteers to respond quickly to road accidents and administer rapid medical care. By providing immediate assistance to victims, he hopes to stem the thousands of fatalities that occur on Indian roads each year.
Bruktawit Tigabu, 28, Ethiopia - is building on the success of a television programme on health that she and her husband are producing for preschool children and their parents.

WORLDTEMPUS - 2 November 2010

Few would argue that accuracy is an unimportant quality for a watch. However, every day consumers purchase mechanical watches that offer no basic assurance of horological precision. There are, however, several firms that capitalize on the services of the independent Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronometres (COSC) as a guarantor of their watches' fundamental accuracy within -4 to +6 seconds per day.

Last year at the SIHH, Roger Dubuis, a firm that has famously employed the aesthetic standards of the Geneva Seal, announced that it would add a second layer of external oversight by also submitting movements to the COSC.
For Claude Vuillemez, the COO of Roger Dubuis, the appeal of COSC certification is obvious.
"We are a young manufacture," Vuillemez told Worldtempus, "and to get recognition we are looking to external referees like COSC on chronometry and Timelab on functionality to validate our technical expertise."
Breitling has cultivated its image around the fact that it is first and foremost a maker of chronometer-rated instrument watches. Indeed, every Breitling timepiece, quartz or mechanical, is also a COSC-certified chronometer.

"Like in aviation, where every instrument needs to be certified, COSC is an independent laboratory checking the precision of every single Breitling movement for 15 days in 5 positions and at 3 different temperatures," said Breitling executive vice president Jean-Paul Girardin.

Who's Who?
The COSC releases annual lists ranking the brands receiving the most certifications, with Rolex, Omega and Breitling perennially occupying the top three spots.
The global recession contributed to a shake-up of the list in 2009, with Ball Watch, a relatively small producer, breaking into the top ten (at number eight) for the first time in its history — with 15,455 certifications.
Jeffrey Hess, president of Ball Watch in North America, attributes his firm's rise not so much to any specific actions taken by the Swiss watch company with American roots, but to cutbacks in production at some competitors.
While 2009 was difficult for much of the industry, Hess says it was actually a fairly good year for Ball Watch — which led to no reduction in production of certified chronometers.
Ball Watch has another reason for its interest is chronometer certification. Historically, the firm submitted pocket watches to the U.S. Bureau of Standards as a measure intended to ensure the accuracy of its famous railroad chronometers. These were the precise timekeepers used by railroad engineers to avoid potentially disastrous collisions. Hess sees the modern COSC as an extension of this legacy.

At the very least, a modern COSC-certified wristwatch will help its wearer make his or her train on time — as Webster C. Ball originally intended.
 

Swiss watchmaking has continued to reinvent itself throughout the centuries as Swiss craftsmen, inspired by their passion and love of tradition, strive to enhance their precision expertise.
Maison Bunter, one of the leading specialists in major complications and jewel-setting, has been fired by such passion for some 155 years. Today Bunter is proud to present Arcadia: an innovative watchmaking concept that rises to the challenge of reviving one of the greatest emblems of Switzerland's watchmaking heritage.

During the 19th century the Arcadia brand was the symbol of Swiss watchmaking excellence and the standard-bearer of the celebrated Fleurier Watch Company, whose creative approach would inspire generations of watchmakers. Now, after falling victim to the 'quartz revolution,' Arcadia, and its incredibly avant-garde models, are being reborn under Bunter President Claude Sanz - a passionate devotee of watchmaking history.
This new adventure, imbued with unfettered imagination, offers a fresh approach to communicating the values of traditional Swiss watchmaking around the world.

HISTORY
1858 - 1970 : Arcadia
In the early 19th century Swiss watchmaking - hitherto a craftsman's activity - enjoyed one of its earliest industrial booms.
Thanks to Edouard Bovet, one of the first watchmakers to target the Far Eastern market, the number of watchmakers in Fleurier (a village in the Val-de-Travers near Neuchâtel) more than tripled inside 30 years.
Jules-Samuel Jequier, who was born in the village in 1835, chose to devote his life to watchmaking from an early age. He joined Bovet in 1856 after training as a jewel-cutter and, thanks to his enthusiasm and entrepreneurial zest, rose swiftly through the firm's ranks.
Later, helped by his five sons, Jules-Samuel Jequier founded the Fleurier Watch Company, a manufacturer devoted to jewel-cutting and designing watch calibres. The growth of the watchmaking industry would inspire the Jequiers to launch a number of different watchmaking brands.
Among them: Arcadia.

rcadia was founded in 1858 and became the flagship of the Fleurier Watch Company. The classically-inspired Fleurier brand enjoyed great renown among connoisseurs of quality watches, epitomized by names like Breitling and Rolex.
Arcadia watches displayed amazing creativity for the time.
This avant-garde brand produced some particularly stylish collections, typified by some of its early 20th century models - symbols of Swiss ancestral tradition imbued with modern, indeed contemporary, vision.
But the arrival of quartz was to be the downfall for many Swiss watchmakers, who failed to realize the importance of the 1970s electronic revolution. Swiss mechanical watches were left behind by cheap, mass-produced, electronic watches from abroad. The resultant economic crisis lasted 15 years and threatened the entire sector, coming close to completely destroying traditional Swiss watchmaking.
Many Swiss watchmaking firms were forced to close, taking with them the brands which had underpinned their success. Arcadia was no exception and, over a century after its launch by the Fleurier Watch Company, sank into oblivion.

2010 : Rebirth of Arcadia
Arcadia represents the crowning glory to an exceptional career and the fulfilment of a dream for a man to whom watchmaking is far more than a job. Claude Sanz cuts a unique figure in the watchmaking world: a trained geologist and mineralogist, as well as an expert in setting and mechanical complications.
Nearly forty years ago Sanz acquired Bunter, a firm specializing in the cutting of industrial stones and rubies needed for watchmaking. Today, thanks to their mastery of invisible settings and de luxe, made-to-measure projects, Bunter are recognized by all the pre-eminent Swiss watchmaking firms.
For Sanz, work is a passion: a passion for timepieces, for horological savoir-faire and for watchmaking history. It is also a dream... one he has secretly entertained for many years, to blend his skill and experience with the launch of a watchmaking brand that would write the final chapter of a story that began 35 years ago.
"When you make watch components, you inevitably think about creating your own brand," says Sanz.
But his ambition goes further. As a keen historian, he dreams of pursuing the mission of a Swiss watchmaking firm in the purest mechanical tradition - albeit one adapted to the contemporary era.
In the 1990s Claude Sanz learnt about the incredible story of the Fleurier Watch Company and its star brand, Arcadia. He was fascinated by this forgotten watchmaking venture, and promptly decided to take over the Arcadia brand - which had fallen into the public domain - and revive its century-old traditions. "Arcadia calibres were highly innovative for the time, and the Fleurier Watch Company was considered an international ambassador of Swiss watchmaking," he explains. Today the industry is witnessing a return to small mechanical movements, so Arcadia is perfect for the 21st century! It's the start of a whole new adventure.
The Arcadia renaissance is underway. With Bunter's structural and technical support, Claude Sanz has set about renovating each Arcadia calibre in the purest watchmaking tradition, inserting them into modern cases with sleek designs, made using the latest avant-garde technologies and materials.
A combination of the richness of the past and the boldness of the future, Arcadia aims to showcase and perpetuate an exceptional, time-honoured, heritage on the international scene - and restore the prestige of a watchmaking symbol that was the pride of Switzerland for over a hundred years.

AC01 : Transcending tradition
With its modern, virile look, the first re-edition of the Arcadia collection strides confidently into the 21st century - while retaining the utmost respect for watchmaking's greatest traditions.

This can be seen in the powerful design of this audaciously restyled retro model. While retaining its DNA - rounded shapes for the watch and displays within a tonneau case - the Arcadia AC01 has been entirely redesigned in line with today's technical codes. This new design approach is one of extremes: the watch combines harmonious volumes with aggressive elegance, with visible screws and push-pieces reworked to appear part of the case.
The watch is made from such avant-garde materials as titanium (for the case), carbon (for the split-level dial), and anti-allergenic technological fibre (for the strap), married to watchmaking functions that evoke the awesome savoir-faire of the Fleurier Watch Company: the hour-and-minute display in the centre of the dial is surrounded by four skillfully juxtaposed sub-dials with original, extra functions (including chronograph, date and 24-hour time-zone index). The automatic movement, with 18-carat pink gold rotor, can be admired through a transparent case-back.
Watchmaking tradition transcended! The watch is edited in a limited series of 275, and offered for sale with a revolutionary concept ideally suited to the era of new technologies: much in the manner of an iPhone or iPad, all data linked to the model (guarantee, aftersale service, orders for further timepieces) is entered on a USB key given to the owner and activated on-line at time of purchase.
Another novelty: each Arcadia model comes with a travelling case in supple, ultra-resistant neoprene for easy transport and maximum protection.

WORLDTEMPUS - 14 June 2010

"It's not Tiffany's, it's NASA," Mille leaned over and told me at lunch in the President's Room at the Queens Club in London, where he had gathered a few business partners and journalists to watch the semifinals of the Aegon Queens Club tournament in London. The idea was to cheer on his sponsored player, world number one Rafael Nadal, in the semifinals—but Nadal had lost the previous day in the quarters to fellow young Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. The clever saying Mille repeated to me was actually nicked from Miguel Seabra, Portuguese watch journalist and tennis commentator for Eurosport. Seabra had coined the phrase during the French Open the previous week to aid in explaining the significance of the obvious black watch Nadal wears on court to his tennis colleagues from the press. Nadal and the watch have been experiencing heavy critique for the RM 027 RN's price tag of $525,000—a price that can certainly seem exorbitant to the casual spectator.

Indeed, this is an unusually high fee for a watch with no bling even in the watch industry, but Mille explained that the price was actually justified as it is outfitted with a tourbillon and—particularly—it has needed thousands of hours of development as well as a trial-and-error period on court with Nadal for almost three-quarters of a year to discover its weak points, correct them, and make the watch light enough for wear on court (it weights 13 grams without strap and 18 with the rubber attachment). To achieve this lightness and continue to ensure the accurate functioning of model RM 027 RN a number of new materials new to the watchmaking industry such as LITAL, an alloy of aluminum, lithium, copper, magnesium and zirconium, were used. This alloy is also utilized in the aerospace industry—on the Airbus A380; in helicopters, rockets and satellites—and in Formula 1 racecars. Using materials outside the established watch industry like this is a Richard Mille specialty. The company's previous partnership with Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa helped research its extreme style of watchmaking in much the same way.
"This is an extreme object," Mille describes Nadal's watch. "Divide all the R&D plus all the test watches needed by the fifty pieces that are available in the limited edition, and that is about the price that comes out," he explained to me during the Queens tournament. "Whatever I have to invest , is what I invest."

SFr.6,259,000, $5,708,833, €4,393,192
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch, ref. 1527  
Estimation: SFr.1,500,000-2,500,000  
Buyer: Swiss Private Museum
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch, ref. 2499  
Estimation:SFr.600,000-900,000  
SFr.963,000 , $878,352, €675,929  
Buyer: Anonymous
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold full calendar wristwatch, ref. 96 
Estimation: SFr.600,000-900,000  
SFr.723,000, $659,448, €507,473  
Buyer: European Collector
SFr.723,000, $659,448, €507,473  
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold hinged single button chronograph wristwatch, manufactured in 1924  
Estimation:SFr.400,000-600,000  
Buyer: European Private
SFr.675,000, $615,667 ,€473,782 
Patek Philippe - an 18K pink gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch, ref. 1518  
Estimation: SFr.500,000-800,000  
Buyer: European Collector
SFr.603,000, $549,996 , €423,245
Patek Philippe - a stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with two-tone silvered dial and luminous hands, ref. 530, manufactured in 1942 
Estimation: SFr.500,000-700,000  
Buyer: European Private
Patek Philippe - an 18K pink gold dual time zone wristwatch, ref. 2597  Estimation: SFr.350,000-500,000  
SFr.555,000, $506,215 , €389,554  
Buyer: Asian Collector

SFr.531,000, $484,325 , €372,708  
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold perpetual calendar wristwatch, with moon phases, ref. 1526  
Estimation: SFr.300,000-500,000  
Buyer: European Collector
SFr.459,000, $418,653, €322,172   
Patek Philippe - an 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch,  ref. 3448  
Estimation: SFr.250,000-350,000  
Buyer: European Collector
SFr.447,000, $407,708, €313,749  
Rolex - 18K pink gold triple calendar chronograph wristwatch, ref. 6036  Estimation: SFr.200,000-300,000  
Buyer: European Private
_________________________________Geneva - With nearly 370 watches offered, Christie's "marathon auction" in Geneva achieved an outstanding total of $21,099,940 / SFr.23,133,363 / € 16,237,307, far exceeding its pre-sale total estimate of 13 to 18 million Swiss francs and selling 96% by value and by lot, with a record attendance of 831 bidders from 5 continents.
The Top Lot of the sale was a unique Patek Philippe chronograph wristwatch, ref.1527, which sold for $5,708,833 (SFr.6,259,000 / €4,393,192) against an estimate of SFr.1,500,000-2,500,000 and became the new record price for any yellow gold watch ever sold at auction (pictured above right.) The blockbuster event of the European auction season of haute horlogerie, Important Watches - Including A Connoisseur's Vision Part II, confirmed once more Christie's undisputed global leadership in the market of fine collector's watches.
Aurel Bacs, International Co-Head of Christie's Watch Department , commented: "The extraordinary results Christie's achieved today in Geneva with Important Watches - Including A Connoisseur's Vision Part II reflect the passion of an increasingly broad audience of watch lovers and collectors. We are proud to announce that following the success of last November's sale of A Connoisseur's Vision Part I, the second part of the most important private collections of Patek Philippe wristwatches in the world ever offered at auction, now also become the most expensive one ever sold. As with the Part I sale, 100% of the lots were sold with a combined total of almost SFr.16 million, led by the Mona Lisa of all watches, the unique Patek Philippe chronograph wristwatch, ref.1527, which sold for an outstanding $5,708,833 (SFr.6,259,000 / €4,393,192) to a Swiss private museum. Throughout the sale, the room was packed with buyers from all over the world, and an additional 250 bidders participated online via Christie's LIVE™. European bidders were fiercely challenged by international collectors, especially buyers from China. I was also pleased to see b competition for the very first example of the book 'Ultimate Rolex Daytona', scheduled to be released in the Fall, which sold SFr 43,750, with proceeds to benefit the Red Cross. HK" Although wishing to remain anonymous, the consignor of "A Connoisseur's Vision" Collection declared: "I cannot help but express all my gratitude to Christie's and their extraordinary Watch Team in Geneva for the amazing work they did to study every single piece of my collection and to make a wider group of international watch lovers aware of the importance and sophistication of Patek Philippe vintage watches. I started buying watches in the 1970s, at a time when these amazing objects appealed to very few collectors and even fewer scholars were exploring this charming field. In my opinion wristwatches are the most beautiful wearable item created in the 20th century and I am sure that pieces such as the unique Patek Philippe reference n.1527 will be on show at decorative arts museums, alongside the specialized institutions that currently buy them for their collections."

The quintessential divers' watch, the absolute reference in its genre, the Submariner has expanded its horizons far beyond the element of its birth in 1953, while denying nothing of its aquatic origins.
At home in the depths of the oceans, a universe in which it remains the basic instrument of every diver, it long ago conquered terra firma, as the watch of action.
Waterproof to 100, 200, then 300 metres as it successively evolved since its launch, the Submariner has always been the symbol of Rolex's supremacy in waterproofness.

New features
Timeless and impervious to the elements, it is today available in a steel version sporting new features. Its 40 mm case in 904L steel, synonymous with robustness, waterproofness and corrosion resistance, boasts a new rotatable bezel fitted with a practically scratchproof black Cerachrominsert — or green for themodel with the green dial — with platinum graduations.
Penumbra and soft light
As much in its element in the penumbra of the ocean floor as in the soft light of sophistication, this new Submariner Date offers exceptional legibility thanks to hour markers and hands coated with luminescent Chromalight. Its mechanical movement equipped with a Perpetual rotor and a Parachrom hairspring pledges increased chronometric precision and reliability. Its unidirectional rotatable graduated bezel allows the safe reading of dive time.

A power of seduction that never goes out of style
This new model is no stranger to comfort. The Rolex Glidelock clasp allows for fine adjustments of the bracelet length. On land as at sea, watch and wearer are bound by the emotional charge deriving from the Submariner's irresistible power of seduction.

26th October 2009

In the world of watch collecting there are two definitive categories: the vintage watches, typically described as those older than 20 years, and the modern watches, those that are within the first decade of their life.
Sitting between vintage and modern exists a small group of collectible "neo-vintage" watches that hover around the 15-20 year mark. It is around this age that collectors first start to identify the pieces that will one day become classics. It was in the late 1980s, just short of twenty years after its release, that a Rolex Cosmograph with peculiar registers started to gain momentum as a collectable. Now the Paul Newman Daytona sits atop the world of valuable and collectable sport watches.  
The values of Newman Daytonas today range from $30,000 all the way up to $100,000 depending on reference number, condition, and color scheme. We tend to think that we know all there is to know about this particular piece, and so values are easily obtained.
What about today's neo-vintage collectibles though? The ones that are just now coming into the spotlight as the rare birds and grail watches of future generations. Just what are they, why are they poised to climb, and why do we know so little about them?

Let's take one of the few neo-vintage that has already raised a few eyebrows, although it remains relatively under the radar except with a few die-hard collectors; the Rolex Explorer I "Blackout". Since the Explorer's inception over 50 years ago, the vast majority have been made with a black face and white markers, whether applied or painted on the dial itself. For what some experts claim is as little as 6 months, Rolex introduced an instance of the Explorer where the infamous 3, 6, and 9 were actually filled with black instead of white.  
Originally thought to exist only in E serial numbers and with silver print on the dial, we now know that the production also included later X serial Explorers with white print on the dial. The Blackout Rolexes are rare, certainly, in fact some call it the rarest sapphire crystal Rolex to date. What is not so certain is the value of this neo-vintage oddity.
One year ago, in October of 2008, Antiquorum recorded a sale of a Rolex Reference 14270 Blackout at $12,000 US. Five months later, in Antiquorum's March 2009 auction, one sold for just over $5000, and after another five months, one sold again at just above $5000 via Antiquorum. Economic conditions aside, that is a dramatic decrease in value of a rare watch in one year's time. But did the value really decrease?

While impossible to dispute that these watches did sell for less than half of the price of less than a year ago, many sellers continue to believe the Blackout is worth close to, if not well into five figures. Running a quick scan of dealers around the world, the price range of these Rolex Blackouts is astonishing. From as low as $4500 from private sellers (watch alone) to as high as $16,000 from well known European dealers (NOS, Box & Papers), we were able to track down five Blackout Explorers, in excellent or mint condition, with boxes and papers, with an average price of $10,800. Over $10,000 for a Rolex Explorer I from the 1990s, we must be crazy.  Or are we?
Charles Tearle, a Director at Antiquorum USA says "In recent years we have seen transitional variations that exist in relatively modern wristwatches, such as the Rolex Explorer I "Blackout", matte dial submariners, and the transitional IWC big pilots, have speculative presence on the secondary market." But does this mean that these models are worth up to three to four times what a traditional model sells for? Things are still unclear; Tearle adds "relatively little is known about quantities produced, but as we learn more, I believe the market value of these transitional pieces will become more definitive."
While the debate over the value of these rare Rolex "Blackouts" will likely continue on, this raises a much larger issue. How are we to assess the value neo-vintage watches if experts can't seem to agree and with such a dramatic variance in auction prices? Or, maybe this isn't an issue at all, but rather one of the reasons that watch collecting continues to gain momentum as a global passion.  The question now becomes, we know the Rolex Blackout Explorer is something special, but what else is out there and when will we realize it?  
 
 

30 juillet 2009

VOIR LA GALERIE-PHOTOS

La galerie du Jeu de Paume a Paris propose actuellement et jusqu'au 27 septembre une exposition intitulee « Planete Parr. La collection de Martin Parr ». Organisee par la Haus der Kunst a Munich, en collaboration avec le Jeu de Paume, elle presente pour la premiere fois la riche collection de livres photographiques et de photos de Martin Parr, accompagnee d'une partie de sa collection d'objets heteroclites, ainsi que de quelques-uns de ses travaux recents, notamment les series «Luxury» et «Small World». Ce photographe, membre de la fameuse agence Magnum, se presente lui-même comme un « collectionneur, un editeur et un photographe », et joue ironiquement sur le cliche de l'Anglais extravagant aimant a accumuler toutes sortes d'objets divers.
Ben Laden en montre de poche
Outre le plus grand paquet de chips du monde, des theieres a la gloire de Margaret Thatcher ou un slip orne du portrait de Barack Obama, le sieur Parr a recolte une incroyable serie de garde-temps. Montres-bracelets, montres de poche, horloges, reveils, usurpant ou non le logo d'une marque celebre ou le fameux Swiss made, tous ont pour point commun de celebrer sur leur cadran une personne ou un evenement historique. Le visiteur pourra ainsi admirer des reveils commemorant les exploits de Gagarine ou divers modeles aux couleurs de Mao, de Staline ou même de Barack Obama. Certaines de ces tocantes meritent sans conteste la palme de l'originalite, comme cette montre de poche a l'effigie de Ben Laden ou cette horloge chinoise en forme de raquette de ping-pong. Une vitrine entiere est consacree aux montres a l'effigie de Saddam Hussein. Certaines, provenant vraisemblablement d'Irak, sont tout a sa gloire. D'autres, conçues apres le 11 septembre, vehiculent le propos inverse, notamment celle sur laquelle un montage photographique represente un corps de rongeur surmonte de la tête de Saddam et de ce slogan : « captured like a rat » ! La montre, objet de propagande par excellence qui permet d'afficher son opinion dans cette vitrine miniature qu'est son cadran, provient ainsi des deux côtes de l'histoire. Il en va de même pour les tapis de priere musulmans ornes des tours jumelles percutees par les avions et estampilles « made in Afghanistan » qui sont ici exposes face a des bibelots aux couleurs de l'aigle americain exaltant les slogans va-t-en-guerre de l'ere Bush.

Ironie britannique
Le dialogue entre photographies et objets nous tend ainsi un miroir de notre epoque, revelant les tendances de nos modes de vie contemporains. Comme le dit Martin Parr lui-même, « Ce travail ressemble a une epitaphe pour une periode sur le point de s'achever, faite de croissance excessive, de parade et de luxe ostentatoire. C'est une opportunite de jeter un regard retrospectif sur cette periode de nos vies. » Un regard qui n'oublie pas neanmoins la distance et l'ironie « so british » !
www.jeudepaume.org
www.martinparr.com

23rd July 2009 - www.fratellowatches.com

As a watch aficionado, I am very thankful to the initiators of the early online communities like WatchUseek and TimeZone. Not only for providing so much information on watches in an era (late 1990s) that wasn't as advanced as it is now (with all the web 2.0 initiatives like Facebook, LinkedIn and of course watch portals like WorldTempus), but also for the many watch friends it brought.

Post-2003, watch forums have been popping up like mushrooms and everybody seems to have his/her own preferences. Besides the giants mentioned before, there are several low-profile forums focused on just a few or even one single brand. The advantage of these smaller communities is that the crowd knows each other, laid back tone of voice and fewer rules than at the larger watch communities. However, a new member can easily think he ended up in a digital Cheers bar ("where everybody knows your name."). Also, the downside of a smaller watch community is that the learning curve becomes less and less steep after a while. Discussions will probably end-up in joking around instead of watch content. Content is king, but you will need enough traffic to keep it alive and interesting.

One of the watch communities that have gained great respect amongst collectors and aficionados is the German based R-L-X forum, also known as 'Das Rolex Forum'. Although German based, there are a few subforums available in English, so everybody is able to participate in this community. There is a lot of knowledge in this forum, and the tone of voice is very friendly. It is actually so friendly, that it seems that a lot of members have become personal friends. Looking in their Get-ToGether subforum, you'll see that there are almost monthly meetings across all of (mainly) Germany and Austria.

I think that R-L-X left off where the famous Paneristi community ended. The Paneristi forums have been on-line for quite some years now, and it is a great community, but it seems that technology-wise, they didn't improve. There is only little interaction on building a b knowledge base and just minor efforts to keep up with new technology and web applications. However, if you are interested in Panerai watches, it is definitely the place to start.
Regardless of your preference for certain watch brands or types (dive-/pilot-/military watches etc.), our common interest in them enables us to create great platforms to share knowledge and even more important, share our passion with each other. Since those first days at the online watch communities, I have made great friends throughout the years. Not only people in my own country, but from all around the globe. Wherever I go in the world, there seems to be always another watch aficionado in my network of watch friends who offers me a coffee, beer or even diner. I think this is the best part of being a watch nut, sharing passion with a lot of (different) people.
I can't imagine collecting watches would be as fun as it is now without sharing the passion through online communities!

HH Magazine - # 29, July-August 2009

To judge by its depiction in what Americans call "B Movies", South America would either be a jungle where cigar-smoking drug lords shoot at each other or an endless carnival where women in bikinis dance on a beach while their boyfriends play football. Though one may, in fact, run into scenes like this at some locations, the sub-continent is really made up of many different countries that represent a small but steady portion of the Haute Horlogerie market.
Brazil, the "B" in BRIC (the acronym for "Brazil, Russia, India, China", the four most rapidly-developing economies in the world), is both the largest and most populated country. Whereas most South Americans tend to calculate any local price in terms of its equivalent in US dollars, Brazilians prefer to think in terms of their own currency. Maybe it's because they're the only ones who speak Portuguese or, more probable, because they are the most powerful in terms of their economy (their many FIFA World Cup wins also contribute to their national pride, by the way).
Brazilians have a rich tradition in jewelry, and their top brand, H. Stern, has worldwide reach. The Haute Horlogerie market, on the other hand, is relatively less developed. It is, however a larger market for the sport elegance and sport technique segments: Brazil is Rolex's ber market in the area, and at this point, the brand making more progress seems to be Breitling, who has recently opened a local branch. And even with the ongoing crisis, other well-established names like Omega also manage to show reasonable numbers.

22 June 2009
- www.fratellowatches.com
I don't consider myself a collector of watches, I just 'collect' what I will actually be wearing. I had a modest collection of new & vintage Omega watches in the past, but I traded most of them for watches that would actually see some daylight every now and then instead of the inside of a safe.  
For me, this results in buying 'iconic' watches most of the time. True classics in terms of design, movement, history or a combination of all these aspects. For example, these icons include the Omega Speedmaster Professional, Rolex GMT-Master and (recently added) the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Michael Balfour wrote a nice book about iconic timepieces called ' Cult Watches'. Of course, some people may think differently on what an iconic timepiece may be. I can imagine that there are watch aficionados who consider an Ikepod Cunningham or a Bell & Ross BR01 to be cult watches as well.

Anyway, in the 10 years I have been buying or collecting timepieces, I always envied the people that just have one watch. Like the guy in the Patek Philippe advertisements, having a nice Patek Nautilus ref. 5711/1A, wear it almost a life time and then pass it on to the next generation (or someone else you love or care for). And in the beginning, I actually thought that an Omega Constellation would be my perfect "only watch". Or my Speedmaster Professional. Or my Rolex Sea-Dweller. Although I was able to wear a timepieces for months in a row, it turned out that I kept rotating timepieces from my collection (or buying new/other ones).

On some of the online watch forums, contributors tend to write about their latest acquisition as being their exit watch. By exit watch, they mean that they finally found their "only watch". Of course, after a while you see the same contributors adding a message that they bought something else or something new. To quote Michael Corleone in The Godfather part III, "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."
Let me tell you this: There is no exit watch. At least, not for us watch addicts. An Omega Speedmaster Professional could be a perfect only watch. Or a Rolex GMT-Master. Or an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. For a lot of people, they probably are. But we are spoiled. We complain about having no date on a Speedmaster Professional, the Royal Oak being a scratch magnet, the GMT-Master for not being as water resistant as a Sea-Dweller. It is rubbish. Normal people probably don't even come up with these lame excuses.
Would finding a new passion be a solution (or an excuse to only have one watch)? I guess not, because as soon as the word 'collect' comes in, you are lost… It doesn't matter what the subject will be.

Antiquorum, the world's leading watch auctioneer, is pleased to announce its upcoming 'Important Collector's Wristwatches, Pocket Watches, Clocks and Horological Tools' sale on March 28 & 29, 2009 at the Grand Hotel Kempinski in Geneva. This auction will occur during Baselworld 09, which attracts the most prestigious watch manufacturers and jewelers in the world. The auction, featuring 481 lots, brings together a remarkable selection of the finest timepieces by world-renowned watchmakers.

Highlights of this spring auction include two very rare Patek Philippe watches that represent milestones in the history of the brand, respectively Ref. 1518 in 18K pink gold with a special dial with enamel numerals, estimated between 600,000 and 800,000 SFr. and a Ref. 2499/100 in 18K yellow gold made in only 349 examples, estimated at 280,000-350,000 SFr.

The Collection of an Italian Gentleman is certain to attract attention, as it is a very interesting private collection of about 30 Rolex wristwatches highlighting the most significant watches made by Rolex since the 1940's.

Furthermore, in celebration of the Antiquorum's 35th anniversary, the Geneva 2009 catalogues take on a new look. Their special covers, designed by exceptional artists and photographers recognized for their unique creativity and interest in horology, highlight the excitement and elegance of extraordinary watches. In the spring catalogue, well-known French photographer Gilles Pernet brings his own personal vision to illuminate one of the exceptional watches from the auction.

The watches will be shown in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Geneva.

Saturday March 28 and Sunday March 29, 2009 Grand Hotel Kempinski, Geneva

Highlights of the March Geneva Sale   

Patek Philippe, Geneve, Ref. 1518, 1st series. Made in 1946, sold on October 21st. 1947.

Very fine and extremely rare, 18K pink gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, square button chronograph, register and tachometer, fitted with an 18K pink gold Patek Philippe buckle.
Probably unique, due to the enamel numeral dial.

This watch is an exceptional example of the signature complications made by Patek Philippe at the time. Patek was the first brand to produce perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatches in series.

Estimate: 600.000/800.000 SFr
             
        
Patek Philippe, la Ref. 2499-100. Made in 1980, sold on June 30th, 1980.

Very fine and extremely rare, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, 30-minute register, perpetual calendar, moon phases and fitted with an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle.

This watch is the last variation of the above-mentioned complication. It is the last reference produced by Patek Philippe in a very small production series.

Estimate: 280.000/350.000 Sfr
             
        
Jaeger-LeCoultre, "Gyrotourbillon 1", N. 46/75. Made in a limited edition of 75 pieces from 2005.

Exceptional and highly complicated, large, water-resistant, 8-day going platinum wristwatch with visible inclined lightweight two-cage multi-axis spherical tourbillon Jaeger-LeCoultre caliber 177, two barrels with sapphire covers, "marchante" equation of time, perpetual calendar with retrograde month indication.

Estimate: 300.000/400.000 Sfr
             
        
Audemars Piguet. Limited Edition No. 8 - Maserati Anniversary - Millenary MC12 Tourbillon & Chronograph.

Made in a limited edition of 150 pieces in 2006 to commemorate the success of the Maserati MC12 in the 2005 FIA GT Manufacturers' Cup, sold on December 24, 2006.
Extremely fine and very rare, oval, platinum wristwatch with twin white gold and palladium alloy barrels, black carbon movement with blue anodized aluminum bridges, 10-day power reserve, visible one-minute tourbillon regulator, oval-button chronograph, register, tachometer and a platinum Audemars Piguet deployant clasp.

Estimate: 200.000/300.000 Sfr

These last two models demonstrate the important revival of mechanical watches in the 21st century, highlighting cutting-edge technology
 
             
        
Rolex, Ref. 6270/6263, "Cosmograph, Oyster avec diamants baguette". Made in 1985.

Extremely rare and very fine, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, bezel set with 28 baguette diamonds. The dial is set with 240 diamonds and nine sapphires, and fitted with an 18K yellow gold riveted Rolex Oyster bracelet.
One of the rarest Daytona Cosmograph references.

Estimate: 100.000/150.000 Sfr.
             
        
Rolex, Ref. 1665 "Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller". Made especially in 1972 for the Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, and retailed by Asprey (London retailer).

Very fine and extremely rare, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with gas-escape valve, date and a stainless steel Oyster "Fliplock" bracelet.

This is a very rare variation of the Red Sea-Dweller that will raise a lot of interest among collectors and aficionados of the model.

Estimate: 50.000/70.000 Sfr

 The Collection of an Italian Gentleman:

     
Rolex, Ref. 6541 "Oyster Perpetual, Milgauss, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified". Made in 1958.

Very fine and extremely rare, anti-magnetic, water-resistant, center seconds, self-winding, stainless steel wristwatch with straight seconds hand, honeycomb dial and a stainless steel riveted Rolex Oyster bracelet.

Estimate: 90.000/130.000 Sfr
           
        
Ref. 8171, "Padellone" N°66 Rolex, "Perpetual, Precision". Made in 1950.

Extremely fine and rare, self-winding, 18K pink gold chronometer wristwatch with triple date, moon phases and fitted with an 18K pink gold Rolex buckle.

The reference 8171 is one of the most sought-after. It was produced from 1949-1952 in 18K yellow and pink gold as well as in stainless steel. The excellent un-restored condition of the present watch, including the interior of the case back, gives the collector an excellent opportunity to better understand Rolex production techniques.

Estimate: 180.000/260.000 Sfr
             
        
Rolex, "Oyster, Chronographe, Serpico Y Laino, Anti-magnetique", Ref. 6234. Made in 1954 and retailed by Serpico Y Laino (a retailer in Caracas, Venezuela).

Very fine and equally rare, tonneau-shaped, water-resistant, 14K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, telemeter and tachometer and a polished and brushed 14K yellow gold riveted Rolex Oyster bracelet.

Estimate: 80.000/120.000 Sfr
             
        
Rolex, Ref. 1680 "Oyster, Perpetual Date, Submariner, 200m/660ft, Superlative Chronometer, Officially Certified". Made in 1974 for the Fuerza Aerea del Perù.

Very fine and extremely rare tropical red military submariner with Meter First, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with date and a stainless steel special riveted Fliplock bracelet.

Estimate: 30.000/50.000 Sfr