Phillips, Sotheby’s And Christie’s Sold $40-Million Worth Of Watches Over The Weekend In New York City

The three main watch auction houses, Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, sold a combined $39,887,200 worth of watches over the weekend in New York. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo continues its run as the leading watch auctioneer, with its December New York watch sale over the weekend totaling $21.1-million, bringing the annual total for Phillips’ New York watch auctions to $51.5 million, a world record for the Americas. It also closes out two consecutive years of 100%-sold sales for Phillips Watches – a first for any auction house in history.

Leading the New York sale was an F.P. Journe, Tourbillon Souverain in platinum with pink gold dial, which sold for $1.24 million, more than quadruple its estimate. There are only six handmade pink gold dials of this model with remontoir d’egalité. This one is numbered 038, dating from 1999. The second-highest lot was a rare George Daniels 35th Anniversary watch marking the 35th anniversary of Daniels’ invention of the co-axial escapement. One of only 35 versions of this reference made in yellow gold, it sold for $816,500.

Phillips also sold the only known Patek Philippe ref. 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph that is double signed by American retailer Howes, for $792,300. The legendary 2499 is the successor to the ref. 1518, Patek’s first serially made perpetual calendar chronograph. This one was made in 1973.

A section of the sale was dedicated to Grand Seiko, and the top piece among the 10 lots was the Kodo Constant Force Tourbillon, selling for $478,800, a world record price for any Grand Seiko. Another section, the Time For Art sale, raised $1.2 million for Swiss Institute, a non-profit organization to support contemporary art. There were 17 watches in the sale, and leading the group was Urwerk’s unique UR-102.02 designed with artist Cooper Jacoby, which sold for $403,200, a new world record for any Urwerk.

Sotheby’s posted a $12-million total for its December 9 New York sale, which brings its annual total for watch sales to $170-million so far (a Fine Watches sale online has yet to close). The top lot was a platinum and pink gold Patek Philippe ref. 5104 skeletonized minute repeater perpetual calendar, double signed by Tiffany & Co., which sold for $819,000. Also selling for $819,000 was a Rolex Paul Newman “Lemon” Daytona, Reference 6264, one of only a dozen lemon-dialed versions of the exotic reference known to exist.

Other important Patek Philippes in the sale included: a 1948 rare yellow gold World Time ref. 605 with a cloisonné enamel central dial depicting a map of North America, which sold for $756,000; another double-signed Patek/Tiffany piece, a platinum ref. 5970 perpetual calendar chronograph sold for $441,000; and a platinum Patek Philippe ref. 5016P-018 with minute repeater, perpetual calendar, tourbillon, moon phase and retrograde date sold for $693,000 – it was once the most complicated wristwatch produced by Patek Philippe until the Skymoon Tourbillon in 2001.

Christie’s December 8 sale totaled $6,768,720. The top lot was a rare titanium Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Supersonnerie minute repeater, one of 35 Examples, selling for $466,200.

The second highest piece, selling for $352,800, was a Patek Philippe Nautilus with green dial and steel bracelet (a watch that sells for just under $35,000 at retail). Christie’s also sold a rose gold Patek Philippe with cloisonné enamel dial for $252,000. A Richard Mille ref. RM67-02, “Alexander Zverev” piece, number 297 of 497 pieces made in tribute to the tennis great sold for $296,100.