Christie's auction of may 16. Sci-fi watches and bids.

Posted on 17.05.2011 by malik - 0 comment

This report was realized on May Friday 13, 3 days before the auction, in Geneva.
We had chosen the watches by interest, and were trying to keep variety, between the brands, the modern and the vintage, the sport and the dressed, of this selection:

LOT 19, a crazy Rolex 6542 GMT, 38mm, SS case, Used Bakelit bezel, tropical burned dial by the radium and the sun... The dial is amazing, the GMT hand is weird...
And we are in the absolute myth of the Rolex GMT. The watch has been retired before the sale...

LOT 124, a vintage Panerai «Radiomir» 3646 «KampSwimmer», Steel, 47mm, a caliber Rolex Cortebert 618, from 1943, manufactured by Rolex (and Corterbert), dial and bezel modified by Panerai.
This not indicated in the press release, but the engraved caseback, the sterile dial and the strap buckle said that this watch is a KS.
This wristwatch is the one that had seen the greastest commando missions of this auction, the German KS (and Italian Gamma divers) are used in the last years of the WW2 in many suicidal aquatic assault, with this kind of watches.
I have been a Paneristi for many years, I wear a Radiomir PAM232 aka "1938".
Seeing this timepiece closer always makes me emotional;
Comparing pictures of the two watches, I can tell the actual OP made a tremendously good work of reedition with the PAM232...
Not surprisingly, the watch reached a price 65% above the original estimation of 87.000chf

The crown is not genuine, the original one looks more like my 232's

I you look carefully, you'll notice a very interesting feature: the thick coat of resin that covers the radium index.

On WatchO: http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12391

LOT 129, maybe the artillery officer equivalent of the previous Scuba Commando Panerai...
From 1942, an over rare Rolex 4113 Chrono Rattrapante, over sized (for a Rolex...), with a Valjoux 55 VBR, 17 lines 2/3 around 38mm, in a 44mm SS case.
I'am not a Rolex addict, it might be the most attractive Rolex I've ever seen...
Once again, I'am not alone to love it, she had gone at 25% more than the average estimation, at more than 1million of Swiss Francs.

On WatchO: http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12380

LOT 24 a Rolex Gold Daytona Chrono, 6241, also called «Paul Newman», with a beautiful champagne dial, in very good condition...
I am not the only one who love it: It was sold for 105000 chf, 35% more than the estimated price:

On WatchO:

http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12379

LOT 81, more than crazy, more than rare, maybe unique, a Patek Philippe Chronograph monopusher... BY the crown!!
White gold cushion of 34mm, the watch is from 1928. And the beautiful movement is quasi NOS.
The watch went for 3,5 millions of chf, twice the estimate... Superlative.

On Watchonista: http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12381

LOT 100, one of my favorite, the Lange&Söhne Double Split.
The only double rattrapante of all wristwatches making... Developed by Renaud&Papi, this movement, with a 30minutes rattrapante, is more than complicated.
I love the savage look of the watch, the only default, she's too thick.
Final price 68k chf, in the middle of the estimated price, and totaly under-bidded, for the true horological interest of this marvelous piece...

On WatchO: http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12388

LOT 395, a Patek 5100W, white gold case, crazy blue dial, 10 days power reserve, 33mm on 46mm. The ray manta is propably the most beautiful rectangular case of the horlogical.
I love this watch remember this article about the rose gold version :

http://blog.watchonista.com/blog/one-i-dream-see-basel-2011-patek-5100

Watch finally removed.

On WatchOnista: http://www.watchonista.com/index.php?page=watch-info&wid=12385

LOT 382 & LOT 218 two beautiful marine chronometer, the Vacheron-Constantin is beautiful, he's from 1916, with chaine fusée, Earnshaw escapement.
If I had had 15k€ at the moment of the auction, I would have bought it, I dream to see it on my desk. What great piece of work, the edge of vintage horological.
The Lange has a case less atractive, but he was manufactured in 1940, we easily could imagine a same level of horological interest. The wood case is not so beautiful on the Lange, but it went for 7500 chf; I will check the next auction, I want a marine chronometer on my desk!!