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    Historical Timepieces Take Centre Stage in Sotheby's Sale of Important Watches in Geneva This May

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    Luis Jorge Nahle Ortiz
    This press release announces an upcoming auction of important watches by Sotheby's in Geneva on May 9, 2010. It will feature a wide range of timepieces from the 1650s to present day, including historical pocket watches, wristwatches, and technical pieces. A highlight is an exceptional 18th century automaton watch depicting a shepherdess that belonged to King Farouk, estimated at CHF400,000-500,000. The sale also includes watches with illustrious provenance such as a desk clock presented to Charles de Gaulle. In total there will be over 300 lots ranging from estimates of CHF2,000 to CHF500,000.

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    Historical Timepieces Take Centre Stage in Sotheby's Sale of Important Watches in Geneva This May

    Uploaded by

    Luis Jorge Nahle Ortiz
    107 views6 pages
    This press release announces an upcoming auction of important watches by Sotheby's in Geneva on May 9, 2010. It will feature a wide range of timepieces from the 1650s to present day, including historical pocket watches, wristwatches, and technical pieces. A highlight is an exceptional 18th century automaton watch depicting a shepherdess that belonged to King Farouk, estimated at CHF400,000-500,000. The sale also includes watches with illustrious provenance such as a desk clock presented to Charles de Gaulle. In total there will be over 300 lots ranging from estimates of CHF2,000 to CHF500,000.

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    This press release announces an upcoming auction of important watches by Sotheby's in Geneva on May 9, 2010. It will feature a wide range of timepieces from the 1650s to present day, including historical pocket watches, wristwatches, and technical pieces. A highlight is an exceptional 18th century automaton watch depicting a shepherdess that belonged to King Farouk, estimated at CHF400,000-500,000. The sale also includes watches with illustrious provenance such as a desk clock presented to Charles de Gaulle. In total there will be over 300 lots ranging from estimates of CHF2,000 to CHF500,000.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    107 views6 pages

    Historical Timepieces Take Centre Stage in Sotheby's Sale of Important Watches in Geneva This May

    Uploaded by

    Luis Jorge Nahle Ortiz
    This press release announces an upcoming auction of important watches by Sotheby's in Geneva on May 9, 2010. It will feature a wide range of timepieces from the 1650s to present day, including historical pocket watches, wristwatches, and technical pieces. A highlight is an exceptional 18th century automaton watch depicting a shepherdess that belonged to King Farouk, estimated at CHF400,000-500,000. The sale also includes watches with illustrious provenance such as a desk clock presented to Charles de Gaulle. In total there will be over 300 lots ranging from estimates of CHF2,000 to CHF500,000.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    Press Release London

    For Immediate Release

    London | +44 (0)20 7293 6000 | Matthew Weigman | [email protected]


    Mitzi Mina| [email protected]

    HistoricalTimepiecesTakeCentreStageinSothebys
    SaleofImportantWatchesinGenevathisMay

    THEKINGFAROUKSHEPERDESS

    AnexceptionalThreeColourGold,EnamelandSplitPearlShieldFormAutomaton,
    madefortheChineseMarket,c.180510,Est.CHF400,000500,000*

    SOTHEBYSforthcomingsaleofImportantWatches,totakeplaceattheHotelBeauRivageinGeneva
    onSunday,May9,2010,willbringtogetherawiderangeoftimepieceseverythingfromhistorical
    piecestomodernexamples,frompocketwatchestodeskclocksthattogethercharttheevolutionof
    thisfascinatingfieldfromthe1650stothepresentday.

    GeoffroyAder,EuropeanHeadofWatchesatSothebys,summarizestheforthcomingsale:Thissale
    issettocatchtheimaginationandinterestofcollectorsacrosstheglobe.Thereissomethinghereforeverytaste
    andforeverytypeofcollector,butmostofall,therearepieceswhoseprovenanceandhistorycombinedwith
    theirinnatequalitymakethemveryspecialindeed.Inrecentyearswehaveseenparticipationinoursalesfrom

    an everincreasing number of new collectors, many of them from Asia (where a penchant for modern
    wristwatchesandenamelwatchesiscurrentlyverypronounced).Ilookforwardtowelcomingthesecollectors,
    togetherwithmanymorenottomentionouroldfriendsbackintoourroomsonMay9th.

    HistoricalTimepieces

    An exceptional Three Colour Gold, Enamel and Split Pearl Shield Form Automaton, made for the Chinese
    Market,c.180510(illustratedonpreviouspage).

    Highlighting the exceptional group of historical pieces is a small, shieldshaped pocket watch that
    ranks among the most impressive pieces ever made by the legendary watchmakers Isaac Daniel
    Piguet and Henri Capt. Made some time between 1805 and 1810, this beautifully crafted watch
    features an automata of astonishing complexity, showing a shepherdess tending two sheep near a
    waterfall. The extraordinary craftsmanship behind this piece is matched by its exceptional
    provenance: it once belonged to the notoriously extravagant King Farouk last King of Egypt.
    Farouks collection was legendary, spanning everything from silver to stamps and coins, from
    watchesandautomatatoobjectsofvirtue.Hisforcedabdicationin1952wasswiftlyfollowedbythe
    sale at Sothebys in 1954 of his vast and dazzling collection. Now, over half a century after its
    appearance in that landmark sale, the Shepherdess watch returns to auction with an estimate of
    CHF400,000500,000.

    AnhistoricalsilvergiltdiamonddesktimepiecepresentedtoGeneraldeGaulleatthelaunchofthetransatlantic
    linerFranceonMay11,1960.
    Enjoying a similarly illustrious provenance is lot 156 a silver gilt
    diamond desk clock (est: CHF30,00050,000, illustrated left), made by
    Boucheron and presented to the French President Charles de Gaulle to
    celebrate the launch, some fifty years ago, of the great transatlantic liner
    France then the largest liner in the world. The launch of the France,
    whichtookplaceon11thMay1960,wasaneventofnationalsignificance
    theentireFrenchshipbuildingindustryhadbeeninvolvedinthebuilding
    of this extraordinary liner lavishly decorated, it also represented the
    heightofinnovationandtechnicalprogress.

    Arareandhistorical18Kyellowgoldanddiamondsetautomaticwristwatchwithdateandblackdial,circa
    1950,ref6305,Oysterperpetual.

    Among the other historical pieces in the sale is watch of extraordinary


    rarity.FittedwithoneoftherarestdialsRolexhaseverproduced,lot155,
    ayellowgoldanddiamondsetautomaticwristwatch,formerlybelonged
    tohisHighnessMohammedLamineBey,lastBeyofTunisaportraitof
    whom adorns the stunning lacquered and gilt dial, which is also and
    highlyunusuallysetwithsixdiamonds(mostRolexmodelsofthistype
    are set with five diamonds). Recently exhibited at the Patek Philippe
    Museum,thisextremelyrarewatchcomestoauctionwithanestimateof
    CHF50,00060,000(illustratedright).

    Pocketwatches

    Pocket watches the subject of increasingly fierce competition in recent


    Sothebys sales feature strongly in Mays auction. Among them is a rare
    pair cased gilt brass and enamel watch, bearing the arms and miniature
    portrait of Joahann Willem II, Elector of the Palatinate (16581716). Made
    circa 1700 by Simon Mayr, watchmaker to the Royal court, this beautifully
    craftedwatch(lot68,illustratedleft)isestimatedatCHF35,00045,000.

    Followingtheenormoussuccess,inSothebysNovember2009sale,ofagroupofpocketwatchesfrom
    aprivateEuropeanestate(thatgroupmadeCHF630,500againstanestimateofCHF248,000342,000),
    Mays sale brings to the market 20 further watches from the same source/estate (lots 6989). With
    estimates ranging from CHF2,000 to CHF12,000, the group to be offered consists predominately of
    pieces from the late 18th century, many of them beautifully enamelled. Among them is a fine three
    colourgoldandenamelhalfhuntingcasedvergewatchmadeinSwitzerlandfortheTurkishmarket
    (lot89),estimatedatCHF8,00012,000.

    TechnicalWatches

    Among a number of important technical watches in the sale is an


    important and rare yellow gold openfaced keyless tourbillion
    watch with Guillaume balance, made by Vacheron Constantin in
    1932 (MVT 416563, Case 258498). Estimated at CHF60,00080,000,
    this recently rediscovered watch is one of the most important
    manufactured by the celebrated Genevabased watchmaker. Not
    onlydidthiswatch(lot186,illustratedleft)winthehighlycoveted
    firstprizeintheprestigiouschronometercompetitionattheGenevaObservatoryin1931,itisalso
    very unusually housed in its original period case. (Of the small number of tourbillons made by
    Vacheron, very few appear to have been cased and completed during the period in which the
    movementsweremade.)
    Enjoying the kind of provenance that is soughtafter in todays market, a
    yellowgoldhuntingcasedquarterrepeatingkeylessleverwatch(190921,
    MTV 156698, case 281669) comes to sale direct from the descendents of
    AdrianPhilippe,oneofthefoundingfathersofoneofthemostcelebrated
    watchmakersintheindustryPatekPhilippe.Lot194inthesale,thisfine
    exampleofPatekPhilippecraftsmanshipisestimatedatCHF18,00025,000
    (illustratedright).

    Patek Philippes legendary craftsmanship is represented elsewhere


    inthesale:inlot207,arareandlarge18Kyellowgoldchronograph
    wristwatchwithregisterandtachometer,retailedbyGbelin(1953,
    Ref 1579, MVT 868528, Case 679665) and estimated at CHF60,000
    80,000;inlot210,arare1942stainlesssteelchronographwristwatch
    withregister,mostprobablyorderedasaleavinggiftforadirectorat
    Caran dAche pencils of Switzerland (with the coveted 1463A
    reference,MTV863089,case625767)andestimatedatCHF200,000220,000(illustratedleft);andinlot
    222,afineandrare198218Kyellowgoldperpetualcalendarwristwatchwithmoonphasesandred

    dot Arabic leap year indication (ref 3450J, MVT 1119616, case 2788640), estimated at CHF200,000
    250,000.

    The sale also includes a group of some 46 modern complicated wrist watches by Patek Philippe
    variously comprising perpetual calendars, moonphases, automatic world time, and many other
    features.EstimatesrangefromCHF6,00085,000.

    Withthesameillustriousprovenancethatcharacterisessomanywatchesby
    the legendary watchmaker Breguet, a yellow gold quarter repeating open
    facedwatch,circa1800,oncebelongedtothe4thDukeofNewcastle,towhom
    it was sold on March 20th 1806 for the then princely sum of 1,440FR. The
    same watch (lot 180, illustrated left) now carries an estimate of CHF15,000
    20,000.

    Twoenchantingminiaturewatchesmakeforaninterestingadditiontothesale.
    Thefirstofthese(lot166,illustratedright)isanextremelyraregoldandenamel
    prehair spring verge watch, made in around 1650 by Pascal Hubert (est:
    CHF30,00050,000). The second (lot 176) ranks among the smallest calibre
    minuterepeatingpocketwatcheseverproducedbyAudemarsPiguet.Theuse
    ofplatinuminthis1914example(ref14937,est:CHF30,00050,000),rendersthe
    pieceevenrarer:smallminuterepeatingpocketwatchesarealmostexclusively
    producedingold,platinumbeingmorecostlyanddifficulttowork.

    Among the modern limited edition timepieces in the sale is an


    oversizedPilotEditionAntoinedeSaintExuprywatchbyIWC(lot
    45, illustrated left). The entire proceeds from the sale of this piece
    (which is estimated at CHF50,00070,000) will be donated to charity
    byIWCSchaffhausen.Othermodernlimitededitionwatchesinclude
    an oversized alacrite and titanium tourbillon wristwatch by
    AudemarsPiguet(lot58)estimatedatCHF80,000120,000.

    Aside from the France mentioned earlier, Mays sale will also include
    anotherimportantdeskclockaCartierYellowGold,Platinum,RockCrystal,
    Onyx, Mother of Peal and Diamond Mystery Clock, from 1928 (lot 162,
    illustrated left). Estimated at CHF280,000350,000 this example of the
    legendary mystery clock design (thus named because of the inquisitive
    mindsetneededtodecodeitscomplexity)featuresrotatingrockcrystaldiscs
    to indicate the hours and minutes. This mechanism is invisibly powered by
    gearshiddenintheframe,whiletheonyxbasecontainstheclocksmovement.

    Finally, the sale includes a watch that epitomizes the longestablished and
    glamorousconnectionsbetweenwatchesandfastcars.EstimatedatCHF6,000
    8,000,aMonacomodelHeuerautomaticchronographwristwatch,withfull
    racing credentials, is set to generate much excitement (lot 100, illustrated
    right).ThisisthemodelthatwaswornbySteveMcQueeninthe1971racing
    film Le Mans. Fittingly, this particular example was given to the current
    consignor by none other than the Swiss racing legend Gianclaudio Clay
    Regazzoni,whowonfiveGrandsPrixbetween1970and1980.

    *Estimatesdonotincludebuyerspremium

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