Sixth-generation family auction house Fellows will be holding its next watch sale tomorrow (November 29th) at its Birmingham saleroom. An expansive and varied range of timepieces is on offer, from a brace of Paul Newman Daytonas to a more modest Swarovski crystal-set TW Steel. Revolution went to see what’s on offer and found five lots to shout about:
Lot 20, Blancpain Fifty Fathoms.
While vintage Blancpain Fifty Fathoms are highly collectable in their own right, military issued examples are noticably more desirable. This example, issued to the Polish Navy, features a “no radiation” dial and a caseback engraving indicating its provenance as a military watch. Its estimate is £7,000-9,000.
Lot 5, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore.
A first generation Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph powered by an automatic Jaeger-LeCoultre movement with Dubois-Depraz chronograph modules, this watch has a 42mm stainless-steel case and aftermarket black alligator-leather strap. Introduced in 1993, the Offshore is regarded by many as one of the best contemporary sports watches available. With first-generation examples now faintly rare to market, we have no doubt that this one will exceed its low estimate of £7,000.
Lots 53, Bulgari Daniel Roth Papillon Voyageur GMT.
We at Revolution have maintained, for some time now, that Daniel Roth Bulgaris are both underrated and undervalued. Formed in 1989, the company was acquired by Bulgari in 2000. Lot 53 is one of a limited edition of 99 pieces. It features a rose-gold case with an exhibition caseback. The local time is told with a jumping-hour window at 12 o’clock, whereas home time is indicated with a more conventional 24-hour ring with central indicator in the middle of the dial. Minutes are displayed on the dial’s lower-half with two semi-circular tracks, the two blued-steel minute indicators fold in and out of sight – rather like a butterfly’s wings – from behind the home time ring at the appropriate moment of their 360 degree rotation. Its estimate is £8,000-12,000.
Lot 424 and 432, two Rolex Daytonas.
This sale catalogue includes a white dial ref. 6241 Paul Newman Daytona alongside its direct descendant: a new 2016 white dial, ceramic bezel Daytona.
The ref. 6241 was the second Daytona reference to be released and the first to include a black bezel (in Bakelite). The Fellows’ 6241 has an exotic “Paul Newman” dial and is in remarkably good condition. Its estimate is £45,000-65,000.
With a waiting list of about five years, the new ref. 116500 LN Daytona was easily one of the most sought after watches of 2016. With a retail price of 11,800 CHF (around £9,300), logic dictates that Lot 432 should have a hammer price of no more than its current RRP. But, with the hype around Daytonas at a peak, what it will in fact go for is anyone’s guess. Its estimate is £9,000-14,000.
Lot 578, Ikepod Horizon.
Founded in 1994 by Oliver Ike and designer Marc Newson, Ikepod was one of the most interesting and avant-garde, independent watch manufacturers around (the company is still going, but under new management and without Newson). The Newson-designed Horizon was released in 2006, its name references the astrophysics term “event horizon” – the mathematical end of time and space at the edge of a black hole. This particular Horizon has a 44mm rose-gold case, with champagne dial and black rubber strap. The time-only watch is powered by an automatic ETA 2892 movement and comes with both box and papers. Its estimate is £6,800-8,800.
The auction will start at 11am (GMT) tomorrow. For more information and to register and bid, visit: www.fellows.co.uk
