Roundup & Top Performers at The Hong Kong Watch Auction: Three

Two session to cover 290 lots this evening at Hong Kong. Quite the monumental task no doubt. But kudos to the team for pulling through from 3pm to 6:30pm and then again from 7pm to 10:35pm (HK time). Talk about a marathon.

A quick scroll through the sale results page and it’s easy to do a rough count that just about 60 odd pieces did not end up finding good homes tonight and there were three pieces that were pulled out before the proceedings began.

While I’m sure you’ve flipped through the entire auction collection inside and out several times, it did still strike me tonight, though, that a sizeable number of lots were recent production pieces. These, the auction house, moved swiftly through leading us to session number two where the majority of the highlight pieces were.

Well may be that’s not completely true because the team did manage to put the three Patek Philippe calendar chronographs belonging to Eric Clapton, CBE under the hammer towards the end of the first session.

I can’t say I recall a moment from either session today that stuck in the mind, but that’s probably because the entire affair moved very swiftly — which the team had to — in order to cover the sheer mass of lots massed. For what it’s worth, I sat at my desk (yup, was just watching the auctions on the Phillips.com live stream) thinking that sessions one and two would take the lots on a 50/50 basis. But no, session one alone covered when than half the number of lots.

So now that we have a sense of the atmosphere in the room, here are the top five performers from The Hong Kong Watch Auction: Three.

1. Lot 1135: Patek Philippe ref. 2419 yellow gold minute repeater retailed by Cartier
The top number of the day got very close to the high-estimate set for this unique piece of Patek Philippe history. Hammered at HK$9,800,000, the piece was one of the highlights of the auction at Hong Kong this November. The other big highlight was the other yellow gold Patek Philippe minute repeater, which prior to tonight belonged to the same owner.

For its sale price, the ref. 2419 stands as the highest secured bid both yesterday evening and tonight at The Hong Kong Watch Auction: Three.

2. Lot 1140: Ref. 2481 pink gold Patek Philippe with cloisonné enamel dial depicting the map of Eurasia
Was personally rooting for this one. It’s got all the makings of the perfect Patek Philippe of intrigue, with character to boot. First let me say that I’m not a big fan of the red/pink/rose gold, but the patina that’s developed on this particular case does become more and more pleasing the longer you observe it.

Then there is the cloisonné enamel dial, which is charming not just because of the great example of Patek’s metier d’art that it stands for, or the fact that the dial too has developed this glorious patina, but really that it bears the peculiar map of Eurasia depicted upon it. Quite the talking piece.

This one hammered for HK$6,320,000.

3. Lot 1108: Ref. 1191 Patek Philippe museum quality baroque style dome clock
The third piece on the list isn’t a wristwatch, but a photo-electric cell powered, 370mm tall and 6.4kg’s worth of a dome clock. Hammered home for a very nice HK$5,120,000.

4. Lot 1106 yellow gold Patek Philippe hunter case watch with enamel miniature painting
Yet another non-wristwatch in the midst of the top five here is this hunter case watch, which hammered for a flat HK$5,000,000. This particular piece is, of course, made special because of Suzanne Rohr — the last Master Enameller — who depicted German artist Alfred Roloff’s ‘Fire in the Steppe’ on the watch case by means of miniature painting.

5. Lots 1134 & 1104 the ref. 2524/1 Patek Philippe yellow gold minute repeater and yellow gold and polychrome enamel openface watch
Two lots tied the fifth spot with both pieces sold for HK$4,040,000. First the second yellow gold Patek Philippe minute repeater, which has the Tiffany stamped dial and the other piece — the polychrome enamel openface watch depicting Egyptian deity Geb.

Standing at the end of the lineup, it is particularly interesting that all the top 5, or rather 6 lots, are Patek pieces and then it’s even more curious that half of the top lots are not exactly wristwatches.

In absolute terms, it is tough to say exactly what all of that means, just because of the number and variety of brands that were represented in the catalogue today. And while the two Dufour Simplicities were far from these top performers, it’s safe to say that they were the greater highlights for the discerning collectors. You can read the small report on those two pieces here.

Otherwise, you can look through the entire list of numbers for lots sold tonight here.

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