It is indeed surprising to see how watch sales at auctions are booming at a time when many traditional watch retailers shut their doors due to the pandemic. The pre-owned market is popping up with incredibly rare and special edition watches.
It seems that people are culling their watch collections to upgrade or get access to fast cash in today’s financially distressed situation.
Luxury watches from elite watchmakers like Rolex or Patek are considered as excellent investments. Why? They retain their value well with time. If you head out to sell Rolex in London or any other big cities, it is likely to fetch you an excellent amount of cash.
Regardless, big auction houses are stealing everyone’s attention with incredibly rare and limited-edition timepieces. And some record-breaking auction sales this year to date have already increased contemplation of watch enthusiasts.
The story will continue as a rare Patek, Rolex Daytona and a Napoleon-signed watch will be going up on sale at upcoming auctions. Please continue reading to explore them.
A Rare Patek Philippe Watch Will be on Sale at Phillips’s Auction
Geneva Watch Auction: XII conducted by Phillips’ will feature a Patek Philippe Reference 2523/1 watch on November 6. Encased in rose gold, the watch sports a dual-crowned world timer and guilloche dial. And Phillips describes it in one word “mythical”.
So what makes the watch historically significant? This Patek Philippe Reference 2523 is one of the only four versions produced ever by the brand in rose gold.
Furthermore, one out of only two references ever popped up at auction. Patek Philippe museum has the other watch stored securely in Geneva. Now:
If you are a passionate watch collector or lover, you might be aware that the 24-city world time timepieces of Patek Philippe are rare. However, they are unique and coveted as they feature hand-crafted dials of enamel or guilloche.
Patek Philippe unveiled the Reference 2523 in 1953. Interestingly, a new dual-crown system also made its debut with this watch. However, this dual-crown system includes one crown for winding the timepiece and another, set at 9 o’clock for controlling the city disk.
At the upcoming Phillips’ Geneva Watch Auction: XII, this rare Rose Gold Patek Philippe Reference 2523/1 is evaluated to fetch between £1.54million and £3.09million.
A Rolex Daytona Will be on Sale at Christie’s Auction
Christie’s will conduct its online watch auction from October 1 to 14. And the watch that will be taking the entire spotlight is a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona. Now, the fascinating fact is that the Rolex Daytona is today among the most coveted models in the world.
But what magnifies this Daytona’s esteem and value is its history. The racing legend Carroll Smith was the owner of this Rolex Daytona that will be on sale at Christie’s auction.
Smith was a significant part of the GT40 Le Mans Project. He worked with the Ford Motor Company and Carroll Shelby for the project that eventually inspired the movie “Ford vs Ferrari”.
In fact, Carroll Smith supervised all arrangements for the winning cars in the oldest active sports car race, 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966 and 1967.
Nonetheless, Smith received the Rolex Daytona Reference 6265 as a gift from the Cuddy Racing team. Bill Cuddy headed this team who was not only recognised for his racing but also for his outlaws’ activities.
However, a more appealing fact is that two of Smith’s books will accompany the sale of his Daytona watch at Christie’s auction house – Drive to Win and Prepare to Win. As per the estimates, this Rolex Daytona Reference 6265 with history will sell between £115,779 and £154,373 approx.
A Watch Engraved with Napoleon’s Signature Will be on sale at Sotheby’s
This is indeed something unique or out of the blue for many collectors. A contemporary watch having the sign of the French military leader, Napoleon Bonaparte will pop up at Sotheby’s auction house.
Interestingly, the watch’s back is fitted with a gold Napoleon coin of 20-franc, made in 1807. Golay Spierer, an independent Swiss watch manufacturer, produced this watch as the first reference in a collection, revering historical figures.
So the watch with the signature of Napoleon will feature at an online auction from October 8 to 15. The timepiece is estimated to sell for nearly £33,601 to £67,202. However, a substantial amount of this timepiece’s sale price will be granted to charity.
