Christie’s Hong Kong Watches Autumn Auctions
IMPORTANT WATCHES FEATURING THE TRIAZZA COLLECTION PART I
Live Sale – Various Owners | 27 November 2022 | 223 lots | Total low estimate: HK$ 120 million
THE CHAMPION COLLECTION PART VI: ‘THE FINEST WATCHMAKING’
Live Sale – Single Owner | 27 November 2022 | 82 lots | Total low estimate: HK$ 49 million
THE CHAMPION COLLECTION, PART V:
‘THE PANERAI ENCYCLOPEDIA-FINAL CHAPTER’
Online Sale – Single Owner | 24 November – 7 December 2022 | 88 lots |
Total low estimate: HK$ 5.5 million
Hong Kong, 11 October 2022 – Christie’s Hong Kong is proud to present three significant sales this Autumn, featuring the final two parts of The Champion Collection, as well as some of the world’s most complicated watches and Métiers d’Art masterpieces.
On 27 November, the Live Sale of ‘The Champion Collection Part VI: The Finest Watchmaking’ will feature 82 lots; the same day Christie’s will also present 223 Important Watches featuring the astonishing Triazza Collection Part I, which encompasses some of the rarest and most sublime timepieces from Patek Philippe.
An Online Sale will first be held from 24 November to 7 December, introducing Part V of The Champion Collection, entitled ‘The Panerai Encyclopedia – Final Chapter’.
Alexandre Bigler, Vice-President & Head of Watches Christie’s Asia Pacific, shared: “‘The Finest Watchmaking’, our live sale on November 27th, opens another stunning chapter in the story of The Champion Collection that began unfolding at Christies Hong Kong in November 2021. Brilliant cloisonné dial ‘Métiers d’Art’ masterpieces by Patek Philippe, rare and highly complicated wristwatches by Lange & Söhne and Greubel Forsey, a breath-taking full set of four of Vacheron Constantin’s first series ‘Tribal Masks’… works of watchmaking art in pristine condition with the most prestigious provenances that collectors have dreamed of are reality. ‘The Finest Watchmaking’ promises to keep the momentum up in the series of record-setting sales which have already made horological history.”
THE CHAMPION COLLECTION PART VI: ‘THE FINEST WATCHMAKING’
The sixth auction from The Champion Collection, entitled ‘The Finest Watchmaking’, offers collectors a cornucopia of stunning examples of the watchmaker’s art.
Patek Philippe
Lot 2282 – Patek Philippe Ref. 5208P. An important and highly complicated platinum automatic minute repeating instantaneous perpetual calendar single button chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, leap year and day/night indication. Circa 2014.
(Est: HK$5,500,000-11,000,000)
Métiers d’Art masterpieces: Vacheron Constantin’s “Tribal Mask” set
It is Christie’s great privilege to present one of the extremely rare full set of four from the 2007 first series Métiers d’Art “Tribal Mask” wristwatches. One of the highlights of the ‘Champion Collection’, these spectacular creations are considered to be great works of art, the masks are entirely hand-made by craftsmen of the highest caliber working with precious materials.
The finish of the gold masks has been captured in amazing detail and faithfully reproduces the original full-size masks that served as models. The outstanding watchmaking skills of Vacheron Constantin transform the Tribal Mask watches into wearable masterpieces of outstanding beauty.
Only 25 highly exclusive sets were made worldwide in 2007, further sets of four watches were also produced for the years 2008 and 2009. Each set features four different masks so that, over those three years, a total of 12 watches were produced. As exciting as it is noteworthy, as one of the world’s greatest watch collectors, the owner of The Champion Collection acquired one of each of the three complete sets of four. Starting with the 2007 set offered in this auction, the sets made in 2008 and 2009 will follow in future sales. (Each mask is sold as an individual piece).
Lot 2250 – From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k white gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of an Alaska antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008.
(Est: HK$375,000-750,000)
Lot 2249 – From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k pink gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of an Indonesia antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008.
(Est: HK$375,000-750,000)
Lot 2248 – From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive and extremely rare 18k gold limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of a China antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008.
(Est: HK$375,000-750,000)
Lot 2251 – From the Vacheron Constantin Les Masques collection, an impressive extremely rare platinum limited edition automatic wristwatch with day, date and 18k gold hand engraved micro sculpture of a Congo antique mask from the Barbier-Muller Museum. Circa 2008.
(Est: HK$375,000-750,000)
Enamel wonders
Lot 2258 – Patek Philippe Ref. 7131/175R. A magnificent and extremely rare limited edition ladies’ 18k pink gold and diamond-set automatic world time wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial featuring the Geneva harbour, made to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Patek Philippe. Circa 2015.
(Est: HK$1,000,000-2,000,000)
Lot 2263 – Patek Philippe Ref 5077/100R-033. A rare 18k pink gold and diamond set wristwatch with cloisonné enamel dial featuring a view of Tuscany. Circa 2018.
(Est: HK$700,000-1,400,000)
Lot 2247 – Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso à Éclipse ‘Famous Nudes’. A magnificent and extremely rare platinum reversible wristwatch with enamel dial depicting the Turkish Bath by Jean Auguste-Dominique Ingres.
(Est: HK$300,000-600,000)
Lot 2246 – Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso à Éclipse ‘Famous Nudes’. An extremely rare platinum reversible wristwatch with enamel dial depicting Primavera by Botticelli.
(Est: HK$300,000-600,000)
IMPORTANT WATCHES FEATURING THE TRIAZZA COLLECTION PART I
Patek Philippe collectors often imagine the watches that would be included in their dream collection, however few manage to obtain them. The Triazza Collection is indeed a dream Patek Philippe collection, an incredible grouping that is not only testament to the taste and discernment of its present owner, but also one where each individual watch has been carefully chosen for its rarity, condition, beauty and provenance.
Lot 2519 – A unique yellow gold Ref. 5004J-017 with Certificate of Origin-confirmed stunning black monogram dial, luminous indexes and luminous hands and white tachymeter scale, made as a bespoke commission for the remarkable American collector Michael Steven Ovitz.
(Est: HK$5,000,000-10,000,000)
Lot 2520 – Ref. 1415 Heures Universelles.
(Est: HK$1,500,000-3,000,000)
Lot 2522 – The Esmond Bradley Martin Ref. 605 HU cloisonné dial ‘North America’.
(Est: HK$7,000,000-14,000,000)
Lot 2521 – Geneva Observatory 1st Prize-winning tourbillon, possibly unique in retaining both its original gold case and white enamel Breguet numeral dial and, in addition, its original antimagnetic observatory contest case and original contest silver sector dial.
(Est: HK$5,500,000-11,000,000)
About Christie’s
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Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019). Christie’s is also recognised as a reference for prestigious single owner collections, having auctioned 8 of the 10 most important collections in history.
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*Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price – see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.
*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees.