Sale at the Hotel President Geneva on 11-12 May to Feature a Two-Crown Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 2523/1, a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘John Player Special’ Ref. 6241, and a Rolex Ref. 6102 with ‘Caravel’ Cloisonné Enamel Dial. Other Highlights Include a Possibly Unique and Previously Unknown Stainless-Steel A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 with a Blue Dial, and the First Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain in Platinum to Appear at Auction.
Phillips Announces Highlights from The Geneva Watch Auction: XIX Featuring The Guido Mondani Collection
On 11 to 12 May, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will host The Geneva Watch Auction: XIX Featuring The Guido Mondani Collection at the Hotel President. The sale will inaugurate a new location for Phillips’ flagship Geneva Watches sale, featuring 500 square meters of sunlight-flooded exhibition space and stunning views of Lake Geneva.
Comprised of over 200 lots, the auction will feature a diverse assortment of significant timepieces from the vintage and modern eras, including a two-crown Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 2523/1, a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ‘John Player Special’ Ref. 6241, a Rolex Ref. 6102 with “Caravel” cloisonné enamel dial, and a third-series Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3448 with “inverted date.” The auction also features a possibly unique and previously unknown A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 with a Blue Dial, the inaugural Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain in Platinum to come to auction, and a “Pre-Souscription” F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance.
Alexandre Ghotbi, Deputy Chairman, Head of Watches Europe & Middle East, and Tiffany To, Head of Sale, jointly said, “We are absolutely thrilled to present the selection of watches in Phillips Watches first live auction of the season. With the Geneva Watch Auction: XIX we have embarked on a journey unveiling a meticulously curated selection of horological masterpieces spanning the better part of the 20th and 21st centuries and whose relevance, importance, rarity, quality or design would give them a valuable place in any collection. Furthermore, many of the models or brands are making their debut in our upcoming auction. Catering to the discerning tastes of a healthy watch market, our collection boasts a diverse array of watches and models, promising to captivate enthusiasts and collectors alike.”
Guido Mondani was born October 29, 1945, in Genoa, Italy. He never wore watches while growing up, eventually purchasing a Cartier for daily wear in the 1970s. His watch collection began in earnest in 1986, after he received a Rolex with a moon-phase as a birthday gift from his wife, Franca.
From the start, Mondani has epitomized a thoughtful approach to collecting. He dedicated himself to acquiring as much knowledge as he could before making any purchases, and then taking as long as needed to find the best example of a watch possible. He never bought a watch for his collection that he wasn’t 100 percent sure was the best example he could find; he never compromised on his interest in quality over volume.
Mondani published his first book on watches, “Collecting Rolex Wristwatches,” in 1992. He’s since sold more than 100,000 copies of books published under his family’s label, “Guido Mondani Editore.” His publishing library consists primarily of dedicated works under a specific theme, such as on various Rolex and Patek Philippe timepieces, or on a topic like steel chronographs.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5713/1G-001
2009
Estimate: CHF 100,000 – 200,000
Rolex Ref. 126067
2022
Estimate: CHF 25,000 – 50,000
The first auction of Mondani’s collection, in 2006, is considered a game-changing moment in the world of both vintage Rolex and of watch collecting as a whole. The white-glove sale consisted of exactly 309 Rolex wristwatches, totaling CHF 11,037,278, including numerous world records. The results of the top two lots, a Rolex ref. 4113 split-seconds chronograph and a black-dial Rolex ref. 6062 “Stelline,” were the two most expensive Rolex wristwatches ever sold at the time.
