Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo Announces Highlights from The Geneva Watch Auction: XX

Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is pleased to unveil highlights from The Geneva Watch Auction: XX, taking place on 9 and 10 November 2024. The upcoming live sale follows a highly successful spring season and marks the second time The Geneva Watch Auction will take place at Phillips’ new Geneva sale location, the Hotel President Geneva. Comprised of over 130 lots, the auction will feature a diverse selection of significant, rare, and desirable timepieces from across the 20th and 21st centuries. Before the auction a selection of sale highlights will go on an international tour, starting in New York before visiting Dubai, Singapore, London, and Hong Kong. The preview at the Hotel President Geneva will open on 6 November before the live auction takes place on 9 and 10 November. The Geneva Watch Auction: XX will be preceded on 8 November by Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, a thematic auction celebrating horological masterpieces from 1980-1999.

Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe & Middle East, and Tiffany To, Head of Sale, jointly said, “Our Geneva Watch Auction: XX catalogue is a celebration of watchmaking and horology in all its greatness. Our catalogue serves as more than just a guide—it is an invitation to explore the intricate world of horology, where precision engineering, and artistic vision converge. It is a journey shaped by the expertise and passion of the collectors, the specialists, and the watchmakers who share a love for these exceptional timepieces. This auction is more than a sale; it is the result of countless hours of dedication, research, and respect for the beauty of what makes a watch truly timeless.”

PATEK PHILIPPE

PATEK PHILIPPE | Ref. 2499, 18K Yellow Gold, 1980
Estimate: CHF 500,000 – 1,000,000

This Patek Philippe reference 2499/100 is one of the best examples to come to auction. First offered in 2015 by its original owner, who had never worn it since purchasing it, the current owner is offering it in the same exact condition close to a decade later. Consequently, the watch is in the same condition as when it left the Patek Philippe workshop in 1980. The watch is further accompanied by an impressive array of accessories, including a second dial, Certificate of Origin, and components. The present example was made in the first year of the series’ production and is in superb condition, making it a true trophy piece.

PATEK PHILIPPE | Ref. 1518, 18K Pink Gold, 1951
Estimate: CHF 500,000 – 1,000,000

Introduced in 1941, reference 1518 was the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch produced in series, a truly groundbreaking model. Only 281 examples were made until production ended in 1954. While most were crafted in yellow gold, a small number, including the present New Old Stock watch, were made in pink gold, making it exceptionally rare.

PATEK PHILIPPE | Ref. 1518, 18K Yellow Gold, 1945
Estimate: CHF 400,000 – 800,000

This landmark Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 1518 in 18K yellow gold has several features that make it extremely appealing. It is in excellent condition, with full lugs and sharp edges, showing only minor signs of polishing which is remarkable for an 80-year-old timepiece. The dial is also in fantastic condition, and the engraved enamelled graphics are still vibrant and clear. The length of signature denotes this dial as a pre-1948 dial, an early and rare dial style for the reference, denoted by the fact that the tachymeter base sits to the right of 12 o’clock. Finally, the watch displays Spanish calendar discs which is rare as most of these pieces feature French or English calendar discs.

PATEK PHILIPPE | Ref. 5070, 18K Yellow Gold, Brown Dial, “Saatchi Gallery” 2015
Estimate: CHF 200,000 – 400,000

Introduced in 1998, the release of Patek Philippe’s reference 5070 marked the reintroduction of a non-perpetual calendar chronograph for the first time in nearly four decades. Despite officially halting production in 2009, Patek Philippe discreetly extended a unique privilege to their most esteemed clients to commemorate special moments like the Watch Art Grand Exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery in 2015. Using New Old Stock movements, Patek Philippe offered unique dial colour/case combinations not seen in the original collection. This “Saatchi Gallery” Edition reference 5070 in yellow gold with brown metallic dial is believed to be one of just 5 examples made. It is fresh to market and only the second example to grace an international auction room.

ROLEX

ROLEX | Ref. 6062, 18K Yellow Gold, Circa 1953
Estimate: CHF 400,000 – 800,000

The Rolex Ref. 6062 is one of the most sought-after wristwatch models of all time. Featuring an automatic movement with triple calendar and moon phase, it is one of most complicated vintage Rolex wristwatches on the market. The rarest examples of the reference are models with dials featuring either pyramid markers or the present dial configuration, featuring what are known as “Dagger”, “Lys”, or “Drop” numerals. Less than 10 examples of each are known to have come to market. Phillips is thrilled and honoured to bring to light a fresh-to-market model complete with an Italian-language calendar.

ROLEX | Ref. 6264, 18K Yellow Gold, “Paul Newman Lemon” Dial, Circa 1970
Estimate: CHF 800,000 – 1,600,000

The vintage Rolex Cosmograph Daytona with a “Paul Newman Lemon” dial is widely regarded as a trophy watch for collectors. However, one featuring the ultra-rare “Paul Newman Lemon” dial elevates it to the status of the ultimate collector’s prize, thanks to its rarity and striking design. The present timepiece is one of the best-preserved examples of the reference 6264 with the “Paul Newman Lemon” dial to ever come to market. What makes this watch even more exceptional is the inclusion of its original guarantee, dated 18 February 1974, and stamped by Brunati, a former retailer in Zurich. With fewer than a handful of known examples still retaining their original guarantee, this piece stands out as even more collectible than most of its peers.

INDEPENDENT WATCHMAKERS

AKRIVIA | AK-01, Titanium, 2021
Estimate: CHF 300,000 – 600,000

Rexhep Rexhepi built his brand on a foundation of hard work, talent, and dedication. His horological journey began at the age of 14 with an apprenticeship at Patek Philippe, where he advanced as a watchmaker specialising in tourbillons. He later honed his skills at F.P.Journe and BNB before establishing his own atelier, Akrivia, a name inspired by the Greek word for precision. Rexhepi set out to create more than just a tourbillon for his first wristwatch. The result was the AK-01, an ingenious single-button chronograph tourbillon with a 100-hour power reserve. Fresh to the market and offered by the original owner, this AK-01 is one of fewer than 20 ever produced, making it an exceptional and rare find.

F.P.JOURNE | Tourbillon Souverain Vertical, Boutique Edition, 2022
Estimate: CHF 250,000 – 500,000

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their tourbillon movement in 2019, F.P.Journe launched a reinvented version of its iconic Tourbillon Souverain: The Tourbillon Souverain Vertical. The present timepiece is a rare “Boutique Edition” of the model in rose gold with black dial.

F.P.JOURNE | Ruthenium Series, Set of Five Watches, Numbered 84 of 99

In 2001, two years after launching the Tourbillon Souverain à Remontoire d’Egalité, F.P.Journe introduced the “Ruthenium Collection”. This series featured watches in 40mm cases (larger than the standard 38mm) with dials and movements coated in ruthenium. Produced from 2001 to 2005, the Ruthenium Collection marked the transition from brass to 18K pink gold movements, now standard in Journe’s watches. The collection includes five models: Octa Jour/Nuit, Octa Calendrier, Octa Chronographe, Chronomètre à Résonance, and Tourbillon Souverain, each limited to 99 pieces. A rare complete set, numbered 84/99, from a single original owner, is featured as lots 224 to 228 in The Geneva Watch Auction: XX.

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A. LANGE & SÖHNE | DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition”, Unique, 18K White Gold, All Proceeds Donated to Charity, 2024
Estimate CHF 100,000-200.000

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the DATOGRAPH, A. Lange & Söhne has entrusted Phillips with the auction of a unique timepiece: the DATOGRAPH UP/DOWN “Hampton Court Edition.” This one-of-a-kind watch features a white-gold case, a grey dial with black subdials, and a striking red chronograph seconds hand. Specially created for the 2024 Concours of Elegance, it showcases a hinged caseback hand-engraved with the event’s logo. All proceeds from the sale will benefit The Prince’s Trust, a charity founded in 1976 by His Majesty King Charles III to support disadvantaged young people in building confidence, skills, and careers.

CARTIER | London Crash, 18K Yellow Gold, 1988, Certificate of Authenticity
Estimate: CHF 400,000 – 800,000

This watch is one of a very limited number of examples produced by Cartier London starting in 1967, featuring London hallmarks on the interior caseback and its original Cartier deployant buckle, also hallmarked and stamped ‘JC’ for Jean-Jacques Cartier. Notably, both the buckle and caseback share the same serial number, 40237. Further enhancing its collectability, the watch comes with a 2024 Cartier Certificate of Authenticity, confirming it was produced in 1988, likely making it one of the last pieces to leave Cartier’s London workshops.

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS TOUR
NEW YORK | 25 – 27 September | Phillips, 432 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022
DUBAI | 10 – 12 October | MB&F M.A.D Gallery, First Floor, Unit FF, 290 – 269 Financial Center Rd, Downtown Dubai, Dubai UAE
SINGAPORE | 17 – 20 October| Artyzen Singapore, 9 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249719
LONDON | 21 – 23 October | Phillips, 30 Berkeley Square, London W1J 6EX
HONG KONG | 23 – 25 October | Phillips Perpetual, 407 Pedder Building, 12 Pedder St, Central, Hong Kong 

Auction: 9 & 10 November 2024 
Auction viewing: 6 – 10 November 2024
Location: Hotel President, 407 Quai Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland, 1201
Click here for more information: https://www.phillips.com/auctions/auction/CH080424 

ABOUT PHILLIPS IN ASSOCIATION WITH BACS & RUSSO

The team of specialists at Phillips Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. 2023 marked the second most successful year for Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo with an annual total of $215.8 million. Record–breaking prices include: 1. Paul Newman’s Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona reference 6239 (CHF 17,709,894 / US$17,752,500) – New York Auction: Winning Icons – 26 October 2017 – Highest result ever achieved for any vintage wristwatch at auction.  2. Patek Philippe reference 1518 in stainless steel (CHF 11,020,000 / US$11,112,020) – Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR – 12 November 2016 – Highest result ever achieved for a vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch at auction.

ABOUT PHILLIPS

Phillips: where the world’s curious and bold connect with the art, design, and luxury that inspires them. As a leading global platform for buying and selling 20th and 21st century works, Phillips offers dedicated expertise in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, Watches, and Jewels. Auctions and exhibitions are primarily held in New York, London, Geneva, and Hong Kong, with representative offices based throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Phillips offers a regular selection of live and online auctions, along with items available for immediate purchase. Phillips also offers a range of services and advice on all aspects of collecting, including private sales and assistance with appraisals, valuations, and financial planning.