After the extraordinary auctions held in Geneva and Hong Kong, New York also saw the conclusion of the June auction week.

Renowned auction houses Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s once again confirmed their prestige by selling an exceptional selection of watches, both historically and in terms of provenance.

In this article we will look at the most notable results of the three auctions, analyzing the history and importance of each piece.

Phillips

Phillips has, as usual, offered a first-rate selection, providing the many enthusiasts with a variety of watches for all tastes, from well-known moderns, to a wide selection of vintage and as many creations from independent watchmakers.

The undisputed star of the auction was lot number 87, an exceptional Duality created by Master Philippe Dufour. This model was first presented in 1996 as the master watchmaker’s second creation, following the Grande & Petite Sonnerie.

Not only does the Duality boast incredible handcrafted case and movement finishes, but it is also distinguished by a revolutionary technical feature that had never been implemented in a wristwatch up to that time: a double escapement with two independent balance wheels offset by a central differential, a concept taken up by François Paul Journe a few years later for the creation of the Chronomètre à Résonance.

Philippe Dufour had planned to make 25 examples of the Duality, but due to the complexity of production and the not-yet-established interest in independent haute horlogerie 25 years ago, only 9 were actually produced. This makes each Duality extremely rare and sought after by collectors around the world.

The specimen sold by Phillips, which had never appeared at auction before, reached the important sale figure of more than 2,000,000 CHF, highlighting the interest in Dufour’s creations and underscoring the historical and technical importance of this watch.

Another lot in Phillips’ auction that caught our eye was number 99: a magnificent Cartier Bagnoire Allongée in yellow gold with a rare black dial.

This watch perfectly embodies the essence of Cartier, famous for its ability to transform forms into unique and out-of-the-box watchmaking creations. In recent years, Cartier-related collecting has seen a resurgence, and the achievement of this example is a clear demonstration of that. The Baignoire Allongée in question reached the impressive sales figure of 387,000 CHF, well above initial estimates.

The feature that distinguishes this piece from other more classic Bagnoire Allongeé, is its black dial created in the late 1960s in the London boutique. It is estimated that only two pieces were produced in this particular configuration, with successive case numbers and Jaeger LeCoultre movements.

Sotheby’s

As for the auction organized by Sotheby’s, the interest was all in Sylvester Stallone’s pieces.
Stallone, a well-known U.S. actor for his roles in the films “Rocky” and “The Mercenaries” and “Rambo,” has always been a watch enthusiast, as he pointed out at the auction, building up a respectable collection over the years and often matching the characters he has played with pieces that reflect them.

I have had the privilege of owning some truly extraordinary watches over the years, each with its own unique character and history. I do not see watches solely as an accessory, but as something that gives me emotions. Looking at the watches that will be sold, I feel truly blessed by what I have experienced and the many good memories associated with them.

Sylvester Stallone

The star of Stallone’s collection was the Patek Philippe Ref. 6300 in white gold with a blue dial. This watch best represents Patek Philippe’s ability and experience in the field of super complications.

In fact, after the unveiling of Ref. 5175 in 2014, on the occasion of the brand’s 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe introduced the watch owned by the American actor, featuring twenty complications, including five chime modes, a reversible case, two independent dials, and six patented innovations, into the catalog, albeit produced in very few pieces per year.

The watch that went to auction has never been worn, as it is still stored in the sale packaging, and is accompanied by the personalized trousseau for the actor. The final sale price, including auction fees, was US$5,400,000.

Other pieces from the actor’s collection also lived up to expectations, an example being the Panerai PAM00382, worn during the filming of the movie The Mercenaries 2, which sold for 96,000 USD.

Christie’s

As for Christie’s auction, on the other hand, it was mostly modern watches that came out on top. The top lots, by price realized, were in fact two Richard Mille.

The first of the two, lot 49, an RM52-01, features an ultra-light white quartz case, and the now iconic skull hiding the tourbillon movement beneath it, in this case embellished with diamonds. The watch sold for US$1,260,000.

Lot 50, RM56-02, represents Richard Mille’s ability to innovate and know how to push the limits related to case and movement construction further. This watch, unveiled at the 2015 Hong Kong fair, features a case made entirely from a transparent sapphire.

The difficulties involved in the production and processing of this material are considerable, suffice it to say that it takes about 40 days of intensive work to make a single case, not to mention the fragilities and thus the high percentage of unsuccessful attempts in producing it. The RM 56-02, produced in a limited series of only 10, reached the remarkable sales figure of US$3,000,000.

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