We hope you’re in the bidding spirit, because this month is shaping up to be one for the (horological) books. And we’re not even talking about Tom Brady’s watch collection…this time. The major New York auction houses—Phillips, Soethby’s, and Christie’s—each have some heavy hitters in their respective sales, and all types of collectors are well served.
Are you a fan of exploration and adventure? Then you’ve gotta check out a Rolex Submariner worn on several expeditions to the Titanic. Big history buff? Then the Day-Date once owned by Egyptian president Gamal Nasser is right up your alley. What about shaped watches? If those float your boat, then an incredible 1940s-era Patek Philippe in the shape of a chameleon is guaranteed to capture your imagination.
I pored over the catalogs for this weekend’s auctions—which are carrying hundreds of lots—and selected my favorites.
Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari (Est. $1 million–$2 million)
Copyright: Christies Images Limited.
Though it was just usurped by Bvlgari—whose latest Octo Finissimo Ultra measures a mind-boggling 1.7-mm thick—the Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari is still stupidly svelte at 1.75 mm. Unlike the Ultra, it doesn’t use the watch’s caseback as a baseplate and opts instead for a more conventional design. Its semi-rectangular case profile, however, is decidedly unconventional, and its limited-edition nature (150 pieces) could see it blow well past its estimate. Retail alone on the RM UP-01 is $1,888,000.
Patek Philippe ref. 1252 “Chameleon” (Est. $50,000–$100,000)
David Duong
