The upcoming Christie’s Watches Online: The Dubai Edit auction will offer 211 exceptional lots including the Patek Philippe Ref. 5102G ‘Celestial, the Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa Titanium UAE Edition Flyback Chronograph, and the Pink Gold Rolex Ref. 6232 Chronograph.
Auction Highlights
Lot 5: Patek Philippe Ref. 5102G Celestial, Circa 2008
Launched in 2002, the Ref. 5102G Celestial white gold astronomical wristwatch borrows the principle of the celestial canopy from the most complicated wristwatch ever produced by Patek Philippe – the Ref. 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon.
The nocturnal sky of the northern hemisphere rotates to show the apparent angular motion of the stars and moon as well as the progression of the phases of the moon. A delicate elliptical contour on the inside of the glass frames the portion of the sky that can be seen from all cities on the same latitude as the city of Geneva. Estimate: US$ 200,000-300,000.
Lot 106: Patek Philippe Ref. 1518
The Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 gold perpetual calendar chronograph was the first perpetual chronograph to be made in series by any watch company. Ref. 1518 was not only a design first with its simple and pure layout but would set the mould for all future perpetual calendar chronographs.
Only 281 examples of this reference were ever made and this particular example comes in 18K yellow gold and was produced in 1945. Interestingly, it features the old Patek Philippe & Cie. full signature, which is highly sought after by collectors, and exists only on timepieces produced before 1947. Estimate: US$ 350,000-450,000.
Lot 110: Patek Philippe Reference 3979, circa 1991
The reference 3979 was introduced as part of a celebratory timepiece series marking the 150th anniversary of the manufacture. The ref. 3979 was produced between 1989 and 2002 and it is believed that about 100 pieces were made with the majority in yellow gold.
The initial batch of watches featured a case made by the legendary casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann and his initials JPH are stamped on the inside case back. Estimate: US$ 220,000-300,000.
Lot 111: Patek Philippe Ref. 5013P, circa 2010
The Patek Philippe Ref. 5013P is a platinum minute repeater perpetual calendar watch with a retrograde indication. It is among the most complex wristwatches ever made by the Geneva ‘Maison’ and the first automatic minute repeater perpetual calendar with retrograde date function.
The watch’s design was a nod to the historically important tonneau-shaped yellow gold minute repeating wristwatch no. 97589 made for Henry Graves, Jr. The reference 5013 was launched in 1992 and remained in production until 2011. The platinum examples were initially produced only with silver dials and over the years only a few examples with a black dial have appeared on the market. Estimate: US$ 300,000-400,000.
Lot 11: Rolex Daytona Ref. 6240 ‘Solo’, circa 1966
The Rolex Daytona Ref. 6240 ‘Solo’ is one of the rarest vintage Daytona references. ‘Solo’ refers to the fact that the dial only carries the mark ‘Rolex’ and not the usual description ‘Oyster Chronograph’ seen on the other Ref. 6240 models.
The watch world speculates that only a small number of early Ref. 6240 models (between the serial number ranging from 1.2 million to 1.4 million) were fitted with this dial. The reference 6240 was the first waterproof Daytona and featured an acrylic bezel and screw-down chronograph pushers. Estimate: US$ 120,000-180,000.
Lot 82: Rolex Ref. 4062
The Rolex Ref. 4062, a yellow gold, anti-magnetic, manual-winding chronograph, is an elegant and sophisticated timepiece distinguished by its coin-edge case band.
The Ref. 4062 was a huge success for Rolex when it was produced and is a good example of the dressy chronographs made by the brand in the early 1940s. Estimate: US$ 20,000-30,000.
Lot 83: Rolex Chronograph Ref. 6232, circa 1958
The Rolex Chronograph Ref. 6232 in pink gold is so rare that only a handful of examples have appeared on the market over the last 50 years. Produced in 1958, it is one of Rolex’s rarest chronograph models.
Made for the French market, it is believed to exist only in an exceedingly small number of 12 examples. This watch has silvered sunburst dial with blue telemetry scale and has over time developed a charming champagne-tone patina. Estimate: US$ 100,000-150,000.
Lot 6: Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa UAE Edition
The extremely rare Richard Mille RM 011 Felipe Massa UAE Edition flyback chronograph in titanium is based on the original RM 011 featuring a distinctive All Gray PVD treatment and case of microblasted titanium. The exclusive edition, limited to just 7 pieces, was created in partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, one of the largest watch retailers in the UAE.
The case is typical of Richard Mille’s tonneau with a curved bezel, sides and case back. The watch is being offered for the very first time at auction, with an estimate of US$ 200,000-300,000.
Lot 26: Richard Mille RM 055 Bubba Watson, circa 2014
The Richard Mille RM 055 Bubba Watson watch features a titanium case and ceramic skeleton dial. In 2011, Richard Mille undertook the challenge of creating a watch for golfers, working with PGA Tour player and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson.
Based on the RM 038 Richard Mille took its original design a step further in 2012 and created the present model, RM 055. The case consists of different materials. The bezel is made of ATZ, known for colour stability and for being one of the hardest materials in the world. Grade 5 titanium is used for the case band and back as the key focus of the Richard Mille manufacture was to optimise weight: the movement weighs a mere 4.3 grams. Estimate: US$ 300,000-500,000.
Lot 22: Cartier Tank Monopusher Chronograph, circa 2008
This limited-edition Cartier Tank Monopusher Chronograph in gold is part of Cartier’s CPCP collection of watches that are based on historic Cartier designs but equipped with modern mechanical movements. The watches in this collection were available between 1998 and 2008 in very limited numbers.
This particular model is powered by Calibre 045 MC, produced by THA Ebauche, a collaborative founded by three modern watchmakers: FP.Journe, Denis Flageollet (co-founder of De Bethune) and Vianney Halter. Estimate: US$ 15,000-30,000.
Lot 71: Panerai Luminor GMT Prototype
The prototype (No. 000/200) of the steel Panerai Luminor GMT limited edition was created to mark the 50th anniversary of the United Arab Emirates.
Proceeds from the sale of this watch will benefit the Noor Foundation, a UAE-based non-profit organization that aims to eliminate all types of avoidable blindness and visual impairment worldwide. Estimate: US$ 10,000-20,000.
Watches Online: The Dubai Edit will be on view between 13 – 27 October at Christie’s, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Gate Village 5, Podium Level.
