Yasuharu Abe's Patek Philippe Theory - 100th Edition - The Greatest Models from Previous Overseas Auctions

Good evening everyone!

Time flies and today marks the 100th episode of Patek Philippe Theory. I have been able to continue this thanks to the kind comments I have received in stores, on the phone, and on YouTube. Once again, thank you very much for your continued support.

Now, as this is the 100th anniversary, we wondered what people are most interested in. As a result, this time we would like to introduce a selection of rare models that were sold at unimaginably high prices at overseas auctions in the past.
*This listing includes watches excluding pocket watches.

Many of the stories may seem a little unrealistic, but please enjoy until the end.

"Ref.6300A-010"
"Grandmaster Chime"

※Reference: CHRISTIE’S

The Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 donated by Patek Philippe to ONLY WATCH, a charity auction held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 9, 2019.

This is an extremely special model, with a stainless steel case , a golden opaline dial which is often used for Patek Philippe's grand complication models in platinum, an ebony black dial on the back, and to top it off, the alarm time subdial at the 12 o'clock position has the words "THE ONLY ONE" written on it.

⇩⇩*The original model was the 2016 new "Ref.6300G-001"⇩⇩

Source: HODINKEE

Of course, the functions are also top class. It is equipped with 20 complicated functions , five of which are related to the chiming mechanism, two of which are patented world firsts. One is a "date repeater" that tells you the date with a gong only when you want to ring it, and the other is an "alarm" that chimes at the set time. What's more, the reversible case with hand-finished guilloche decoration "Clous de Paris" is also a patented reversible mechanism, which is surprising.

The winning bid was 31 million Swiss francs, or about 3.35 billion yen at the exchange rate at the time of the auction.

I'm at a loss for words (laughs)
*The "ONLY WATCH" auction is a charity auction of "unique pieces" watches created by the world's leading watch brands, held every two years to support research into Dugennes Muscular Dystrophy. The proceeds will be donated to the Monaco Dugennes Muscular Dystrophy Association.

"Ref.1518" SS
"Perpetual Calendar Chronograph"

*Reference: PHILLIPS

Next up is the first "perpetual calendar chronograph" SS (stainless steel) case "Ref. 1518" that was exhibited at the "PHILLIPS" held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 12, 2016.

The price, including the buyer's premium, was 11,002,000 Swiss francs, or about 1.1 billion yen at the time of the auction. *At the time, this was the highest price ever paid for a wristwatch .

Only 281 pieces of the "Ref. 1518" were produced, which is very limited, but the majority of these are 18KYG (yellow gold), approximately 20% are 18KRG (rose gold), and it is said that only four of this SS (stainless steel) watch remain in existence , and one of them was put up for auction.

Nowadays, sports models such as the Nautilus and Aquanaut are popular for their stainless steel cases, but Patek Philippe watches are usually made of gold or platinum. For a watch like this, which is a representative historical model of Patek Philippe, has a complicated mechanism, has a stainless steel case, and there are only four of them in existence, I think the winning bid was a reasonable price.

"Ref.1518" RG
"Perpetual Calendar Chronograph"

*Reference: Sotheby’s

Next up is the first "Perpetual Calendar Chronograph" "Ref. 1518" made of 18KRG (rose gold), which was exhibited at Sotheby's in New York on December 9, 2021.

This one was also sold for the astonishing amount of $ 9,579,000, or approximately 1,097,500,000 yen at the exchange rate at the time of the auction.

As mentioned earlier, 20% of "Ref. 1518" watches are said to have 18KRG (rose gold) cases, but the dial is what we're looking at here. Only about 14 watches have been confirmed to have a dial that is said to be the same color as the case material, salmon or copper . What's even more amazing about this watch is that it still has a warranty, and it appears to have been a watch that was cherished by its first owner, an Egyptian prince, who barely used it for a long time.

It must have been in very good condition, as there was no damage to the dial, and the case was in a rare condition that had not been polished. The winning bid price was more than four times the expected amount, which is understandable given the condition of the watch. It is almost impossible to get a chance to see a watch like this, so I would definitely like to see it in person...

"Ref.5016A-010"
"Grand Complication Retrograde"

*Reference: PHILLIPS

Next up is the "Ref. 5016A-010," which, like the first one, was auctioned at the charity auction "ONLY WATCH" held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 7, 2015.

The original "Ref. 5016" is a model that is said to have been manufactured from 1993 to 2011, and is equipped with a retrograde function in addition to the three complex mechanisms ( perpetual calendar , tourbillon , minute repeater ). We have sold the Platinum case x black dial and the 18KRG (rose gold) case x silver dial in our shop.

※Ref.5016P-018

The model offered at ONLY WATCH is a rare and beautiful model that features a stainless steel case and blue enamel dial .

The winning bid was 7.3 million Swiss francs , the highest amount ever paid at the time, which was more than 900 million yen at the exchange rate at the time. 900 million yen about seven years ago would undoubtedly be worth more than 1 billion yen today.

What's surprising is not only the amount, but also the successful bidder. It's the famous Hollywood star Brad Pitt . For a super famous Hollywood star like him, this amount is a dream come true.

"Ref.5208T-010"
"Grand Complication"

※Reference: CHRISTIE’S

The last one we will introduce is the "Ref. 5208T-010" that was auctioned at the charity auction "ONLY WATCH" held in Geneva, Switzerland on November 11, 2017.

The winning bid was 6.2 million Swiss francs , or about 690 million yen at the exchange rate at the time of the auction.

The original "Ref.5208" is a complication model equipped with three complex mechanisms: a minute repeater , a single push button chronograph , and an instantaneous perpetual calendar . This is a one-of-a-kind watch with a titanium case.

The center of the dial features a hand-engraved guilloched "Carbon" motif , making it clear at a glance that this is a special edition. The movement, visible through the sapphire crystal back, features a black rhodium-plated bridge and a platinum micro-rotor with hand-engraved guilloched decoration just like the dial, demonstrating Patek Philippe's extraordinary commitment and high level of technical skill. Incidentally, this was the first time that Patek Philippe made changes to the movement of a special current model.

Although it is a dream come true to be able to handle ONLY WATCH watches, I would love to sell such special models someday.

summary

What did you think.

This time, to commemorate the 100th issue, we have brought you an amazing lineup to show off just how amazing a brand Patek Philippe is! The models are not very realistic, but just looking at them made me feel excited, and even as I was writing this, I was drawn into the charm of Patek Philippe once again.

I will continue to study every day so that I can continue to discuss Patek Philippe at 150 or 200 more sessions, and I look forward to having fascinating conversations about Patek Philippe with you all.

see you!