[2022 Edition] Sotheby's "Important Watches: Part I" Auction Results - GENEVA 10 May 2022 -

OTHER COLUMNコミット銀座

good evening everyone.

In a previous column, we covered notable watches from the world's three major auction houses , PHILLIPS , CHRISTIE'S , and Sotheby's , which were held in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this month (May 2022).

⇩⇩If you haven't seen the previous article yet, click here⇩⇩

This time, we would like to introduce the top 10 models with the largest difference (increase rate) between the expected auction price and the actual selling price from the results of Sotheby's "Important Watches: Part I" held on May 10, 2022, in a ranking format. Which models made it into the list? Please enjoy until the end!

*The price is the winning auction price plus a commission fee (26%).
*The Japanese yen rate will be based on the exchange rate immediately prior to the auction.
*CHF (Swiss Franc) = 133.30 yen
*All images are from Sotheby's .

[※About the terms used in the text]
*LOT: A number given to items auctioned. The auction will be conducted in the order of the lot numbers.
*Estimate: The expected winning bid price estimated by each auction company.

[Important Watches: Part I] Top 10 Watches Exceeding Estimated Bid Price!

10th place ■LOT.83
 [Patek Philippe]
"Nautilus" "Ref.3800/1J"

Point
The Nautilus Ref. 3800 was manufactured from 1982 to around 2005. The convenient 38mm size fits comfortably on the wrist and is popular among Japanese people. As you can see from the calendar disc, this is an early model with white text on a black background (later models had black text on a white background). The buckle also differs depending on the era, but the early model has a plate single clasp (the mid-model had a single clasp with a hole, and the later model had a double clasp). The fact that this is an early model and a rare solid gold model was likely a factor in the successful bid of over 10 million yen.

Estimate: CHF 30,000 – 50,000
SOLD： CHF 88,200(JPY 11,757,060 )
Increase: 176%

[Source] Sotheby's

9th place ■LOT.99
 [Patek Philippe]
"Nautilus" "Ref.5712/1A-001"

Point
The petite complication "Ref.5712" was released in 2006 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Nautilus, replacing the previous model "Ref.3712" that was produced from 2005 to 2006. Compared to the popular three-hand model "Ref.5711," it is relatively less premium, offers a sense of value, and was evaluated for its excellent design and functionality, as well as the condition of the individual models.

Estimate: CHF 70,000 – 90,000
SOLD： CHF 163,800(JPY 21,834,540)
Increase: 182%

[Source] Sotheby's

8th place ■LOT.101
 [Patek Philippe]
"Nautilus" "Ref.5711/1A-010"

Point
The "Ref. 5711" was released in 2006 as a model commemorating the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Nautilus. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in 2021. Not only is there a limited supply, but this watch also has a high guarantee year of 2020, which contributed to the high price it sold for.

Estimate: CHF 70,000 – 100,000
SOLD： CHF 182,700(JPY 24,353,910)
Increase: 183%

[Source] Sotheby's

7th place ■LOT.85
 [Patek Philippe]
"Nautilus" "Ref.3800/1A"

Point
The Nautilus Ref. 3800 was manufactured from 1982 to around 2005. We introduced the 18KYG Ref. 3800 in 10th place, but this is the same model made of stainless steel. This also has the early specification calendar disc "white text on a black background" and the buckle is also "an early plate single clasp". This may be due to the rising price of the Ref. 5711, but it shows the enduring popularity of the early specification.

Estimate: CHF 20,000 – 40,000
SOLD： CHF 75,600(JPY 10,077,480)
Increase: 189%

[Source] Sotheby's

6th Place ■LOT.84
 [Patek Philippe]
"Nautilus" "Ref.3800/1J"

Point
Coming in at number six is ​​already the third Nautilus Ref. 3800. This one has a champagne dial and the calendar disc and clasp are both early versions. However, as you may have noticed, it is a double-named watch with "GUBELIN" printed at the 6 o'clock position on the dial. Gubelin is a prestigious luxury jewelry store with its headquarters in Lucerne, Switzerland. It is one of the few jewelers allowed to produce watches with double names, including Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, and its rarity led to a high bid.

Estimate: CHF 30,000 – 50,000
SOLD： CHF 113,400(JPY 15,116,220)
Increase: 227%

[Source] Sotheby's

5th Place ■LOT.35
 [Piaget]
『Gouverneur Grande Sonnerie』

Point
This is the Gouverneur Grande Sonnerie, a watch made by the genius watchmaker François Paul Journe at the request of Piaget before he launched his own brand. Its main feature is the mute function, which allows the watch to operate in two modes: mute and chime. It is said that he used the funds he gained from the production of this model to launch his own brand, making it a historically important model.

Estimate: CHF 40,000 – 80,000
SOLD： CHF 226,800(JPY 30,232,440)
Increase: 284%

[Source] Sotheby's

4th place: LOT.115
 [Audemars Piguet]
『Royal Oak”New York Boutique Edition”』「Ref.26014SN.OO.D002CR.01」

Point
The "Ref. 26014SN.OO.D002CR.01" model was released in 2003 to commemorate the opening of the first flagship store at 40 East 57th Street in New York. The combination of the black PVD case and rubber strap is eye-catching. The case back is engraved with the exterior and address of the New York boutique. The black PVD finish and the rarity of being limited to 150 pieces are likely what led to the high bid.

Estimate: CHF 12,000 – 18,000
SOLD: CHF 63,000 (JPY 8,397,900)
Increase rate: 350%

[Source] Sotheby's

3rd Place ■LOT.17
 [Rolex]
『Oyster Royal “Eastern Arabic numerals”』「Ref.6444」

Point
Khayr al-Din al-Ziriklī was a Syrian nationalist, diplomat, Saudi Arabian ambassador, historian, and poet. This Oyster Royal was owned by him and was put up for auction by a relative. The Oyster Royal was first sold around 1933. This particular watch was manufactured in 1958 and features a beautiful enamel dial made by Stern Freres. Incidentally, Stern Freres is the same Stern that also designs the dials of Rolex's Submariner, and is also the name of the current owner family of Patek Philippe. In addition to its rarity, the condition of the enamel dial was also good, which is thought to have been a factor in the high bid.

Estimate: CHF 20,000 – 30,000
SOLD: CHF 126,000 (JPY 16,795,800)
Increase: 420%

[Source] Sotheby's

2nd Place ■LOT.72
 [Audemars Piguet]
『Royal Oak “Jumbo”』「Ref.5402」

Point
This is the only Royal Oak owned by the genius watch designer Gerald Genta. According to the Audemars Piguet archives, there is a record of this watch being purchased by him himself on May 15, 1978. Also, as some of you may have noticed from the photo, despite the combination design, the center link of the bracelet is not made of 18K yellow gold, and only the bezel is made of solid gold. According to his beloved wife, Evelyn Genta, Gerald Genta himself made the bezel in his atelier and attached it to this watch. The Royal Oak celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. If you trace its evolution, you will understand how valuable this watch is and how historically important it is.

Estimate: CHF 300,000 – 500,000
SOLD: CHF 2,107,000 (JPY 280,863,100)
Increase: 421%

[Source] Sotheby's

1st Place ■LOT.32
 [Rolex]
『Daytona “FIFA World Cup 2010 – Netherlands Edition”』「Ref.116509H」

Point
The Daytona Ref. 116509H was made for the Dutch national team that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The Dutch national team requested the production of 30 commemorative watches through Gassan Jewelers, an authorized Rolex store in Amsterdam. Rolex accepted the request and produced a Daytona made of 18KWG (white gold) with the orange dial used in the Dutch national team uniform. The total of 30 watches, 15 with bracelets and 15 with leather straps, were given to the players and staff who participated. The case backs are engraved with the names and uniform numbers of each player, and it is interesting to know which player each one belongs to.

Estimate: CHF 60,000 – 100,000
SOLD: CHF 441,000 (JPY 58,785,300)
Increase: 441%

[Source] Sotheby's

summary

What did you think.

Judging from the results, we can see that the Patek Philippe Nautilus is still very popular, and we can see that more and more people are turning their attention to the discontinued model rather than buying the current model, which is rising in price. It also seems that many people found added value in the brand, model, and historically significant watch.

We will continue to update you on the auction results from the world's three largest auction houses , PHILLIPS , CHRISTIE'S , and Sotheby's , so please look forward to them.

see you!

Tags: Other column, おすすめ〇〇選