Inaugural auctions of fine collectors watches / .@phillipswatches

PHILLIPS ANNOUNCES AUCTIONS OF FINE COLLECTORS WATCHES TO TAKE PLACE IN GENEVA ON 9 AND 10 MAY 2015 

Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is pleased to announce details of their inaugural auctions dedicated to fine collectors’ watches that will take place on the evenings of 9 and 10 May 2015 at Hôtel La Réserve, Geneva.

Highlights from the auctions will be available to view in Hong Kong (3 to 6 April), New York (10 to 14 April) and London (22 to 26 April) prior to the pre-sale exhibitions in Geneva (7 to 10 May). 

Glamorous Day-Date – 9 May, 7pm 

This auction is dedicated to the Day-Date, Rolex's most prestigious model and one of the world's most famous wristwatches. Phillips is honored to partner with Pucci Papaleo, one of the world's most eminent scholars in the world of collectible Rolex watches, who will launch a book dedicated exclusively to the Day-Date at the time of the sale. Together with Pucci Papaleo, Phillips inspected hundreds of models across four continents, selecting 60 examples representing the utmost rarity and quality. A highlight is one the rarest and most desirable Day-Dates; a reference 1831. One of a limited series of only eight watches, it has a unique case and bracelet and is understood to have been commissioned for the Shah of Iran in the mid-1970s. The heavy platinum case is adorned with a diamond-set bezel beautifully contrasted by a burgundy-colored "Stella"-type dial, with exquisite diamond hour markers (estimate: Sfr. 100,000 to 200,000). 

The Geneva Watch Auction: One – 10 May, 6.30pm 

The inaugural various owner evening auction on 10 May will offer approximately 160 watches carefully selected on the basis of their condition, rarity and quality.

The leading highlight is an extremely rare Patek Philippe stainless steel single button chronograph wristwatch with a superbly aged off-white silvered dial, highlighted by a pulsations scale and a sector design (estimate: Sfr. 1,000,000 – 2,000,000). Research has revealed that only two examples of this model were made, both for a retailer in South America; the other is now a highlight of the Patek Philippe Museum and is prominently featured on their website. 

 The auction will also include rare, collectible Rolex models, led by the most renowned of three existing examples of the Rolex Daytona ‘Albino’ (estimate: Sfr. 500,000 - 1,000,000). Since the creation of the Rolex Daytona in 1963, models have always featured subsidiary dials contrasting with a dark color, either white on black or black on white. This example from 1971 stands out by carrying a uniform off-white silvery color – hence its nickname: Albino. Formerly a highlight in the personal collection of Sir Eric Clapton, it was later sold at auction and is offered from one of the world’s most complete and important collections of Rolex Daytona watches. The watch is also prominently published in Pucci Papaleo’s book: Ultimate Daytona.