Phillips and Christie's both had great weeks—but Roger Smith is this auction season's real winner.
from a man who found it on a golf course when caddying as a young man. Sheesh.)
But the truly big news out of Christie’s was an über-complicated Ref. 5074J-001 “Cathedral” from Patek Philippe. “Exceptionally rare and impressive”—not uncommon adjectives to find in a watch auction catalog—this 18K yellow gold perpetual calendar minute repeater hammered for a cool $403,200. According to Christie’s, it’s one of just 12 examples to have ever been publicly offered for auction.
This truly exceptional work of horological art is housed in a 66.5mm yellow gold case and features a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon, and a hand-wound movement with a spring detent escapement. Dating to 1998, every component was hand-made by Smith, resulting in what is surely one of the most beautiful modern timepieces ever built, and what its maker has deemed “…the most important watch I’ve ever made, without a doubt.” Given an estimate in excess of $1 million, the watch hammered for $4.
One of the largest wristwatches produced by Patek upon its introduction, it features a notable case design with a concave bezel and claw lugs, giving it shape and body that wasn’t present on other time-only references from the same time period. While you’ve no doubt seen this watch before with a more common silvered dial, it’s the cloisnné enamel versions that truly stop watch collectors in their tracks.
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