- 1. The Earliest Known Lange 1, Ever
- 2. An *Original Owner* Daniels Millennium Watch
- 3. This 90s Vacheron Calendar Moonphase In Platinum With Salmon Dial
- 4. A Patek Philippe 3448 Self-Winding Perpetual Calendar In White Gold
- 5. An Eberhard Oversized Split-Seconds Chronograph With Black Dial
- 6. A Patek Philippe 3428 White Gold On Bracelet With Cert
- 7. A *Genuinely* Unique Kari Voutilainen In 45mm!
- 8. An IWC Doppelchronograph IN PLATINUM
- 9. A Souscription Daniel Roth Extra Plat In Yellow Gold
- 10. A Philippe Dufour Simplicity In White Gold
- BONUS: A Bunch Of School Watches, Some of Which Start At Literally 1 CHF
If you were in NYC last week for watch week, there was a chance I saw you there. Yes, I actually showed my face in public – and it kinda felt good? Yeah, I think it did. And that got me thinking – what if I actually paid attention to the auctions again, like I used to! Not just from a professional standpoint, but from my perspective as a watch lover and occasional watch buyer. So I opened up some catalogs and started digging – and here are the ten watches I’d actually spend my own money on coming up for sale over the coming weeks – and don’t worry, our actual auction savant, Mark, will be here over the next few days to give a much more in-depth take on what’s happening this season.
1. The Earliest Known Lange 1, Ever
A closed caseback Lange 1, without its caseback, reveals movement number….10. Did I mention it comes with a full set, dated to January of 1995, and with its original sales receipt? Photo courtesy of Auktionen Dr. Crott.
Photo courtesy of Auktionen Dr. Crott.
Photo courtesy of Auktionen Dr. Crott.
You guys know about closed caseback Lange 1s – I love ’em. I’ve owned ’em. But I’ve never owned, or even heard of, a Lange 1 this early. Over at Dr. Crott, who also has a great PLM in platinum and from whom I sourced my Steel Lange 1 over ten years ago, and who has a history of great Lange watches – there is a remarkably early L1. How early? Movement number 10. Beyond that, it comes with paperwork dating it to January 1995, and an original handwritten sales receipt. Mind you, the watches were launched in October of 1994. If you want an early L1, I can’t imagine you’ll find anything earlier anytime soon, and this set’s completeness is mind-blowing. This is really one that a younger me would’ve been all over.
2. An *Original Owner* Daniels Millennium Watch
You want independent? Here’s a real one. And it’s from the original owner, whose father was friends with George Daniels himself. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Look, we know independents are hot. How hot? A seemingly run-of-the-mill Journe Centigraphe sold $1.67 million last week in New York, while a Journe Tourbillon THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION sold for $1.55m. Hell, a freaking Octa sold for $800,000 in the same sale – while that watch was trading at, oh, I don’t know, $35k not that long ago. Elsewhere, I saw Austen Chu of Wristcheck offering $600k for a Raul Pages RP1 this morning. It wasn’t that long ago that that watch was available to order directly from Raul for $85k. Every Kari Voutilainen on the market now has a seven-figure price tag, too. So indeed, independents are hot.
You know who was the original independent? George Fucking Daniels. He literally set the stage for all the independents we know and love today, and his contributions to watchmaking can’t be overstated. And yet, when people talk about independents, the first name that typically comes up is F.P. Journe. Well, you know who Journe’s mentor was? George Daniels. The Millennium watch was a run of 47 pieces, his first and arguably only watch made serially, created to celebrate both the end of the millennium and the successful creation of the co-axial escapement by George, which was then described as “the first practical new watch escapement in the 250 years following the invention of the lever escapement by Thomas Mudge in the 18th century.”
Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
The Millenium is a massively important watch – it was not only the first serially made watch in the world to feature anything but a lever escapement in 250 years (it predates Omega’s use of the co-axial by 1 year – a stipulation by George in the sale of the concept), but it was also the first project that brought together a very young Roger Smith and Mr. Daniels. Daniels conceived the watches, but as a test for his first and only apprentice, he asked Mr. Smith to complete much of the case making, hand cutting, dial guillochage, assembly, and finishing. This project brought Roger and George close, as watchmakers and as people. I think without it, I’m not sure we’d have the Roger Smith we have today, who I believe is one of the very few independent watchmakers who can claim true independence intellectually, financially, and in craft.
Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Daniels Milleniums basically never come up for sale, and what’s remarkable is that this example is fresh to market and consigned by the original owner! The owner’s father, it seems, was a close friend of Daniels, and you can’t ask for more. If basically every production F.P. Journe Tourbillon is worth $1 million+ on the open market, the estimate of 300-600k CHF here feels rather low. Or at least I hope it is, because this is so much more interesting, important, and, indeed, representative of the independent spirit that a good chunk of the independent watches I see trading in the seven-figure range these days. I would buy this one if I could, and I think, with the Hour Glass and Phillips hosting a major Daniels exposé shortly after this sale, it only has room to grow, especially since it touches not just Daniels but could also be described as Roger Smith’s first wristwatch.
3. This 90s Vacheron Calendar Moonphase In Platinum With Salmon Dial
This one could be a bargain. Even in platinum and salmon, and Vacheron printed on the dial. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Not everything has to be independent and seven figures, right, guys? This is a very simple Vacheron Constantin triple calendar in a platinum case with a salmon dial. Sure, it’s not a hand-wound vintage caliber (it’s self-winding based on the JLC 889), but it’s estimated between 15,000 and 30,000 CHF, and if it’s anywhere near there, a true bargain indeed.
I’ve also never seen one of these in platinum with this color dial – this one is a fairly rare, interesting, and well-priced watch from a brand that is experiencing a great boon of interest at present. Could it sell for more? Definitely, but still, this is not something you’re going to find very often, and platinum and salmon happen to be a personal favorite combination, and quite hot at the moment. It’s worth a look to see if you can nip it on the cheap.
4. A Patek Philippe 3448 Self-Winding Perpetual Calendar In White Gold
The first self winding perpetual in the world, in white gold, from Patek Philippe, is estimated to sell for what an FPJ Octa Lune did last week… Photo courtesy of Christie’s.
As I said in my latest rant, I just don’t get how a market can price certain independents higher than massively important, complicated Pateks. The 1463 feels cheap to me, and so does the 3448, though the latter is really curious. To me, it’s the watch that brought Patek into actually useful grand complications, being the first self-winding perpetual calendar, you know, ever, in the history of the world.
I love the angular, large cases of these, and did I mention that the 3448’s caliber is based on the 2526’s? I don’t get how so many people can wax poetically about how that caliber was, and maybe still is, the best self-winding caliber in the world, not to mention that it’s the foundation of the 3448! You’ll see certain 3940s trading for more than 3448s here and there, and that is simply bananas, given their technical prowess, history, and production numbers. Another story for another day.
Photo courtesy of Christie’s.
I’d be thrilled with an early yellow gold example of a 3448, but a white gold example is just a dream watch. Christie’s has one, and so does Sotheby’s, and I haven’t seen either, so I won’t say which I’d spend my own money on, but trust me, these are simply incredible watches and (relatively) cheap compared with what else is out there. It’s also a truly important, but wearable grand complication from Patek Philippe.
5. An Eberhard Oversized Split-Seconds Chronograph With Black Dial
I have owned a watch similar to this for 10+ years and have no plans of selling it any time soon. Photo courtesy of Monaco Legend Auctions.
A watch I’ve owned *forever* and just love is an oversized split-seconds chronograph from Eberhard. I wore it the other day on a drive upstate, posted it in stories, and got, oh, I don’t know, six people trying to buy it? These watches are incredible on the wrist: large diameter, thin case, and a real high-end watch for not much money. MLG has a nice black dial example here, and I’d take this over almost any contemporary split-seconds wristwatch in production today – seriously. They are that good. And if you miss this Eberhard, AQ has an oversized Leonidas split available, also with a black dial.
6. A Patek Philippe 3428 White Gold On Bracelet With Cert
It’s not a 2526 – it’s actually superior from a technical perspective – and rarer by the numbers. And it’s in white gold. With an original certificate! Photo courtesy of Phillips.
Remember when I sold my white gold 2526? Yeah, me too. Do I regret it? I do not. Would I like to buy this 3428 in white anyway? Yes, I would. The 3428 is the direct descendant of the 2526, with ever so slight upgrades to the caliber, but what makes this one interesting to me is the Patek-signed mesh bracelet, the fact that it’s white gold, and that it has an original certificate. It’s too close to the 2526 I used to have, so I won’t be bidding, but this is a truly proper watch, one I can promise would excite the most die-hard collectors in the world, those who know what a 3428 is. These occasionally trade for below the 2526 simply because the reference doesn’t roll off the collective tongue of the community like its predecessor, but to find something like this with bracelet and certificate is a hen’s teeth. I’d kill to own this one, and though I won’t be bidding, I would happily accept donations from the community because if this isn’t “A Ben Clymer watch”, I don’t know what is.
Did I mention how hard it is to find ANY Patek Philippe from the 60s with an original certificate? It’s like, *impossible*, guys.
7. A *Genuinely* Unique Kari Voutilainen In 45mm!
There’s unique, and then there’s this. This is a Kari I would buy, for sure. Photo courtesy of Phillips.
Photo courtesy of Phillips.
Photo courtesy of Phillips.
Do you know how many “unique” Karis I hear about on the market? I’d guess more than 10, maybe 20, over the last few months. That is because, unlike Dufour, Roger, Daniels, Journe, and many of his contemporaries, he has always been in the business of true commissions – as in, he would accept modifications to his own aesthetic codes much more freely than others. So a client may suggest an inverted number, or a slightly different shade hand because it meant something to him or her, not thinking he’d ever sell it, and now – when the watch hits the open market, dealers call them unique. And sure, I guess they are, but this Kari is *truly* unique. And weirdly, it’s a watch we know here well. It’s 45mm in diameter. In steel. With an appropriately upsized caliber called caliber 32. Now THIS is a Kari I would absolutely love to own, and it really feels different to all the other “unique” KV’s on the market this season, and, well, weekly. Add in the fact that it’s got an oversized dial to match the oversized case and movement, all in the most typical of Kari’s craft, and you have an absolute killer of a watch. Did I mention the dial is grey? I like grey.
8. An IWC Doppelchronograph IN PLATINUM
The Habring-designed IWC Doppel is a #watchnerd favorite. And here it is in platinum – which is quite rare. Photo courtesy of Phillips.
You know what a simply great era of watches is? IWC in the early 90s. And the Doppel Chronograph (split-seconds) is arguably among the best thing to come out of that era under Richard Habring. This is a very rare version of the Habring-engineered split in a platinum case – something he himself at Habring would hate (notice you don’t see basically any Habrings in precious metals)? This watch, according to MLG, dates to the 2000s, but the reference itself dates to 1992 – and we’ve explored it in fairly serious detail in the past. I can’t remember the last time I saw one of these in anything but steel, and it’s a nice mix of #watchnerd engineering and pure, undeniably opulent platinum.
9. A Souscription Daniel Roth Extra Plat In Yellow Gold
The revival of Daniel Roth has turned even the coldest horological hearts warm, and this is a seldom seen Souscription, offered only to VIPs and friends of the brand. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s.
I think one of the great introductions to watchmaking of the last five years is the rebirth of Daniel Roth under Jean Arnault, Michel Navas, and Enrico Barbasini. The watches are just plain excellent, and what began with a lot of murmuring from the usual naysayers on the watch internet has turned into near-universal praise now that a few different models have hit the market, all genuinely excellent in both design and quality. What many don’t know is that each model launches in a Souscription Series of 20 pieces in yellow gold, all with closed case backs, a neat nod to early watches and a way for the brand to offer something special to its most important collectors.
This is the first Souscription DR I’ve seen hit the market, and it should do very well. If not, it’s simply because of a lack of understanding. I have seen a few Extra Plats and Tourbillons in both platinum and rose gold on friends in the last few weeks, but when you see one in yellow gold, you know it’s something incredibly special, as I haven’t seen another in the wild. I own a Souscription Tourbillon in yellow, so the idea of buying this to match it has definitely crossed my mind…
To get an idea of the quality of these, here is a hands-on story with the rose watch with some great live photography from Mark.
10. A Philippe Dufour Simplicity In White Gold
The Simplicity is in the Ben Clymer all time greatest list, and near the top. This is the first I’ve seen offered publicly in a while, unlike Journes and Karis, which are availably basically daily (or so it seems). Photo courtesy of Phillips.
Ask me what one of the best watches of my lifetime is, and a Simplicity is right up there. Look, this isn’t surprising to anyone, but at the same time, there are basically zero Dufours on the market these days, and remember, only roughly 250 of them exist across Simplicity, Duality, and Grand Sonnerie. That tells me people are simply keeping them. The spec is good here – 37mm with guilloché dial – the dial that the man himself wears on his 34mm prototype – and like the Daniels above, with an estimate that begins in the 300s, I will be personally offended if one of the great independents in the history of watchmaking sells for even remotely close to what some of these new guys are charging and/or getting in the secondary market for watches that have effectively zero historical importance.
I suspect this will do well, and it should, because without Philippe Dufour, a whole generation of Swiss-born indies would have no one to look up to. Without the Simplicity itself, the art of ultra-fine finishing would never have reached the levels we see now. And while there is one or two new kids on the block who can give Mr. Dufour a run for his money in regards to finishing, it is clear that even Mr. Rexhepi owes a debt of gratitude to Philippe for creating the Simplicity, which single-handedly popularized the simple, elegant, but incredibly finely finished time-only watches, for which the world has a seemingly unending level of desire.
What’s the archetypal Swiss indie worth in a world where a production Journe sells at $1.5m and a steel Akrivia brings $3.8m? I can honestly say I have no clue. But I can’t wait to find out.
BONUS: A Bunch Of School Watches, Some of Which Start At Literally 1 CHF
Photo courtesy of Antiquorum.
For folks who just like cool watches and care nothing about branding, Antiquorum has a large array of “Ecole” watches, or school watches, that students at Swiss watchmaking schools work on while studying, or occasionally use to prove their mettle. There are some very simple examples that start at literally 1 CHF, and others that look a heck of a lot like complicated Patek Philippe and APs. Some of my favorites are clearly based on some absolutely iconic watches of the period, like this chronograph fashioned after an El Primero, or those that could be a Rolex or Gallet, but is in fact neither.
Have a look at all these school watches on the block here.
