Antiquorum Geneva is gearing up for a colossal sale of nearly 1,000 timepieces this weekend including a singing bird cage clock automaton attributed to Jaquet Droz.
The “Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces” auction at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva features highlights including the jumping bird and waterfall automaton from 1785 est. CHF 200,000-300,000 (£130,000-£195,000) and an 18ct gold Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 Third Series originally sold by Beyer of Zurich est. CHF 250,000-300,000 (£162,700-£227,800).
The Ref.2499, made in 1980, is the property of the original owner and features round button chronograph, 30 minute register, perpetual calendar and moon phase. It is presented with extracts from the Patek Philippe archive.
Previews of the lots have already been held in Zurich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai and Geneva.
Also offered is a Blancpain 1735 Grand Complication from the 1990s, No. 03/30. The astronomic, minute repeating watch features one-minute tourbillon, round button co-axial split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, moon phases and moon age.
The watch is presented with a fitted wooden box, loupe, setting pin, instruction manual, booklet, hand-written certificate and has an estimate of CHF 250,000-300,000 (£162,700-£227,800).
Modern watch collectors are sure to be drawn to a Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 30° Vision made in 2004. The rare 18ct white gold watch features 30° inclined visible inner one-minute tourbillon, visible outer four-minute tourbillon with four-minute rotation indicator, twin barrels and 72-hour power reserve. The watch has an estimate of CHF 120,000-180,000 (£78,100-£117,100).
