Ineichen Zurich will host two special auctions of rare timepieces following its main auction to be hosted in Zurich and online between November 20 and 21.
The first part of the main auction on November 20 will offer vintage and pocket watches from 13:00 to 15:00 Zurich followed by “Alchemy of Gold”, a special auction of wristwatches in yellow metals, from 15:30 Zurich.
Then, the following day, the main auction will offer modern watches from 13:00 to 15:00 Zurich followed by “Shades of Grey”, a special auction of timepieces produced in tantalum, platinum and steel, from 15:30 Zurich.
The 17-lot auction features a tailored selection of highly sought-after wristwatches.
The auction house hopes the offering will see collectors relish the opportunity to bid for twin Vianney Halter pieces at the special auctions.
The Vianney Halter Antiqua Yellow Gold (featured) (estimate CHF 50,000 – CHF 100,000) and the Vianney Halter Antiqua White Gold (estimate CHF 50,000 – CHF 100,000), caused a stir when the independent watchmaker revealed them in 1998.
The title of the “Alchemy of Gold” special auction is a nod to medieval alchemists’ efforts to change base metals into gold.
The gold watches in this special auction, which embody that description, are by esteemed watchmakers Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, Patek Philippe, Girard-Perregaux, Vianney Halter, Tissot, Daniel Roth, and Vacheron Constantin.
Similarly, the naming of the “12 Shades of Gray” auction aims to emphasize the visual content of the collectible models under the hammer, which represent the best traditions of high-end watchmaking.
Brands include Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, Breguet, F.P. Journe, Vianney Halter, Konstantin Chaykin, and Urwerk.
Notable among the “12 Shades of Gray” lots are three extremely rare pieces by French watchmaker F.P. Journe.
The F. P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Ruthenium Collection (estimate CHF 100,000 – CHF 200,000) is one of 99 pieces presented from 2001 to 2003.
A second sought-after piece is the F. P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Ruthenium Collection (estimate CHF 100,000 – CHF 200,000), which is numbered and limited to 99 pieces.
Third and final is the F. P. Journe Chronomètre Souverain de Boulle (estimate CHF 50,000 – CHF 100,000), one of the rarest versions of this model.
Meanwhile, Audemars Piguet fans will be excited about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar Ref. 25820TP (estimate CHF 100,000 – CHF 200,000) in platinum and tantalum coming up for the November auction. It’s the rarest version of this model, which forms part of a limited edition of only 15 pieces.
The final lot from this watchmaker is the Ref. 25720.
This collection featured dials mostly decorated with a guilloché plate. Hand-engraved dials were less common, especially like this one in platinum, ranking this Audemars Piguet Star Wheel Automatic Ref. 25720PT among the rarest of this kind. It was released in a limited edition of only nine pieces, which is indicated at the bottom of the dial (9/9).
Ineichen Zurich hosts only three auctions per year, traditionally in May and November, so this one is not to be missed and the auction house currently ranks second on sales among Swiss watch auction houses and has achieved several lot records over the decades.
Nevertheless, the May 22, 2021 auction not only smashed the previous sales record but marked the sale of the world’s most expensive NFT token for Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker NFT Fr. 52080.
