Regional auctions are always a better guide to the mainstream appeal of vintage watches than the blockbuster sales in Geneva where a mastery of dark arts and massive marketing budgets boost prices for the biggest players.
Gardiner Houlgate, based in the southwest of England, is a great regional auctioneer.
It secures interesting timepieces for sale thanks to its team of leading watch specialists and an engaged customer base of collectors and more casual enthusiasts.
These watches are given realistic estimates that encourage people to consign but do not set unreasonable expectations for either buyers or sellers.
Gardiner Houlgate’s February auctions for pocket watches and wristwatches showed the policy in action for timepieces ranging in price from a few hundred pounds for vintage Omegas, Cartiers and Breitlings up to £20,000 to £30,000 for a Rolex Sea-Dweller ‘Double Red’ Submariner.
Star lots generally sold at mid-estimates (somewhere between the low and high estimates), which builds confidence across the process.
Gardiner Houlgate February Watch Auction Results
(descriptions by the auctioneer)
Fine Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date Sea-Dweller ‘Double Red’ Submariner 2000 stainless steel gentleman’s wristwatch, reference no. 1665, serial no. 1721xxx, circa 1967/68, black matt ‘Swiss-T<25’ dial with dot, baton and dagger markers, minute markers, date aperture and sweep centre seconds, Mercedes hands, black insert bi-directional rotating bezel, screw-down Triplock crown with guards, cal. 1570 26 jewel movement, screw back dated ‘IV.67’, engraved ‘Rolex Patent Oyster Gas Escape Valve’, ref. 9315 Oyster bracelet with ‘282’ end links and flip-lock clasp dated 1.72′, the bezel 39.5mm diameter.
Estimate: £20,000 to £30,000. Sold for £27,176.
Heuer Autavia Skipper Chronograph stainless steel gentleman’s wristwatch, reference no. 73463, serial no. 263xxx, circular blue dial with applied baton markers, minute and seconds markers, subsidiary constant seconds and large tri-colour fifteen minute yacht regatta timer dials, date aperture at the six position and orange chronograph centre seconds, orange hands, blue rotating bezel with five minute and hour divisions, Heuer crown, Heuer Leonidas SA cal. 7734 17 jewel unadjusted movement, inside case signed Heuer-Leonidas SA, modern black leather strap, 42mm.
Estimate: £4,000 to £6,000. Sold for £5,056.
Rare Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date GMT-Master II ‘Sea-King’ Military Limited Edition stainless steel gentleman’s wristwatch, reference no. 116710LN, serial no. 52C7xxxx, circa 2013, limited edition no. 1xx/123, black dial with black inserted rotating bezel, cal. 3186 31 jewel movement, the case back with Sea King helicopter engraving, Oyster bracelet with flip-lock clasp, 40mm.
Estimate £24,000 to £28,000. Sold for £23,000.
Patek Philippe Calatrava 18ct gentleman’s wristwatch, reference no. 3919, hobnail bezel, white dial with Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial, signed crown, calibre 215PS movement, Patek Philippe black leather strap with signed 18ct buckle, 34mm.
Estimate: £4,500 to £6,500. Sold for £5,500.
Rare Omega Seamaster 300 ‘Big Triangle’ automatic stainless steel gentlemen’s wristwatch, reference no. 166.024, serial no. 27971xxx, circa 1968, fixed ‘wide triangle’ bakelite bezel insert, black dial with ‘big triangle’, luminous baton markers, minute markers, date aperture, sword hands with a white tipped centre seconds hand, screw-down crown, cal. 565 24 jewel movement, rare misprinted ‘HF’ (Huguenin Freres) ‘Speedmaster’ case back, black rubber band, 40mm.
Estimate: £2,500 to £3,500. Sold for £3,800.
Longines Greenlander British Military issue stainless steel gentleman’s wristwatch, reference 8707, serial no. 7006xxx, circa 1945, the black dial with Arabic numerals, dot markers, minute track and luminous set Cathedral hands, with Military arrow over subsidiary seconds, cal. 12.68Z 15 jewel gilt movement, the case with fixed bars, screw back with Military arrow and issue markings ‘WWW F86xx 23088 4929’, black leather strap, 37mm.
Estimate: £2,000 to £3,000. Sold for £2,600.
Rare Omega Monopusher Chronograph stainless steel gentleman’s wristwatch with a telemetre porcelain dial with Arabic numerals, minute track with five minute divisions, subsidiary constant seconds and thirty minute recording dials, outer telemetre blue/red scale and chronograph centre seconds, cal. 33’3 Chro 17 jewel unadjusted movement, signed case, modern black leather strap with Omega buckle, 37mm
Sold for £10,000.
Gardiner Houlgate’s next wristwatch sale takes place on Wednesday, March 20. Click here to register.
