Giuseppe Marasco Hong Kong, 5 May 2023 – The Hong Kong Important Watches Sale, taking place on 26 May, will feature remarkable examples from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries that are as captivating as they are extraordinary and unique.
This Live auction showcases two spectacular pocket watch masterpieces: an Audemars Piguet Ref. 25630 ‘Grand Complication’ with a pavé diamond-set dial, and the oldest known Patek Philippe miniature watch with a horological complication from the storied Geneva Maison, possibly the smallest ever made
Left: A possibly unique Audemars Piguet Ref. 25630 chronograph pocket watch grand complication, numbered 001, 18k gold and diamond-set, with a minute repeating perpetual calendar, split seconds, leap year indicator and moon phases. (Est: HK$550,000-1,100,000)
Right: Manufactured in 1888, thisremarkable Patek Philippe miniature minute repeater pocket watch, in 18k gold, with enamel dial, movement no. 80’216, has been identified as the smallest known Patek Philippe Minute Repeater, and is possibly the smallest ever made.
(Est. HK$800,000-2,400,000)
Lot 2303 – A significant piece of Audemars Piguet history, this resplendent Ref. 25630 Grande Complication with pavé diamond-set dial is numbered ‘001’ and is believed to have been created as a one-off. According to the Audemars Piguet Archives the movement ébauche was purchased from LeCoultre & Cie in 1973, although it likely dates back to the 1930s, one of the ‘golden ages’ of the Grand Complication. The watch was completed by Audemars Piguet as calibre ‘JSMCCRVQ’.
(Est: HK$550,000-1,100,000)
Lot 2306 – This remarkable miniature minute repeater, with a diameter of 24.5 mm, is the smallest known to have been made by Patek Philippe and possibly the smallest ever created by the Maison. This watch is entirely new to the market and has remained hidden from the public for 135 years, since its manufacture in 1888.
An extremely exciting discovery and a fresh addition to the known historic 19th-century complicated watches of Patek Philippe, it is most aptly described in the words of the former Director of the Patek Philippe Museum, Arnaud Tellier: “This miniature watch is one of Patek Philippe’s greatest achievements of the 19th century. It was and remains one of the masterpieces of the Genevan manufacture!“
(Est: HK$800,000-2,400,000)
Furthermore, Christie’s Hong Kong is proud to present a unique piece in its 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale on 28 May. This live auction of seminal works by leading masters of the modern era as well as contemporary luminaries and emerging artists from around the worldwill also include the most valuable timepiece ever offered in Christie’s Hong Kong auction room, a Patek Philippe Ref. 2523J ‘Dual Crown World Time’ featuring a map of North America on its cloisonné enamel dial. Crafted in 1955, this exquisite timepiece has been estimated at HK$55 million-120 million.
