【F】The Lots At The November Watch Auctions In Geneva

The days are getting shorter, and November is approaching. That means the year-end Geneva watch auctions will happen again soon. Not all the houses are showing all their cards yet, but there are previews containing some interesting lots. Sotheby’s will auction the Rolex Oyster watch that accompanied long-distance swimmer Mercedes Gleitze during her attempt to cross the English Channel. The house is also organizing an auction to celebrate Breguet’s 250th anniversary. Phillips is the only auction house that has already revealed the upcoming lots. I browsed through all 209 of them and selected a handful of favorites. But let’s first take a look at what Sotheby’s has in store for us.

Image: Sotheby’s

Mercedes Gleitze’s Rolex Oyster

Why not start with what might be the most sensational watch of this auction season? You’re probably familiar with Rolex’s water-, shock-, and dust-proof Oyster case. But did you also know that long-distance swimmer Mercedes Gleitze played an essential role during its development? At the beginning of the 1900s, Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf was obsessed with creating a wristwatch capable of operating on the wrists of adventurers, athletes, and professionals in the most demanding environments on Earth.

Image: Sotheby’s

After years of development and combining state-of-the-art technology, Rolex finally presented its Oyster case with a screw-down crown in 1926. At the time, Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to have crossed the English Channel in a time of 15 hours and 15 minutes. However, a competing long-distance swimmer doubted the legitimacy of the record. Therefore, Gleitze decided to cross the Channel again. This time, however, Wilsdorf made sure she did so accompanied by Rolex’s new Oyster watch.

Estimated hammer price: CHF 1 million

Gleitze abandoned her so-called Vindication Swim after 10 hours and 24 minutes because of the difficult weather conditions. But by that time, the Rolex Oyster watch had already proven it was fully capable of surviving such a demanding environment, as it was still running without any moisture inside the case. That was precisely the result Wilsdorf was hoping for. He finally created the world’s first practical waterproof watch and made Gleitze the world’s first brand ambassador.

Image: Sotheby’s

Mercedes Gleitze’s Rolex Oyster watch already went up for auction once, in 2000, at Christie’s. That year, it fetched £17,037, while this time, Sotheby’s estimates the hammer price at CHF 1 million. That, to me, seems like a giant leap, and Perezcope already hinted that the dial in this watch might be a replacement. Then again, it is a timepiece with quite some historical significance. I’m curious to see what will happen during the actual auction.

Image: Sotheby’s

Celebrating Breguet’s 250th anniversary

Besides the famous Rolex Oyster watch, Sotheby’s is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Breguet with a dedicated auction. Interestingly enough, the (pocket) watches up for auction are historical pieces and new additions to the brand’s collection. The first piece announced is the reference 4548, a “perpetual tact” watch that can be read by touch alone. Apart from the time, it also displays the date and power reserve. It was made for King George IV in 1827.

The auction also includes a Breguet watch from the current collection. The one-handed Classique Souscription watch was the brand’s first release for its 250th anniversary this year. Its new Breguet gold case has a more modern profile and lacks the signature coin-edge decoration. The single hand is manually flame-blued to get the perfect blue tone, which looks beautiful in front of the white enamel dial. This particular model bears the individual number 250, which means it’s the first in the series. I’m curious to see how much people will offer for such a recent release.

Image: Phillips

Favorite lots from Phillips

As mentioned, Phillips has already revealed all the upcoming lots. I picked a few of my favorites based on personal preferences. I’m not a specialist in vintage watches by any means, so please don’t take my picks as some kind of investment advice. These would simply be my choices if I were walking around the auction with very deep pockets. Actually, the estimated hammer price for this ’40s Eterna Chronograph with a pulsation dial (lot 24) is quite modest compared to most of the other lots. I think the roughly €3,000 price gets you a purposeful and beautiful dial in a case featuring lugs that amplify the watch’s strong character.

Image: Phillips

Another potentially affordable option is this ’60s Angelus monopusher chronograph (lot 25), also with a pulsation dial. I love its asymmetrical dial layout. It also seems to be in very good condition, which certainly isn’t always the case for watches this old. It’s estimated to fetch somewhere between €1,000 and €2,000. I think that’s a very modest estimate, but let’s see when it goes under the hammer.

Image: Phillips

A couple of Cartier watches, of course

Then, we go a little higher in price, and we see a fairly recent Cartier Tortue (lot 62) from the brand’s Collection Privée. It’s a time-only model with just two hands, allowing you to focus on the beautiful shape of the platinum case. It’s number 40 out of a limited edition of only 200 pieces from 2024. Its hammer price is estimated between €13,000 and €26,000.

Image: Phillips

Image: Phillips

If I were to put all my money on one watch, though, it would be this Cartier Tank Chronographe Monopoussoir (lot 112) from the 2000s. It has a classic 34mm square rose gold case and a beautiful guilloché dial. On the case back, it says that it’s number 16 out of a series of 100, but that’s also where you can take a look at its beautiful hand-wound 045MC movement. This caliber was a collaborative movement manufactured by Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet (founder of De Bethune), and François-Paul Journe before their respective brands became household names in the watch world. The estimated hammer price is somewhere between €27,000 and €54,000.

Image: Phillips

Honorable mentions

All right, let’s make a few more honorable mentions, as they’re just so good. First up is this Seiko reference 4520-8020 (lot 127) with a remarkable linen-finished yellow gold cushion case. This watch was certified to Observatory Chronometer standards, as is proudly mentioned on the linen dial. If you’re not ready to pay between €16,000 and €32,000, there’s also a less valuable one going up for auction.

Image: Phillips

Then, take a look at this very square Breguet Jump Hour watch from 1928 (lot 149). The case is made of white gold, and the dial is very clean. Aside from the Breguet signature and serial number, it features only a railroad minute track, numerals marking every five minutes, a minute hand, and an aperture for the jumping hours. It’s very sparsely decorated for a Breguet, and that’s exactly why it caught my eye. The estimated hammer price is between €21,500 and €43,000.

Image: Phillips

The next one also comes from Breguet, but this time, it’s a round reference 3050 without lugs (lot 201). Apart from the beautiful yellow gold case, it also has a very nice hand-guilloché dial, and it’s a perpetual calendar. But the best part of this watch has to be the beautiful yellow gold integrated woven bracelet. The estimated hammer price is between €21,500 and €42,900.

Image: Phillips

At the beginning of this year, Lex paid tribute to the beautiful IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar IW3750 from 1985. This November, Phillips is offering one (lot 171) in a case made of platinum. All right, maybe the ceramic versions are still my favorites, but the ability to buy such a significant watch in platinum for an estimated hammer price between €10,700 and €21,500 seems like a great opportunity.

There you have it — a personal selection of favorites. What’s your particular focus during the upcoming auction season? Let me know in the comments below.