【F】 Antiquorum Auction Highlights That Might Fit Your Budget

Another auction week in Geneva is upon us. That means most of the attention goes to the big lots that fetch the big bucks. But there’s more to auctions than setting records. Auctions are also a way to bump into childhood heroes, to see watches that got away, or to find an unexpected new love. As usual, Antiquorum is offering a wide variety of timepieces on auction across many budget categories. Yes, a “Paul Newman” Daytona is in the catalog, and so are a bunch of exotic Nautilus models, as well as some seriously interesting F.P.Journe creations, but we’re not looking for those. Well, I wasn’t anyway. Instead, I was searching for auction highlights that might fit your budget — a more real-world kind of budget, that is — and watches I suspect you could have a soft spot for.

You won’t find a single Patek Philippe in this story, nor will you see anything from F.P.Journe, the brand that quite often steals the spotlight at watch auctions. Instead, you will find a few less obvious watches that still have interesting names and/or stories. Antiquorum will put no fewer than 672 lots up for bid during the Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces auction held on May 9th and 10th. These include all kinds of wristwatches, as well as pocket watches and clocks. The first watch that caught my attention was lot 46, a Grand Seiko 44GS.

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Auction highlights that might fit your budget: A Grand Seiko 44GS from 1967

At this year’s Watches and Wonders, Grand Seiko proved to me that a perfectly proportioned and shaped 37mm case is ideal. The Grand Seiko 44GS ref. 4420-9000 from 1967 proves it again. The edgy yet sleek steel 44GS case, with its mirror-polished flanks, is nothing short of designer Taro Tanaka’s magnum opus. The watch on auction has case number 6D02002 and features a silver “Diashock” dial with multifaceted hands and hour markers. The caliber 4420B inside is a 27-jewel manual-wound movement that runs at 2.5 Hz and bears the number 058052. The watch comes with a leather strap with a steel Seiko buckle, the original box, and an estimate of CHF 2,000–4,000 / €2,200–4,400 / US$2,600–5,100.

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Another great case: Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox

The total opposite of the edgy GS44 is this Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox ref. E 871 from the 1970s. Lot 45 is a rather unusual version of JLC’s famous alarm watch. Its 39mm steel case carries the number 1303549, and inside the case beats the 17-jewel caliber 916 “Speedbeat.” Caliber 916 was JLC’s first alarm movement to feature a (then-)high-frequency balance beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, enhancing accuracy. It was also the first automatic alarm watch to incorporate a fully free-rotating rotor, replacing the earlier bumper-style winding systems. As with other alarm movements from the brand, a hammer strikes a raised projection on the back plate, producing a characteristic buzzing tone. Even when the alarm is not wound, the hammer still moves loosely against this projection. This “noisy” creation carries an estimate of CHF 1,400–2,500 / €1,650–2,800 / US$1,900–3,200.

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Rectangular, but not a Cartier: Franck Muller Long Island

There are plenty of Cartier creations on auction. Cartier is hot, I know, but Franck Muller used to be too, and lot 598 relives those days. The Long Island ref. 1000 SC from 2001 is a shapely 30 × 52mm pink gold watch with a striking Art Deco-style dial. Inside the case (number 79) beats the caliber 2800R. This is a 21-jewel automatic movement with approximately 40 hours of power reserve. This Franck Muller Long Island counters Cartier’s iconic Roman numerals with elegant Arabic numerals that are just as characteristic. The watch comes on a leather strap with an 18K pink gold Franck Muller buckle and is estimated at CHF 4,000–6,000 / €4,400–6,500 / US$5,100–7,600.

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It’s not a Patek, but its maker worked there: Roger Dubuis Sympathie Biretrographe Perpetual Calendar

Master watchmaker Roger Dubuis spent about 15 years working in the high-complications department at Patek Philippe. He left Patek in the 1980s to set up a workshop of his own before launching his eponymous brand in 1995, bringing his expertise in perpetual calendars and minute repeaters to more modern designs. I remembered those first creations very well and put them on my grail list, especially the Sympathie Biretrographe Perpetual Calendar ref. S 43 56 1005.0. The 43 × 54 white gold case is sensually shaped, and the dial is busy yet intriguing. It certainly shows how complicated this perpetual calendar with a chronograph function and characteristic double retrograde indications is.

The Poinçon de Genève-certified watch from the early 2000s is number 11 of 28, which makes it rare. Yet, with an estimate of CHF 20,000–30,000 / €21,700–32,500 / US$25,400–38,000, it isn’t unobtainable for a grand complication. Yes, lot 612 will cost you a significant amount of money, but it could be a chance to transfer a grail watch from your wish list into your watch box.

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Omega or Rolex? Two more grail watches that might fit your budget

Lots 640 and 641 are both grail watches. And lot 641, an Omega Speedmaster, even has the nickname “Holy Grail.” Lot 640 is a Rolex creation from 1954, and it’s not a Submariner. Still, the Turn-O-Graph ref. 6202 is something special. As you might know, I have a soft spot for the Turn-O-Graph, Rolex’s first reference featuring a rotating bezel. Introduced in 1953, the 6202 was only in production until March 1954, and in total, 4,200 steel examples were made. Most of them have black dials, but white dials are much rarer. This white-dial 36mm Turn-O-Graph outfitted with the caliber A260 is an exotic one with an estimate of CHF 15,000–25,000 / €16,300–27,100 / US$19,000–31,700. It might be one for the hardcore Turn-O-Graph lover who has been waiting and looking for an offbeat Rolex with a cool story to tell.

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The Omega Speedmaster ref. 376.0822 is truly a “Holy Grail.” It’s lot 640’s official nickname, and you can read right here how and why this Speedy got it. This one is from around 1988, and inside the 42mm steel case beats the 17-jewel caliber 1045, bearing number 48233794. This automatic movement is Omega’s version of the Lemania 5100 from 1974. The watch comes on a steel Omega 1450 bracelet with 809 end links and a folding clasp. Look at that dial, and tell me you’re not charmed by the unexpected layout and the creamy lume. This “Holy Grail” is estimated at CHF 10,000–15,000 / €10,900–16,300 / US$12,700–19,000.

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Two celebrations in one: A 1950s Tudor Oyster

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the water-resistant Rolex Oyster case. It’s also the 100th birthday of Tudor. With lot 181, a Tudor Oyster ref. 7934, you can celebrate both occasions in style. This 34mm steel Oyster from around 1955 bears case number 232107 and features a manual-winding ETA 1182 movement. If the recently introduced Monarch is not how you want to celebrate a century of Tudor, this center-second Oyster with a crisp crosshair dial might be. It’s estimated at CHF 1,000–2,000 / €1,100–2,200 / US$1,300–2,600.

So, do any of the auction highlights I chose tickle your fancy? If so, let me know which one(s) you like in the comments. And to anyone bidding in this weekend’s Antiquorum auction, good luck!