STORY + PHOTO GALLERY: Christie's Announces The Top Lots At The Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary Sale

This year, Patek Philippe celebrates their 175th anniversary. In honor of this occasion, Christie's will be hosting the "Patek Philippe 175" sale at the historic Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva. One hundred of arguably the world's preeminent timepieces, all displaying Patek Philippe's triumphs and rich heritage, will be auctioned off at the sale that evening. As we near the date, I will certainly provide in-depth reports. Until then, I will discuss my two favorite watches offered at this auction--interestingly enough, both have remained in private hands until now.

Best Deal of The Sale: From Christie’s New York

My current dream watch is the Patek 3940. It’s doesn’t surpass estimates, it doesn’t set records; it doesn’t raise all the paddles in the room, but who cares? The 3940 is hands-down one of the coolest Pateks out there. Here, today at Christie’s, I witnessed the sale of, essentially, the perfect 3940. This wristwatch is a complete set and includes everything from the original presentation box to even the tags and literature on the watch. You name it, this watch has it.

Auctions, NYC, Christie's, Patek PhilippeLuke RottmanJune 13, 2014Patek Philippe, Christies, 3940, Perpetual Calendar, NYC, Auction, Watch Events, Watch StoriesComment

Vintage, Value, and Beauty: My Top Favorites From The Auction Block At Christie’s New York

Without a doubt, I can surely say I’ve got a keen eye for watches of merit. Today, at Christie’s, I tried on everything from a steel ‘72 Daytona with a once black dial that had wondrously aged into a rich deep-brown tone, to an oddly shaped Serpico y Laino signed Patek that I, honestly, did not even know existed. These watches may break sale records, along with a couple dozen more, but the quality of a wristwatch does not hinge on the number of digits you have to write out in your checkbook to acquire that piece. Naturally, I wandered over to the “no reserve” case to get a sense of what was being offered to guys like me who, let’s just say, haven’t the luxury of throwing down a stack of cash on a new addition to their collection. In this “no reserve” case were some pretty astonishing watches that I would never expect to see...

VIDEO: A Day At Timecrafters With Christie's Private Sales

Christie's, Auctions, Events, Higlights, Timecrafters, VideosLuke RottmanMay 16, 2014The Watch Shop, Auction, Reginald Brack, Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex, Vintage Watches, Videos, Timecrafters, NYC, HighlightsComment

Looking From A New Perspective of Vintage Watch Buying

A short while ago, we visited with Christie’s Vice President and Director of Private Sales, Mr. Reginald Brack. In the weeks following our video with Brack, Christie’s team of top-notch watch specialists began working on an almost revolutionary project, The Watch Shop. The Watch Shop is an online version of Christies Private Sales that makes it easier for Christie’s international clientele to make their vintage purchases without the hassle of buying vintage and without having to fear replacement parts or shoddy movements, etc .