Watchmaking masterpieces

Sublime elegance in horological works of art
19 April 2009 – Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Geneva

Whether clock or wristwatch, collector’s passion or purely practical time-teller – every timepiece has its place. In this auction, Patrizzi & Co bring together a sublime collection of horological works of art from historic and unique pieces to more recent complication time pieces.

Among the many historic periods represented in this sale are pieces from the much sought after and highly collectible Art Deco period. Art Deco was a popular international design movement during the early 1920s, ‘30s and early ‘40s and was the result of research into modernizing the frothy turn-of-the-century “Garland Style” into more linear lines.

After the 1925 Paris Decorative Arts exhibition, this new style became known as “Art Deco”. Art Deco was characterized by geometric shapes, strong lines, decorative and abstract surfaces and wild rich colors. The first introduction of such colors was intended as a contrast to black and white. With the influence of the so-called "primitive" arts of Africa, Egypt, ancient Persia, and Aztec Mexico and the technological awakening of the 1920s came a final explosion of colors echoing the vibrant colors of the East. The geometric and decorative style of Art Deco is today considered elegant, functional, and modern and very, very collectible.

Highlights of the sale

Art Deco table clock signed “Boucheron Paris”, », circa 1921 in gold, enamel champlevé and rock crystal.
Estimate: CH 80,000 – 100,000

18K yellow gold Patek Philippe, Genève, Ref 5024, “Officer” minute repeater wristwatch, made in just 10 examples in 1997.
Estimate: CH 250,000 – 350,000

18K yellow gold Patek Philippe, Geneva, Ref 1463, waterproof chronograph with round push piece and register, circa 1960.
Estimate: CH 40,000 – 60,000

18K yellow gold Patek Philippe, Geneva, Ref 2438-1, waterproof, astronomic, phases of the moon, perpetual calendar, centre seconds, circa 1953.
Estimate: CH 250,000 – 350,000

Art Deco evening dress watch, circa 1920 in gold, enamel, signed Vacheron & Constantin.
Estimate: CH 10,000 – 15,000

White gold, Art Deco pocket watch astronomic, phases of the moon, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, chronograph, split-seconds and register, signed Audermars Piguet,retailed by Gübelin circa 1930.
Estimate: CH 80,000 – 120,000

Patek Philippe, Geneva, gilt solar table clock, circa 1975.
Estimate: CH 10,000 – 15,000

Patrizzi & Co

Recognized as probably the world’s most important watch expert, Osvaldo Patrizzi, founder and chairman of Patrizzi & Co, trained originally as a watchmaker and then, spotting the growing interest of watch aficionados in collecting and buying these miniature masterpieces, he formed his first auction house.

Patrizzi was the first to develop thematic auctions as he watched the growth in market interest in specialist complication watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, Rolex, Swatch, Vacheron Constantin, and Omega – to name but a few.

Today, with his new auction house, he offers even more benefits to watch collectors:

NO buyer’s commission: This represents the saving to buyers of between 20–25% of the hammer price, which most other major auction houses’ charge.

Five-year guarantee of authenticity: This guarantee eliminates what is often perceived to be the “risk factor” in buying important pieces via the Internet and includes an accurate and very detailed description of the quality of the piece(s) being purchased.

A choice of catalogs: Clients have a choice of purchasing a digitally printed and bound full color catalog or downloading their own personalized version of the online catalog onto their computer or new generation e-Book.

Preview exhibition

Geneva from 17 to 18 April 2009, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Geneva.

Auction

Sunday, 19 April 2009, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Geneva.

For more details of the sale visit: www.patrizziauction.com