| Auction Geneva, 25 October 2009 |
PRESS RELEASEContact: Ita McCobbInternational Marketing & Communication Patrizzi & Co Auctioneers SA Tel. +41 22 318 28 38 e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Watchmaking masterpiecesSublime elegance in horological works of artSUNDAY 25 OCTOBER 2009 – MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL, GENEVA Patrizzi & Co’s Geneva auction of very unusual and rare works of horological art will take place on 25 October 2009. The pieces in the sale are all very unusual and several are destined to attract the attention of collectors including some fabulous Patek Philippe pocket watches and wristwatches and three exceptional Cartier pieces – two chinoiseries clocks and a very rare and unusual Cartier Barometer made in 1930 in brass, silver, rock crystal, crystal, black and red lacquer and coral. This rare barometer is of dodecagonal shape and besides indicating the weather conditions, it also indicates atmospheric pressure relative to sea-level. Among the pieces guaranteed to be much sought after are several prize winning Patek Philippe pocket watches and exceptional Patek Philippe Ref 1463 wristwatches. The Cartier chinoiseries pieces in the auction are superb examples of the Art Deco chinoiseries period. Chinese influence grew in Europe in the early 1900s when performances such as the opera Madame Butterfly first introduced the Chinese style and culture to Europe and created a new trend in high society, spurring the imagination of interior, textile and jewelry designers such as Cartier. Louis Cartier systematically collected pieces of Chinese antiquity from the leading antique dealers of the time and his work reflected various themes from Chinese life and traditions while also incorporating pieces of actual material of Chinese origin such as enamel, jade, ivory, Chinese lacquer and mother-of-pearl marqueterie inlays. The Cartier carriage clock in this auction features an antique jade Fô-Dog (mythological lion sometimes called the lion of Buddha) sitting atop the clock keeping it safe from danger and the Cartier table clock incorporates typically Louis Cartier elements from Chinese antiquity such as the rows of coral lacquered cylinders in red (which is a lucky color in china), onyx, black lacquer, and mother-of-pearl.
Highlights of the saleClic on the images to show high-resolution images
Patrizzi & CoRecognized 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, Patrizzi 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 full color printed catalog or downloading their own personalized version of the online catalog onto their computer or new generation e-Book. PREVIEW EXHIBITIONS
HONG KONG
GENEVA
AUCTION
Sunday 25 October 2009
For more details of the sale visit: www.patrizziauction.com |
