We're in the heart of watch auction season. Records are being set, limited-edition lots are finding new homes, and vintage treasures that we didn't know existed are surfacing for the first time. On December 1, Phillips's new watch department will hold its first Hong Kong sale. Bloomberg lists the ones you wouldn't want to sleep on
FP JOURNE CENTRIGRAPHE SPORT
This 2011 Centrigraphe Sport is a rare casual watch from Journe. It's part of the first production series, which used aluminum for the case and the bracelet to make the watch as light as possible. Newer models are titanium instead (aluminum can be fragile), making the originals even more collectible.
Estimate: $25,000 to $39,000
CARTIER CRASH
The story of the Cartier Crash is an apocryphal one. Legend has it a customer in London was in a car accident and his wife's Cartier Bagnoire watch was mangled in the event. He took it to Cartier for repairs and the company thought it was beautiful as is, adding a reproduction to the collection. Whether it's true is irrelevant, as the limited production of the Crash has made it a watch worthy of attention all on its own.
Estimate: $15,000 to $25,000
PATEK PHILIPPE OBSERVATORY POCKET WATCH
Not all collectors get excited over pocket watches, but this Observatory watch from 1924 is truly incredible. The steel case and sleek sector dial hide a movement with a massive tourbillon that won first prize in the 1931 Geneva Astronomical Observatory competition. That means at the time this was very likely the most accurate watch on the planet. There's also an extra yellow gold case with a more conservative dial and hand set included if the look isn't really your thing.
Estimate: $500,000 to $1 million
PATEK PHILIPPE TIFFANY REF 5396
Tiffany has been selling Patek Phillipe watches since 1851. Yet, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the new Patek boutique inside Tiffany's New York flagship store, the brands produced this limited-edition annual calendar with the Tiffany logo at 6 o'clock. Only top clients were offered the opportunity to buy one of the 100 pieces, and they rarely come up for public sale.
Estimate: $72,000 to $103,000
ROLEX SUBMARINER "BIG CROWN"
James Bond is largely responsible for making the Rolex Submariner the sport watch of choice for generations of guys. This ref 5510 "Big Crown" Submariner is nearly identical to the one worn by Sean Connery in Dr No and has the signature red bezel triangle and oversize crown. Fine, it's not an actual Bond watch, but it's darn close.
Estimate: $62,000 to $77,000
ROGER DUBUIS PERPETUAL CALENDAR
Today, Roger Dubuis makes mostly gaudier watches with lots of skeletonising and gems. This watch from 2005 shows a more sobre side of the manufacture. The three windows up top show a full perpetual calendar (day, date, month), and down at 6 o'clock there's a moon-phase indictor and second time zone, too. Restrained complexity.
Estimate: $13,000 to $20,000
