Antiquorum Auctions in Hong Kong June 2013

The official communications, evidently, first talks about the exceptional Patek Philippes, the German A.Lange & Söhne and the Tourbillon models. Because these pieces, which will probably break records, producing media added value, guarantee crowds and suspense. The licensed collectors from the auction planet will certainly undertake the travel. However, some of them might equally flare up for three particular pieces which… stand out.

Ulysse Nardin, platinum astronomical trilogy

Presumably in 2004, only 100 sets of this limited edition of three platinum astronomical timekeepers have been produced at le Locle.

The one, which proposes itself to the lights of hammers, very complete with its original documentation, its presentation-case in a perfect state and its fit and setting tools, is the number 35. It consists of a Ref. 999-70 Astrolabium Galileo Galilei, fine and rare, self-winding, days and months, equipped with an astrolabe function.

The second piece is a Ref. 889-70 Tellure Johannes Kepler, also in platinum, an astronomical self-winding piece water resistant to 30 metres, having the following functions: double time zone, perpetual calendar, moon phases, zodiac signs, moon and sun eclipses, 24 hours display, and for the beauty of the look, a view of planet Earth from the North Pole.

Finally, the third astronomical timekeeper to complete this trilogy, also self-winding and water-resistant, is a Ref. 839-70 Planetarium Copernicus, supplying the planetary cycles, the indications of the days, of the months, of the zodiac signs and the moon phases… A concentrate of micromechanical science sprinkled with space and stars.

A true call for overbids !

A Longines Wittnauer survivor of the Japanese skies

Another rarity unearthed during this visit in New York, the batch 395: this XXL four horns of 47 mm in diameter – proof that the current trend of the return to these normal sizes is partially historical – was flogged to the Japanese air force in 1933 by the American army.

Very rare, with its large second at the centre and its Breguet blued hands sweeping a white enamel dial with painted Arabic numbers, this piece is handled by a globule winding mechanism also linked with the mobile copper plated part of the central sub-dial. Its engraved and personalized background with Japanese colours protects its rhodium plated 16 ½’’ calibre with lever escapement, 15 rubies.

Lot 490, Speedmaster Omega skeleton Ref. 3691

Another find of an enlightened bargain-hunter! Under the name of “Speedmaster Professional Squelette”, this Explorer 3691 skeleton in limited yellow-gold series has been produced in only 50 pieces around 1992.

Is it the signature of an Armin Strom, master in skeleton work, which officiated for the brand at the time, well before starting, with its approaching retirement, an eponymous career? 42 mm brush-polished case, transparent screwed background, tachometric scale flush with the bezel, with the same tints as a black hoop having black and gold indices circling the pierced works carried out straight from the brass of the hand-engraved 867 calibre.

Three chronographic sub-dials, equally open on the traceries of exposed gear trains, allow admiring this movement with 17 rubies numbered 35 from the 50 manufactured models. The Omega maniacs highly risk igniting some buying spree…

Antiquorum Hong Kong 22nd June Catalog

Auction bid, Saturday 22 June 2013
Oriental Hong Kong (5 Connaught Road Central)

Antiquorum Hong Kong 22nd June final bids:

• The Longines Wittnauer was sold: 165,000 HKD - 21,275 USD

• Omega Speedmaster Squelette Reference 3691 was sold: 300,000 HKD - 39,000USD

• Ulysse Nardin trilogy of time was sold: 822,000 HKD - 106,000 USD