Vintage & Auctions
Hidden Gems: Five Intriguing Lots from the 2025 Spring Geneva Watch Auctions
From a daylight saving time complication to a fully skeletonized gold watch, from the predecessor to the Land-Dweller to the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, today, we’re looking at five of the most intriguing lots on offer during the 2025 Spring Geneva Watch auctions.
By Henri Lee
Contributor
In our last article, we highlighted several heavy hitters as potential showstoppers at the 2025 Spring Geneva Watch Auctions. However, while those watches are beyond reach for most of us, there are plenty of remarkable timepieces that are far more accessible (or, at least, comparatively accessible).
That is why, for our second auction preview, we are profiling five standout lots that deserve a closer look, one from each of the auctions hosted by Phillips, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Antiquorum. All but one come with price estimates falling in the range of CHF 1,500 to CHF 30,000.
Among these picks, you’ll find a world record holder, a cousin to the newly released Rolex Land Dweller, and a creation by a leading independent watchmaker. Let’s dive in!
Phillips: A Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Final Prototype
During Geneva Watch Days in late summer 2024, Konstantin Chaykin unveiled the record-breaking 1.65mm-thick ThinKing Prototype 2.
Attending the event for the first time, I had the opportunity to examine this extraordinary creation up close – and even try it on. Despite its ultra-slim profile, the ThinKing remained unmistakably Chaykin in design, with the hour and minute sub-dials resembling eyes, while the brand name curves into a big smile.
Now, just in time for the 2025 Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XII, Chaykin has submitted the final prototype of the ThinKing as lot 15 in the auction. And while its appearance closely mirrors the earlier prototype, the watch has undergone numerous refinements to its movement and case.
A special nickel alloy was selected for the case material due to its superior hardness, replacing the stainless steel used in earlier prototypes. Fine finishing techniques, including perlage and straight graining, have been applied to key movement components.
In a surprising twist, Chaykin also introduced a new carrier case called the PalanKing to prevent the watch from bending. This innovative accessory allows the ThinKing to be worn like a conventional wristwatch by adding substantial rigidity to the watch’s structure.
The PalanKing also provides convenient manual and automatic winding and time-setting, all while securely housing the ThinKing for everyday wear. Moreover, because the PalanKing is removable, owners still have the freedom to wear the ThinKing on its own whenever they wish.
The ThinKing marks a milestone in horological history, especially as a medium-sized independent watchmaker accomplished the feat. Furthermore, this auction season sets up a showdown between the ThinKing and the RM UP-01 Ferrari (which was, of course, made by the large indie brand Richard Mille).
No matter which watch fetches the higher price, there is no doubt that the winning bidder of the ThinKing will earn the rare honor of taking home a true triumph of human ingenuity.
Estimate: CHF 350,000 to CHF 700,000
Auction Date: May 10th & 11th, 2025
Christie’s: A Vacheron Constantin Ref. 33115 Gold Skeletonized Wristwatch
A well-crafted skeletonized watch offers a fascinating view into the mechanics of timekeeping, with its gears, springs, and other components fully visible from both the front and back. And as lot 49 in Christie’s Rare Watches, Featuring Stories in Time: A Collection of Exceptional Watches auction, this Vacheron Constantin Ref. 33115 skeletonized wristwatch adds an educational dimension to its appeal, allowing collectors to observe the movement in action.
Skeletonization is a painstaking process that involves removing non-essential material from the movement to expose its inner workings. What remains is then carefully hand-finished, featuring chamfered edges and delicate engravings. In this piece, a finely engraved Maltese Cross – Vacheron Constantin’s enduring emblem – adds a distinctive touch.
Produced in 1999 as part of the brand’s Les Complications model line, this 33mm gold watch with a fully openworked design is a rare and elegant example of the maison’s technical artistry.
Estimate: CHF 8,000 to CHF 12,000
Auction Date: May 12th, 2025
Antiquorum: Daniel Roth Metropolitan Dual Time White Gold
For collectors new to Daniel Roth, lot 650 from Antiquorum’s Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces auction presents a marvelous entry point. It features the brand’s signature double-ellipse case and showcases a distinctive approach to dual-time functionality tailored for travelers.
Local time is indicated by a skeletonized hour hand, accompanied by a city name display using two rotating discs with twelve cities each and an AM/PM indicator. Home time is shown via a luminous hour hand and a separate day/night indicator.
Unusually, the watch also includes a daylight saving time indicator – an uncommon feature – adjusted by two pushers located at 8 and 10 o’clock. It's a quirky bragging right for any proud owner.
The white clous de Paris guilloché dial, paired with bold blue hour markers, completes the piece with a refined and visually striking aesthetic.
Estimate: CHF 4,000 to CHF 8,000
Auction Date: May 10th & 11th, 2025
Sotheby’s: Chopard L.U.C Semi-skeletonized Tourbillon
An outstanding example of semi-skeletonized tourbillons, lot 10 from Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I auction features a piece from Chopard’s L.U.C “Steel Wings” collection.
The name “Steel Wings” refers to the sculpted bridges in front of the tourbillon cage, shaped to resemble a bird’s wings. As always, L.U.C signifies Chopard’s commitment to haute horlogerie.
A standout technical feature is the impressive 8-day power reserve, achieved through four barrels arranged in two pairs of stacked sets. The watch is COSC-certified as a chronometer and produced in a limited edition of just 30 pieces.
Estimate: CHF 15,000 to CHF 30,000
Auction Date: May 11th, 2025
Sotheby’s: A Rolex Oysterquartz Datejust Ref. 17013 – the Pre-Land-Dweller
During Watches and Wonders 2025, the newly launched Land-Dweller from Rolex dominated the news cycle. It marked the debut of sporty models with fully integrated bracelets in the Crown’s current offerings.
However, interestingly, the Land-Dweller’s integrated bracelet design can be traced back to Rolex’s historical catalogues from nearly half a century ago. The watch featured in lot 327 of Sotheby’s Important Watches II auction stands as a clear predecessor to the Land-Dweller.
This two-tone Oysterquartz Datejust Ref. 17013, produced around 1980, features a 36mm case with angular lugs that extend and blend seamlessly into the bracelet. Though it comes without a box or papers, this Datejust – with its fluted bezel and integrated bracelet – unmistakably reveals the design DNA now carried forward in the Land-Dweller.
Estimate: CHF 15,000 to CHF 30,000
Auction Date: April 30th - May 14th, 2025
For more information about these five upcoming auctions, please visit the following pages: Sotheby’s Important Watches: Part I and Part II, Christie’s Rare Watches, the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, and Antiquorum Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces.