Top Lots: 5 Watches to Watch from Phillips’ The Geneva Watch Auction XVII

Although it may be hard for some people to remember, Phillips hasn’t always made it to the list of auction highlights. In fact, before Aurel Bacs’ uncanny ability to attract attention, produce results, and gather masterpieces, Phillips’ watch auctions were more geared toward in-the-know collectors and people with money to spend. Now, Phillips’ auction catalogs attract a much wider audience, adding appeal to watch auction week in Geneva.

Of course, it is no surprise that Phillips’ catalog for The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII is filled with very high-end lots. To many observers, this catalog makes it seem like Phillips is only trying to get the attention of top (read: profligate) collectors from around the world. However, if your eye is good enough, you’ll see that some lots are still very much attainable for many. Luckily, almost every lot is of either historical interest, collecting interest, or both.

That is why today I want to highlight some of The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII’s top lots, all of which I am eager to get a look at during the viewing days at La Réserve Genève before the bidding opens for lots 1 through 103 at 2:00 pm CEST on the Saturday, May 13th, and lots 104 to 207 of Sunday, May 14th, also at 2:00 pm CEST.

Patek Philippe is (and always will be) one of the finest names in watchmaking. My personal Patek journey started with Roni Madhvani (a.k.a. @Roni_m_29 on Instagram) and his love for unusual watches.
 

And while most think of the Nautilus or the Calatrava when conjuring images of the brand’s timepieces, its history is filled with odd and quirky creations, some of which are beyond desirable. I am very much a fan of this creative side, and Lot 21’s Ref. 3424, designed by Gilbert Albert, is no exception.
 

Beyond being the most wearable and easiest to like watches of all the designs Gilbert Albert did Patek, in my opinion, the asymmetric timepiece on offer at The Geneva Watch Auction: XVII has a cherry on top of its quirky cake: As Phillips’ catalog essay states, “According to our research, only a handful of the present reference in white gold has appeared in public; however, each was fitted with dials featuring black sector lines. The present watch is the only known example in white gold to feature black ‘baton’ indices.”
 

Estimate: CHF 80,000 – CHF 120,000

When discussing Breguet, people usually fall into one of two camps: Some believe it’s a niche brand, while others consider it to be more widely relevant due to its tremendous historical importance. But no matter the camp you belong to, we can all agree that dive watches from Breguet are not your average “tool” watches.

And by “dive watches,” we mean true 1960s examples like, for instance, Lot 82’s incredibly rare 37mm steel dive watch made by Breguet circa 1962 featuring a black glossy dial, a black Bakelite bezel, and lots of radium on its indices and hands.
 

As you can see, this lot is in extraordinarily excellent condition, and with less than 60 examples in existence, this lot could easily be the crown jewel in a collection of vintage divers. However, be wary of the low estimate. In 2018, Phillips, in Association with Bacs & Russo, sold another example of this watch that was very close to Lot 82’s serial number, setting a then record for CHF 131,250.
 

Estimate: CHF 40,000 – CHF 80,000

When done well, gem-set executions of the Rolex Daytona can be among the finest, most elegant watches you will ever see. There are, of course, countless exceptions floating around out there. Luckily, Lot 102 is an example of the former, not the latter.
 

Before I discuss the specifics of this lot, let’s state the obvious: Manual-winding Daytonas are among the finest watches Rolex has ever released on the market. What is the wellspring of their appeal? Who knows. It could be anything from their back story to their size to their overall design and charm. So, with those self-evident truths out of the way, I ask you: Given that vintage gem-set versions of this iconic sports watch are hard to find, which references should I search auction catalogs for?

For me, two gem-set Daytona references represent the absolute best money can buy because they not only offer the best model but also vintage beauty and impeccable savoir-faire in gem-setting: References 6270 and 6269.
 

For me, the Vacheron Constantin rarity comprising Lot 177 is THE watch of this auction. In fact, the first time I came across one was on Instagram, and I fell so entirely under its thrall that it became the first post I ever saved. What else can I say?

Tremendously underrated, this prototype is similar to all the other Mercator watches you see – featuring bi-retrograde hours in the form of a compass – but it’s slightly better because Switzerland is pictured on its cloisonné enamel dial.
 

Tremendously underrated, this prototype is similar to all the other Mercator watches you see – featuring bi-retrograde hours in the form of a compass – but it’s slightly better because Switzerland is pictured on its cloisonné enamel dial.

Other Mercator examples have Germany, Italy, Eurasia, and maybe a few other countries on the dial, but the Switzerland version is arguably the most interesting. Moreover, Lot 177 is from a series of only seven prototypes, with this being number 3, which also makes it attractive for collectors. Now we only have to find the other six!
 

Estimate: CHF 20,000 – CHF 40,000