Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is excited to welcome you to The Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023 online auction, running from 9:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, March 28, to 6:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, April 4. Featuring more than 100 different high-end luxury wristwatches, the sale covers everything from A. Lange & Söhne and Audemars Piguet to Sartory Billard and Zenith.
Pedantic antics over what does or does not constitute a dress watch have gone on for almost as long as the dress watch category itself has existed. Enough! It shouldn't matter whether your watch meets some tired dogmatic definition regarding thickness, strap choice, or the presence or absence of a seconds hand. James Bond pairs a dive watch with a tuxedo, so why can't you?
Life is a lot more fun without following all the rules, all the time. In the case of the current Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023 online auction at Phillips, we've identified a handful of dressy or dress-adjacent watches that we think would look great on the wrist, whither black tie, white tie, or summertime soiree – we'll leave it up to you to decide.
Lot 8064: A. Lange & Söhne Saxonia Thin Black Gold Flux Ref. 211.087
Sparkling like the night sky, this special version of A. Lange & Söhne’s Saxonia Thin was released in 2020 and is fitted with a solid silver dial that’s been coated with a thin layer of glass known as "black gold flux." The white gold timepiece was a limited release of just 50 watches that went to the German watchmaker’s most important clients. Certain A. Lange & Söhne collectors I've spoken with have told me that it was an even more hotly contested release by clients than the Odysseus, which had been introduced less than one year before.
The case measures 40mm x 6.2mm thanks to the manual wound movement L093.1, which measures only 2.9mm in height. The present Black Gold Flux Saxonia Thin is number 16 of the 50 pieces, is preserved in excellent condition, and comes with its full set of accessories.
Estimate: HKD $100,000 - 200,000
Lot 8056: H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse
In an unexpected collaboration between H. Moser & Cie and The Armoury, the Endeavour Small Seconds Total Eclipse was conceived by combining the distinct design codes of the two star-crossed houses. Despite coming from different industries, the independent watchmaker and menswear brand both have a deep admiration for refinement and elegance. The present model was released in January 2022 in two references, the 1327-1200 and the 1327-1201, with stainless steel or pink gold accents.
Both references sport a stark Vantablack dial that absorbs more than 99 percent of all light it comes in contact with, mirroring the astronomical phenomenon of a backlit moon obstructing the sun. The polished flange around the dial, in either steel or pink gold, represents the solar corona that surrounds an eclipse. The Breguet hands and subtle hour markers create an eye-catching contrast to the Vantablack dial, while simultaneously providing a graceful, understated appearance. Built on H. Moser’s Endeavour series, the case of the watch is distinct with scalloped sides and downturned lugs. Downsized at The Armoury’s request to a discreet 38mm diameter, this stainless steel statement piece is designed to be shown off on important occasions.
Estimate: HKD $120,000 - 200,000
Lot 8103: Grand Seiko 130th Anniversary SBGW033 Limited Edition
The Grand Seiko SBGW033 was released in 2011 as a revival of the Japanese watchmaker’s very first timepiece, launched in 1960. This limited edition was made to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the firm, and only 1,300 examples were made available to the public.
Boasting a charming domed cream dial, the canvas is largely unadorned besides the Grand Seiko logo at 12 o’clock, a single line at six o’clock, and the applied hour markers on the outskirts of the dial. Topped with tasteful faceted dauphine hands and a blued steel seconds hand, the minimalist time-only layout is an incredibly accurate modern interpretation of the 1960s Grand Seiko “less is more” ethos. Remaining entirely faithful to the watch that inspired it, the reissue is cased in a 35.8mm stainless steel case with distinctive long angular lugs, sized like a typical dress watch from the ‘60s.
Estimate: HKD $40,000 - 80,000
Lot 8084: Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Ref. 14894BC.OO.A001CR.03
Audemars Piguet's Jules Audemars ref. 14894BC was introduced in the 1990s. This exotic and elegant timepiece is a fantastic example of the understated Audemars Piguet dress watches that are often overlooked due to the brand’s all-consuming focus on the Royal Oak family. With a minimalist 34mm case, the timepiece wears comfortably on the wrist thanks to its overall thin profile.
The present watch is fitted with an electric blue dial, tastefully executed with a combination of classic features and delicate finishes. No ordinary dial, the guilloché center is surrounded by a smooth opaline-finish hour chapter that gives the otherwise muted canvas a sense of depth and dimension. The chapter ring also highlights the applied white gold Breguet numerals positioned at three, six, nine, and 12 o’clock.
Estimate: HKD $40,000 - 80,000
Lot 8063: Montblanc Heritage Small Second Limited Edition 38
Prior to the 2006 acquisition of Minerva by the Richemont Group, Montblanc was a company best known for its writing instruments. The integration of Minerva into Montblanc was an important step for the company’s venture into the watchmaking business. By the early 2000s, Minerva was already producing high-quality movements that were impeccably finished, as evident in the caliber MB M62.00 found in the archives of Minerva.
Produced in extremely limited quantities between 2003 and 2006, prior to the acquisition by Richemont, the cal. MB M62.00 is a classically designed hand-wound movement with a quality and level of finish that could rival the big names in Swiss watchmaking. Sporting an attractive two-tone textured salmon dial, we particularly appreciate the Minerva signatures found on both the dial and movement. The present timepiece is offered in “like-new” condition and is numbered nine out of only 38 pieces that were produced with the rare pre-Richemont Minerva movements.
Estimate: HKD $48,000 - 95,000
Lot 8029: Cartier Pasha Jour et Nuit
Before establishing a streamlined production of in-house movements in 2000, Cartier was well-known for collaborating with world-renowned watchmakers to design and create its timepieces. The present Pasha Jour et Nuit is such an example that perfectly fuses sport and luxury through a modification of Gérald Genta’s original Pasha design.
Svend Andersen is the brainchild behind the “Day and Night” system seen here. An exotic and unique way to tell time, this unusual jumping 24-hour display is indicated by a large hand with both solar and lunar motifs on opposing ends. Night and day are differentiated as the moon-hand sets past the sixth hour on the lower bow, and the sun-hand rises on the upper scale indicating the hours between six and 18. Unlike most watches, the sub-dial at six o’clock is not a small seconds register, but is, in fact, a subsidiary dial used to indicate the minutes. Framed on an opaline “Clous de Paris” canvas, a visual dissonance is also created in the layering of the hand-applied hour scales and the Cartier wordmark. The present example is a rather rare Cartier collectible, numbered 29 out of a limited edition of 30 pieces.
Estimate: HKD $120,000 - 195,000
Lot 8058: Moritz Grossmann Benu Central Second Salmon Dial Limited Edition
Moritz Grossmann made its mark in the world of horology in 2008. Embodying the spirit of 19th century watchmaking, the German watchmaker released the Benu, its first timepiece, inspired by a phoenix in Egyptian mythology. The present timepiece is the Central Second from the Benu collection and is part of an exclusive 25-piece limited edition that features a warm and inviting salmon dial. Boasting a clean 41mm dial, the salmon-colored canvas is graced with simple blue Arabic numerals and a set of elegant blue-steel hands with sweep center seconds.
Number seven out of a limited edition of 25 pieces, this tastefully executed salmon Benu Central Second is offered in “like-new” condition and is delivered with its original accessories. Sleek and slick, it sits comfortably on the wrist and will slide effortlessly under any cuff.
Estimate: HKD $95,000 - 160,000
Lot 8083: Piaget Altiplano Skeleton Ref. G0A37132
The Piaget Altiplano Skeleton was first revealed in 2012 and features a fully skeletonized dial, as well as the world’s thinnest automatic movement at the time, measuring only 2.40mm in height. The watch is framed in a 38mm white gold case with highly polished lugs and flanks that draw a nice contrast to the brushed skeletonized dial. The sapphire caseback invites its wearer to admire the tastefully executed ultra-thin 1200S movement inside that was based on the original caliber 1200P.
The making of an ultra-thin movement is certainly not for the faint of heart. With each component carefully hollowed and finished by hand, this painstakingly difficult process requires the most skilled and experienced artisans to execute. The bridges are embellished with alternating sunburst and sand-blasted matte surfaces, further highlighted by the highly polished edges. From the manually finished bevels to the traditional blued screws, no detail is left to chance. The hands and platinum micro-rotor are then blackened. Instead of a signed dial, the “Piaget” logo is subtly inscribed on the micro-rotor, visible on the dial side.
Estimate: HKD $160,000 - 320,000
You can learn more, place a bid, and view the entire Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2023, catalog here.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at PHILLIPS Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its Geneva Watch Auction: XIV having realized $74.5 million in 2021. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, the company sold 100% of the watches offered, a first in the industry, resulting in the highest annual total in history across all the auction houses at $227 million.
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