Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is excited to announce The Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2024, online auction, taking place from 12:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, March 19, to 2:00 PM HKT, Tuesday, March 26. Featuring more than 150 different high-end luxury wristwatches, the sale covers everything from A. Lange & Söhne and F.P. Journe to Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe. It even includes the Naoya Hida Type 2B wristwatch featured in this article.
– By Logan Baker
Naoya Hida & Co. officially debuted in March 2019.
Hida is not a watchmaker by trade, but he does have an established presence in Japanese watchmaking culture due to his previous roles working in distribution for brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, F.P. Journe, and Breguet.
After working in the industry for decades, Hida decided to launch his own brand in order to create his ideal wristwatch – namely, mid-century inspired designs refined with Japanese sensibilities. Hida's approach to watchmaking is deeply rooted in the principles of Japanese craftsmanship, known for its emphasis on precision, attention to detail, and pursuit of perfection. Drawing inspiration from his cultural heritage, he infuses each timepiece with a sense of harmony and balance, reflecting the timeless elegance of traditional Japanese aesthetics.
Hida has two other prominent employees working alongside him: watchmaker Kosuke Fujita and engraver Keisuke Kano.
After the release of the first Naoya Hida wristwatch, the Type 1B, in spring 2019, garnered quick praise from a range of collectors, including prominent figures such as Mark Cho, of The Armoury, and collector Eric Ku, the brand moved to a yearly release model.
Naoya Hida has since released a total of 12 different models, with varying production totals ranging from less than 10 examples to upwards of 40. The company produced approximately 100 watches in 2023, across seven different model types. Watches can only be purchased from Naoya Hida on application. Hida reveals his new watches, opens an application window for potential buyers, and then selects who can buy one of his watches that year from the applications he receives.
Phillips has so far sold three different examples of Naoya Hida watches since December 2022, with a fourth being offered in the Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2024, Online Auction. One of Hida's first Type 1B examples, originally owned by Mark Cho, was sold during Cho's single-owner online auction in December 2022, for HKD $252,000. A circa 2023 Type 3B was then included in the Hong Kong Sessions, Fall 2023, Online Auction, where it sold for HKD $241,300. Finally, a 2022 Type 1C was offered in the New York Watch Auction: NINE, in December 2023, where it sold for USD $29,210.
The Naoya Hida wristwatch included in the Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2024, Online Auction is a circa 2021 Type 2B, a time-only model made from corrosion-resistant 904L steel. The dialis made from micro bead-blasted and satin-finished German silver, with a triple-stepped architecture. The hour numerals are hand-carved into the dial, before being coated with a synthetic lacquer.
The movement is a highly modified Valjoux cal. 7750 which is transformed into the manual-winding cal. 3020CS. Significant modifications have been made to the base caliber, including the removal of the self-winding rotor, chronograph components, and sub-seconds. Additionally, a new winding click spring has been introduced to recreate the tactile winding experience reminiscent of vintage timepieces.
The Type 2B was produced in a run of only 10 examples. It's lot 8088 in our Hong Kong online auction, and it carries an estimate of HKD $80,000 to 160,000.
You can view the complete catalog for the Phillips Watches Hong Kong Sessions, Spring 2024, Online Auction, right 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.
About Logan Baker
Logan has spent the past decade reporting on every aspect of the watch business. He joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo at the start of 2023 as the department's Senior Editorial Manager. He splits his time between New York and Geneva.
Recommended Reading
Celebrating 15 Years Of The A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk
The Enduring Appeal Of Wolf’s Teeth Gearing In Fine Watchmaking