Our first live auctions of fall 2024 season, PHILLIPS RELOADED: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999, and the Geneva Watch Auction: XX, take place on November 8, 9, and 10, at the Hotel President, at Quai Wilson 47, in central Geneva. The auctions include more than 195 of the world's finest watches – and though we are loath to boast, we truly think they're some of the best catalogs we've ever put together. We'll be highlighting a number of the most interesting lots and stories featured in the sales over the next month, including the watches highlighted in this article.
– By Logan Baker
Parallel to the bold design choices of the neo-vintage period, the era saw an equally significant resurgence in the pursuit of mechanical complications, as brands sought to reassert the value of traditional watchmaking in the face of quartz precision. Quartz watches could not replicate the poetry and technical mastery of a well-crafted perpetual calendar or minute repeater. In response, several key players began to develop highly sophisticated movements that highlighted the full potential of mechanical watchmaking.
Under the stewardship of Philippe Stern, Patek Philippe rose to prominence with a focus on preserving and advancing the art of complications. Stern, who became president of the brand in 1976, was a visionary who recognized that the future of Patek Philippe lay not in competing with quartz but in doubling down on its heritage as a maker of fine, complicated watches. This vision led to the creation of some of the most celebrated watches of the neo-vintage era, such as the Patek Philippe Ref. 3970, Ref. 3974, and Ref. 3979.
Blancpain, under the leadership of Jean-Claude Biver, also emerged as a force to be reckoned with during this era. The brand, which was revived in 1983 after being dormant for nearly two decades, made a bold statement with the introduction of the Blancpain Split-Seconds Perpetual Calendar. This watch, with its intricate rattrapante chronograph and perpetual calendar, embodied the ethos of the era by combining complexity with elegance.
Similarly, Ulysse Nardin, under the guidance of Rolf Schnyder, who acquired the brand in 1983, redefined what was possible in mechanical watchmaking with the Trilogy of Time series, which began with the Astrolabium Galileo Galilei in 1985. The subsequent Tellurium Johannes Kepler and Planetarium Copernicus watches showcased astronomical complications that were not only mechanically brilliant but also artistically expressive.
Breguet, meanwhile, continued its tradition of producing exceptional tourbillons, such as the Ref. 3350, which displayed the brand’s mastery of the complication. Under the ownership of Chaumet and later Investcorp, Breguet reinforced its position as a maker of classically inspired, highly complicated timepieces that honored the legacy of its founder, Abraham-Louis Breguet, while appealing to the sensibilities of modern collectors.
You can learn more, place a bid, and view the entire Phillips RELOADED catalog 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
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