Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is thrilled to welcome you to Watches Online: The New York Sessions Featuring the 1979 Collection, Spring 2025, running from 10:00 AM ET, Tuesday, 1 April, to 12:00 PM ET, Tuesday, 8 April. Featuring more than 65 different high-end luxury wristwatches, the sale covers everything from A. Lange & Söhne and F.P. Journe to Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, including all the watches featured below.
– By Logan Baker
Lot 3: A 2008 F.P. Journe Chronomètre á Résonance 'RN' in Platinum
Estimate: USD $120,000 - 240,000
Paul Boutros, Deputy Chairman, Phillips, Head of Watches, Americas
In my humble opinion, Journe’s Resonance is without a doubt the most important watch of the 21st century. Journe was the world’s first watchmaker to make a resonance timepiece in the form of a wristwatch, having not been attempted in any type of watch since Breguet made a small handful of dual escapement, resonance pocket watches in the early 19th century.
Officially launched in the year 2000, Chronomètre à Résonance models made until 2019 featured two movements integrated into one, with separate mainsprings, separate going trains and separate escapements. Due to the laws of physics, the vibrations start to resonate and they begin to oscillate at the same rate. The escapements correct each other’s errors, and the result is one of the most accurate mechanical wristwatches ever made.
The Resonance was initially produced with rhodium-plated brass movements, until 2005, when Journe switched to the use of 18 karat rose gold movements across the majority of his product line. This 40mm example, sold in 2008, features a rare, first generation rose gold movement, the caliber 1499.2, produced only between 2005 and 2006 before being replaced with the caliber 1499.3 using a different design for the power reserve complication. With two identical 12-hour dials and known as the ‘RN’ generation, this configuration would be discontinued in 2010 when it was replaced with a version with an asymmetric dial featuring rotating disks with 24-hour indication for the left-hand dial, referred to as the ‘RT’ series and also known as the “Parking Meter”. I love the symmetry and elegance of two 12-hour dials, a design that emphasizes chronometry rather than a dual-time function. With a prestigious rose gold movement, the RN generation brings together the very best elements of early Resonance models.
Cased in platinum with a stunning white gold dial, this example is complete with its original box, guarantee card, and additional Certificate of Authenticity – a superb watch for collectors.
Lot 18: A Circa 1979 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 6265 in 18k Yellow Gold with Champagne Dial
Estimate: USD $80,000 - 160,000
Isabella Proia, Head of Sale, Senior International Specialist
When I look at this watch, I think of the song from Pocahontas - "Mine, Mine, Mine!" where Ratcliffe (the villain) opines about the gold he will find in the loamy soil of Virginia. He didn't find any, but lot 18 has it all - gold bezel, gold bracelet, gold dial, gold case. It's extravagant without being over the top, crisp condition for the collector, and above all, wears beautifully on any wrist. Definitely a watch not to let get away.
Lot 9: A Circa 2024 Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40 Série Atelier in Titanium
Estimate: USD $20,000 - 40,000
Doug Escribano, Senior International Specialist
Motorsports and precision timing go hand and hand, and Laurent Ferrier’s limited edition Série Atelier Sport Auto 40 is a truly personal collaboration between the two. Ferrier launched his eponymous watch brand in 2010 following a 30 year career with Patek Philippe, and today he is recognised for his innovative Swiss manufacturing with a modern aesthetic. His designs have an elegant, understated luxury that is minimalist and contemporary.
The present Sport Auto 40, number 10, is inspired by Ferrier’s racing past. As a young man in the late 1960s, he sold automotive parts, which introduced him to the world of motorsport. While he returned to his watchmaking heritage, he continued to be intrigue with car racing, and in 1979 Ferrier, along with friends François Servanin and François Trisconi entered 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 935 Turbo (No. 40).
The Sport Auto 40’s dial colour and design were inspired by their race car, and it is this sleek sporty wristwatch with the historical relevance I find appealing. The watch has a retro feel harking back to the 1970s yet has a sophisticated in-house movement including a micro-rotor, and orange Super-LumiNova hands and numerals. Ferrier has crafted a watch that is dedicated to his appreciation for quality and excellence in Swiss watchmaking with a very personal twist.
Lot 8: A Circa 2024 Cartier Tank Cintrée, numbered No. 1, in Platinum
Estimate: USD $20,000 - 40,000
Jaclyn Li, Consultant
I’ll admit my bias upfront: Cartier has long been my favorite brand when it comes to modern watchmaking. But even within Cartier’s storied lineup, the Tank Cintrée occupies a uniquely special place in my heart — particularly when crafted in platinum. For me, it represents one of the purest expressions of timeless elegance and understated luxury.
This particular example, a New Special Order (NSO) piece, is nothing short of captivating. The sunburst salmon dial has a warm, almost glowing quality that shifts beautifully with the light, giving the watch an ever-changing personality on the wrist. The deep navy blue Roman numerals are perfectly balanced — bold enough to catch the eye, yet refined in their execution. They complement the pomme-style hands in a way that feels both classic and fresh, adding just the right amount of contrast. And then, of course, there’s the ruby cabochon nestled in the crown — a signature detail that quietly announces the watch’s solid 950 platinum case. It’s a subtle but unmistakable touch of opulence.
What makes the Cintrée so special to me isn’t just its visual impact — though it certainly has plenty of that. It’s also about how it wears. The graceful curvature of the elongated case hugs the wrist like it was custom-fitted, offering a level of comfort few other dress watches can match. There’s something inherently elegant about the way it sits—low, sleek, and confident without ever feeling flashy. It’s a watch that whispers rather than shouts, and in doing so, speaks volumes.
Stylistically, it’s a masterclass in proportion and restraint. Every detail — from the elongated lugs to the refined dial layout—feels intentional and resolved. The platinum version, in particular, adds a quiet gravitas to the design, elevating it into the realm of the truly exceptional. Whether worn with a suit or something more relaxed, it always feels appropriate, always feels right. For collectors who value subtlety, craftsmanship, and historical continuity, the platinum Tank Cintrée is hard to beat. It’s one of my personal favorites—and one I never tire of admiring.
Lot 65: A Circa 2021 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116506 in Platinum
Estimate: USD $70,000 - 140,000
Erica Downs, Senior Administrator & Business Development Coordinator
While the Rolex Foundation might be a mystery to all, it is no secret that the Daytona model is known to all; an icon since the 1960s – timeless, elegant, durable, and functional.
Rolex introduced the Daytona in 1963, essentially as a tool for motorsport. Designed for racecar drivers, it was a high-performance chronograph wristwatch, which allowed for precision timekeeping while racing – fittingly named after the Daytona International Speedway.
The Daytona has evolved gracefully since then, with a wide variety available to collectors, with subtle differences found in their movements, dial designs, and case sizes based on production years. Fast forward to 2013, when the Daytona turned 50. To honor its commendable 50-year anniversary, Rolex unveiled the first ever production Daytona in Platinum with platinum bracelet, the reference 116506, commonly known as the “Platona”. Housed within a 40mm case, and featuring a stunning platinum oyster bracelet, chestnut brown ceramic bezel, ice blue dial with a three chronograph registers, the Platona is one of Rolex’s most prestigious and most sought-after watches. Immediately catching the eye is the contrast between the strikingly crisp ice blue dial and brown Cerachrom bezel. This example, with its all ice blue dial with ice blue sub-dials stands out with its elegant baguette diamond hour markers. Discontinued in 2023, the present dial configuration is no longer offered by Rolex on the current generation ref. 126506, making this extremely well preserved example especially sought after.
The Platona is so subtle yet has a strong presence. It gives a fresh twist to the Daytona model, yet continues to beautifully demonstrate and bridge the gap between motorsport and horology.
Lot 12: A Circa 2024 H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner Tourbillon Australia Edition
Estimate: USD $40,000 - 80,000
Logan Baker, Senior Editorial Manager
I'm not from Australia and haven’t been in two decades, but I love this watch! Maybe it’s the unapologetic warmth of the 18k yellow gold case, maybe it’s the way the single emerald baton at 8 o’clock winks at the +8 GMT of Perth like an inside joke for those who know. Or maybe it’s just that this is the kind of watch that reminds you — gently but firmly — that independent watchmaking is still where the magic happens.
This is the H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Tourbillon Australia Edition, one of just 33 made in partnership with Barbagallo Watch in Perth. It takes the sleek, locomotive-inspired curves of the Streamliner collection and dials up the drama with a flying one-minute tourbillon at six o’clock, spinning away beneath a smoked sapphire dial. There’s something delightfully anachronistic about its Art Deco-era case lines rendered in ultra-modern haute horlogerie — and I mean that in the best way.
Moser only makes a few thousand watches a year, and they don't often come in yellow gold, let alone with an emerald nod to an entire continent. It’s rare, it’s weird, it’s wonderful. As someone who is 100 percent not Australian and 100 percent not capable of crafting a flying tourbillon, I still found myself 100 percent impressed when viewing this piece.
You can view the complete catalog for the Phillips Watches Online: The New York Sessions Featuring the 1979 Collection, Spring 2025, right here.
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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.
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A Guide to the F.P. Journe Octa Réserve de Marche Collection