Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo is thrilled to welcome you to The New York Sessions, Fall 2025, Online Auction, running from 12:00 PM ET, Thursday, 2 October, to 12:00 PM ET, Friday, 10 October. The sale features more than 70 high-end luxury wristwatches, covering a range of brands, including A. Lange & Söhne, Richard Mille, Audemars Piguet, and Patek Philippe.
Every season, our specialists comb through the sale to highlight the watches that speak to them most – pieces that might not always be the headliners, but reveal something essential about why we love our jobs. Sometimes it’s a technical breakthrough, sometimes a design detail, sometimes just the way a watch makes you feel when it’s on the wrist.
In this edition of Specialists’ Picks for the New York Sessions, Fall 2025, Online Auction, our team shares personal favorites ranging from contemporary independents to 1950s pocket watches.
Lot 22: A 1953 Audemars Piguet Pocket Watch Ref. 5904 in 18k Yellow Gold
Estimate: USD $2,000 - 4,000
Isabella Proia, Head Of Sale, New York
Sometimes you just want to look at something pretty. It doesn't matter how legible the dial is, how efficient the movement, when it was last serviced - you just want to gaze upon something beautiful. There's a subsect of collecting that can be classified as "objets d'art" and these can encompass a huge variety of things. As a watch specialist and collector, my favorite objets d'art are when watches and elegant design intertwine. This Audemars Piguet ultra-thin pocket watch, dating to 1953, is a perfect combination of timepiece and elegant desk accessory. It's just something beautiful to look at, with an elegantly balanced design of both the case and dial -the perfect ornament.
Lot 54: A 2004 Omega Speedmaster Professional “Silver Snoopy Award” Ref. 3578.51.00
Estimate: USD $10,000 - 20,000
Doug Escribano, Senior International Specialist
The watch I picked is the Omega Speedmaster Professional “Silver Snoopy Award” Chronograph. I’ve always loved the story it tells – not just about Omega, but about the space program itself. In 1970, Omega received NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award for its role in the Apollo 13 mission, when an oxygen tank exploded on the way to the moon. The crew used their Speedmaster to time two critical engine burns – one at 14 seconds, another at 39 – that brought them home safely. That history is right there in this watch. And beyond the story, it’s a great everyday tool watch with a playful twist: you get to see Snoopy every time you look at the dial or the caseback.
Lot 3: A Circa 2010s Richard Mille 11-03 Felipe Massa
Estimate: USD $100,000 - 200,000
Jaclyn Li, Consultant
Richard Mille is a brand that has achieved in just over two decades what few brands manage in a century: the creation of a wholly distinct and instantly recognizable design language. From the very outset, the guiding philosophy was clear—watches conceived as “racing machines for the wrist.” This vision translated into the now-iconic tonneau case with its exposed screws, radical skeletonized dials, and pioneering use of advanced composites and alloys. More than an aesthetic, this ethos reflects a fusion of technical innovation and performance-driven luxury.
Among the many references produced by the brand, none has come to symbolize Richard Mille more profoundly than the RM 11-03. Introduced as the evolution of the RM 011, it embodies the maison’s bold architecture, cutting-edge engineering, and enduring ties to motorsport. To most collectors, it is the silhouette that immediately evokes Richard Mille’s identity.
The present RM 11-03 in titanium, associated with Felipe Massa, deepens this connection to the world of racing. While Massa lent his name most directly to the earlier RM 011, his legacy continues through the RM 11-03, which carries many of the same hallmarks of track-inspired design. The lightweight titanium case recalls the uncompromising efficiency of a Formula 1 chassis, its strength paired with remarkable wearability. Offered in full set condition along with its certificate of authenticity, warranty, instruction manual and box, the present lot is a perfect addition for racing enthusiasts and watch aficionados alike.
Lot 68: A 2001 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116518 with Pavé Dial and Ruby Hour Markers
Estimate: USD $20,000 - 40,000
Erica Downs, Business Development Manager
When I think of Rolex, I think of classic. While the Rolex Foundation is both intriguing and mysterious, the Daytona, an icon since 1963 is 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.
Reference 116518, introduced in the early 2000s, is distinguished by its solid 18k yellow gold case and in-house caliber 4130 movement. The present example, housing a pavé diamond dial with ruby hour markers, stands out beautifully, as factory gem-set Rolex watches are notoriously scarce and never mass-produced – reserved as “off catalog” pieces. You might assume when seeing other brands’ gem-set watches, that they are produced with the same quality, however, Rolex stands out for their attention to detail as each individual gem is internally flawless and skillfully handset in house by their artisans to be as robust as possible. In addition, this meticulous process includes color matching – meaning every diamond, ruby or sapphire is hand-selected and color matched exactly. This is a prime example, in my option, of why Rolex is considered to be the very best in horological gem-setting.
Beyond aesthetics, this stunning reference 116518, symbolizes the juxtaposition of a classic tool-watch with a version where modern collecting, timeless design, and visual spectacle intersect.
Lot 14: A 2023 Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer in 18k White Gold with Blue Dial
Estimate: USD $70,000 - 140,000
Logan Baker, Senior Editorial Manager
I’ve always been drawn to watches that solve problems most people don’t even realize exist, and the Bernhard Lederer Central Impulse Chronometer is exactly that kind of watch. It takes a centuries-old idea and reimagines it in a way that actually works on the wrist. I love how Lederer paired two independent gear trains with twin remontoires, constantly feeding the balance a measured, consistent flow of energy.
What really makes me admire the CIC, though, is how personal it feels. Lederer spent years in the background of watchmaking before putting his name on the dial, and this watch is the culmination of all that quiet work. The twin seconds hands spinning in opposite directions, the cutouts that let you peek at the escapement, even the fact that a standard Witschi machine can’t time it – all those details make it feel alive. To me, it’s not just a technical achievement but also a deeply human one: a reminder that the most ambitious ideas in horology are still being pushed forward by individuals who refuse to give up on them.
You can view the complete Phillips New York Sessions, Fall 2025, Online Auction catalogue here.