Our final live auction of the spring 2026 season, The Phillips New York Watch Auction: XIV, takes place on 13–14 June at our Manhattan headquarters, bringing together more than 150 exceptional watches in a carefully curated sale. Ahead of the auction, we’ll be highlighting some of its most compelling timepieces and stories, including the lots featured in this article.
By Sophie Furley
The year was 1929 and the construction of New York’s Empire State Building was in full swing. The American master builder Paul Starrett (1866-1957) and his brothers were overseeing a workforce of some 3,500 men, raising what would become the world’s tallest building at the pace of four and a half stories per week.
Starrett, head of Starrett Brothers & Eken, was the man behind much of New York’s skyline, with the construction of a host of other iconic New York buildings including the Flatiron Building, the Pennsylvania Railroad Station (Penn Station), New York Life, Metropolitan Life, and the Bank of Manhattan, along with The Plaza, Commodore, and Biltmore hotels.
“I was to build the world’s tallest – not only the tallest one but one which expresses most completely and honestly the skyscraper idea, whose beginnings I had seen fifty years earlier,” wrote Paul Starrett, in his autobiography Changing the Skyline. “The Empire State Building is truly an epitome of all that has preceded…all the spirit, the imaginative and technical daring, and even some of the frenzy, that animated the decade of which it was the culmination.”
A Construction of a Different Kind
Meanwhile, over in Geneva Switzerland, a very different kind of construction was underway with a rectangular Patek Philippe timepiece destined for the retailer Tiffany & Co. The Patek Philippe archives recorded the year of production as 1929 and the delivery of the watch in November 1930, just a week after the Empire State Building’s mooring mast (a 222-foot pole intended for docking dirigibles) was erected on 21 November.
Whether the wristwatch was a gift or a present to himself remains unknown, but it is probably safe to say that it would have been on Starrett's wrist as he cut the inaugural ribbon on May 1st the following year.
The World's Tallest Building
The world’s tallest building of its day was not only completed 19 days ahead of schedule but also came in under budget, a feat almost unheard of today! Rising to 1,250 feet (381 meters), it took the title way from the Chrysler Building and would continue to dominate the New York skyline for the following 41 years, until it was surpassed by the World Trade Center's North Tower in 1972.
Now, almost a century later, Starrett’s grandson has entrusted Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo with the sale of the historic timepiece.
Paul Boutros, Deputy Chairman and Head of Watches, Americas notes: “It is remarkable that one of the greatest buildings in the world was constructed to the steady ticking of the very watch we are presenting at auction. Paul Starrett acquired this Patek Philippe in 1930, meaning he owned and wore it throughout the construction of the Empire State Building, which celebrates its 95th year this Spring. Absolutely oversized for its era, measuring an impressive 36.5mm long by 26mm wide, it is a design that was ahead of its time – sized perfectly for today’s tastes.”
The Patek Philippe "Tiffany & Co., Paul Starrett"
The 18k yellow gold wristwatch is particularly well preserved and features the engraving of the master builder’s initials– PS – on the case band and includes crisp hallmarks and inventory numbers.
It is a perfect example from the Art Deco era with its beautiful Breguet numerals and oversized rectangular case that is similar to those made for the famous Brazilian retailer Chronometro Gondolo in the 1920s. This particular version also includes a rare floral scrollwork engraving on the case band.
The Tiffany & Co. signature is present on the dial, while the case, made by Wenger, and the movement, are both signed by Patek Philippe & Co. The movement is a 10-ligne manually wound caliber with wolf’s tooth winding gears, adding to the horological interest of this exceptional piece.
The reference (Lot 27) will be sold at Phillips New York Watch Auction: XIV on 13 June at 10:00 AM at Phillips, 432 Park Avenue, New York. Interested parties are invited to register a bid.
You can learn more about these timepieces, place a bid, and view the entire Phillips New York Watch Auction: XIV catalogue 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 DECADE ONE (2015–2025) sale having realized $83 million in 2025. The annual total for watch auctions in 2025 exceeded $290 million, marking the first time any auction house's Watches department has surpassed US$200 million in annual sales for five consecutive years.
About Sophie Furley
Sophie has spent the past 20 years covering watches and jewelry for leading print and digital titles, including Revolution, Telegraph Time, India Today and WorldTempus. She joined Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo in early 2025 as Head of Digital Marketing. Originally from the United Kingdom, she now lives on the outskirts of Geneva with her family and their dog.
Recommended Reading
A Shared History: Patek Philippe & Tiffany & Co.