Lot 948: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition Tourbillon Perpetual in platinum
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a massively underappreciated brand in the marketplace, with more firsts and accolades to its name than any other manufacture. Their movements have been used over the years by all the big houses and the brand is known as the “watchmaker’s watchmaker.” Grand complication watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre are spectacular value in today’s market with excellent finishing and great reliability. With a low estimate of HKD234,000 it is an awful lot of watch for the money and is rarely seen in the market. – @conkers1971, Asia-based collector
Lot 1073: Rolex Oyster Perpetual ref. 1002
I love wearing pieces that fly under the radar like this one - an iconic watch with a strange dial variant like this is bound to spark some conversations with people who notice watches. The right documentation and the provenance gives you some peace of mind and also some fun things to possibly learn even more about! – Alan See (@seealan), Co-Founder of The Armoury
Lot 852: Patek Philippe ref. 3974R
Every once in a very long while, a watch will come along and take my breath away. The 3974R is one of those pieces, a must see in the metal and preferably while sitting down because it is just that good. Until I held it, this reference was never one that was on my radar. The feeling of it in my hand was quietly remarkable: smooth and substantial due to the inclusion of the repeater. The dial is near identical to my beloved 3940, perfectly detailed and requiring no further improvements. The unexpected joy in this watch is the case, built by Jean-Pierre Hagmann, and the R27Q movement, beautifully finished and brimming with complications. The sum of these parts simply moves me. – Mark Cho (@markchodotcom), Co-founder of The Armoury
Lot 1043: Cartier Tank Folle
Unusually my pick is the ladies’ Cartier Tank Folle. Although even I probably could not pull off wearing this given it’s too blingy for me (and I don’t care about watch sizes as I think it is all in the mind), the appeal is the whimsical design which is totally up my street in terms of the genre I collect. It is a piece of art in itself and ever so Cartier! – Roni Madhvani (@roni_m_29), Entrepreneur and watch collector
Lot 1112: Patek Philippe World Time ref. 5131/1P
Every metal from the 5131 series is fantastic, and the 5131P (“The Ice King”) is especially so because of its heft and the number of “tiny” islands it has on the cloisonné enamel map. To match the platinum case, Patek made a platinum bracelet and as such this watch has considerable weight. The enamel map depicts a top-down view from the North Pole with microscopic islands made with white enamel. Furthermore, over and above the land masses that surround the outer rim of the hand-made cloisonné enamel map which measures only 15mm in diameter, unbelievably there are 11 individual islands (10 minuscule ones and Greenland at 3.5mm at its widest point) vs 9 (which is already very impressive) in 5131G. Wearing this “heavy weight” is a real knock-out and I feel like a champion every time I have it on my wrist. – GLau, Patek Philippe forum moderator on WatchProSite.com
Lot 1108: Patek Philippe ref. 3970E
For me, the Patek Philippe ref.3970 has all the makings of a collector’s watch. It holds a reliable movement and showcases much of Patek Philippe’s DNA all whilst being discreet in its 36mm case. It is often overlooked in comparison to its predecessor and successor which makes me appreciate it even more. – Lung Lung Thun (@lunglungthun), Financier and watch collector
Lot 1046: F.P. Journe Octa Jour/Nuit, Ruthenium Collection
Having been a follower and collector of F.P. Journe’s work for well over ten years now and being fortunate enough to have met him on several occasions along with visits to the manufacture in the heart of Geneva, there are certain pieces I always keep my eyes open for. Ruthenium dials are particularly special alongside Black Label pieces as they are few in number and yet not so rare as some of the very small batch dial variants like the Opal or jade dials. This Octa Jour/Nuit falls very much into that category. With a platinum case, 120-hour power reserve and a less frequent complication, it certainly sings to me. What’s also appealing is the fact that it comes up in this 20th anniversary year of the Octa series which has been the subject of a beautiful retrospective in Geneva. While certain halo pieces from F.P. Journe are garnering huge attention amongst collectors, there are spectacular pieces such as this that fully evoke the heart of Mr. Journe’s creativity and commitment to high horology. – Angus Macdonald (@watchmadmac), Asia-based collector
Browse all the lots of the Hong Kong Watch Auction: XII here.