Defined by their intricate mechanical movements and ornate cases, these timepieces were transformed into wearable art by makers such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Breguet. Today, collectors prize them for craftsmanship and heritage, with Christie's selling an 18k gold Breguet pocket watch for CHF 4.3 million in 2012.
Breguet & Fils, Paris, No. 2667 "Montre plate à deux mouvements, sur le principe des chronomètres". An extremely rare and exceptionally fine and elegant 18K gold precision watch with two movements
SIGNED BREGUET ET FILS, NO. 2667, SOLD IN AUGUST 1814 TO MR GARCIAS OF LONDON FOR THE SUM OF 5,000 FRANCS
PATEK PHILIPPE. AN EXCEPTIONAL, HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND EXTREMELY RARE 18K GOLD DOUBLE DIALLED CLOCK WATCH WITH 21 COMPLICATIONS INCLUDING WESTMINSTER CHIMES, MINUTE REPEATING, POWER RESERVE INDICATOR FOR MOVEMENT AND CHIME, PERPETUAL CALENDAR, LEAP YEAR CYCLE, SUNRISE AND SUNSET, RUNNING EQUATION OF TIME, SKY CHART, TIME OF MERIDIAN PASSAGE BY SIRIUS, LUNAR ORBIT, TIME OF MERIDIAN PASSAGE BY THE MOON, TWENTY FOUR HOURS AND RAPID CALENDAR CORRECTION
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, STAR CALIBRE 2000, REF.990/1, MOVEMENT NO. 3,200,005, CASE NO. 4,125,166, CIRCA 2008
Breguet, Paris, No. 4111 "Montre plate à équation et à répétition, sur le principe des chronomètres, répétant l'heure, la demie, les quarts et les demi-quarts". An exceptional 18K gold and silver equation of time watch with annual calendar, manual perpetual calendar, mean and true solar time, and half-quarter repeating, constructed on the principals of the garde-temps, in a Morocco fitted box No. 4111
SIGNED BREGUET, PARIS, NO. 4111, SOLD ON 10 JANUARY 1827 TO MR. PEYRONNET FOR THE SUM OF 7,500 FRANCS
An Exceptionally Fine and Highly Important 18k Pink Gold Openface Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Split-Seconds Chronograph Clockwatch with Grande and Petite Sonnerie, Moon Phases, and Accompanied by Original Certificate, Invoice Dated 1900, and Presentation Box
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE & CIE, GENÈVE, MOVEMENT NO. 97'912, CASE NO. 222'569, MANUFACTURED IN 1898, SOLD TO STEPHEN S. PALMER OCTOBER 3, 1900
PATEK PHILIPPE. A MAGNIFICENT AND EXTREMELY RARE 18K GOLD WORLD TIME POCKET WATCH WITH WORLD MAP CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL DIAL
REF. 605HU, MANUFACTURED IN 1948
VACHERON CONSTANTIN. AN EXCEPTIONAL, MONUMENTAL AND HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT 20K GOLD OPENFACE TWO-TRAIN TRIP 7 1/2 MINUTE REPEATING GRANDE AND PETITE SONNERIE CHRONOGRAPH CLOCKWATCH
SIGNED VACHERON & CONSTANTIN, GENEVE, SUISSE, MOVEMENT NO, 375551, CASE NO. 231922, MADE FOR JAMES WARD PACKARD IN 1918
BREGUET NO. 1918 "MONTRE GARDE-TEMPS A TOURBILLON". AN EXCEPTIONAL AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT TWO-COLOUR 18K GOLD OPENFACE POCKET CHRONOMETER WITH FOUR MINUTE TOURBILLON, ECHAPPEMENT NATUREL, DOUBLE SUBSIDIARY SECONDS, POWER RESERVE, STOP-SECONDS FEATURE AND REGULATOR DIAL
SIGNED BREGUET ET FILS, NO. 1918, CASE NO. 3061, SOLD ON 13 FEBRUARY 1822 TO MONSIEUR LE COMTE D'ARCHINTO FOR THE SUM OF 4,640 FRANCS
Breguet. An outstandingly fine, rare and historical important 18K gold, enamel and diamond-set hunter case petite souscription à tact watch, made for Josephine Bonaparte, Empress of France, and given to Hortense de Beauharnais
SIGNED BREGUET, NO. 611, MADE FOR MADAME BONAPARTE AND SOLD TO HER IN 1800
BREGUET, NO. 3832 . AN EXCEPTIONAL AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT LARGE GOLD HUNTER DOUBLE CASE HALF-QUARTER REPEATING LEVER À TACT WATCH WITH EQUATION OF TIME, DATE, DAYS OF THE WEEK AND MONTHS INDICATION S
SIGNED BREGUET, NO. 3832, SOLD ON 30 AUGUST 1828 TO MONSIEUR LE COMTE D'ARCHINTO FOR THE SUM OF 8000 FRANCS.
PATEK PHILIPPE. A VERY FINE, RARE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT 18K PINK GOLD OPENFACE KEYLES S LEVER WORLD TIME WATCH WITH POLYCHROME CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL DIAL REPRESENTING A MAP OF NORTH AMERICA WITH BOX
Signed Patek Philippe & Cie., Genève, ref. 605 HU, movement no. 930’865, case no. 654’950, manufactured in 1948
Patek Philippe. An extremely important and one of only two known 18K gold double-dialled keyless lever watch with secular "true" perpetual calendar and year indication, made for Seth B. Atwood
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, MADE FOR SETH G. ATWOOD, REF. 871, MOVEMENT NO. 932'195, CASE NO. 330'849, MANUFACTURED IN 1972
PATEK PHILIPPE. AN EXTREMELY FINE AND UNIQUE 18K GOLD OPENFACE MINUTE REPEATING KEYLESS LEVER DRESS WATCH WITH UP-AND-DOWN INDICATOR, ORIGINAL BOX AND CERTIFICATE
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE & CO., GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, MOVEMENT NO. 174907, CASE NO. 405810, MANUFACTURED IN 1918
PATEK PHILIPPE. A RARE AND UNIQUE 18K GOLD AND ENAMEL OPENFACE KEYLESS LEVER DRESS WATCH
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, MOVEMENT NO. 893001, CASE NO. 678963, REF. 773, MANUFACTURED IN 1965
A. Lange & Söhne. An exceptionally rare and important 18K pink gold hunter case two-train minute repeating grande and petite sonnerie perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph keyless lever clock watch with register, age and phases of the moon and Bulletin de Marche
SIGNED A. LANGE & SÖHNE, GLASHÜTTE, NO. 46177, MANUFACTURED IN 1904
Breguet No. 1176 "Montre garde-temps à tourbillon". An exceptional and historically important 18K gold openface pocket chronometer with four minute tourbillon, échappement naturel, double subsidiary seconds, power reserve, stop-seconds feature and gold regulator dial
SIGNED BREGUET ET FILS, NO. 1176, CASE NO. 1282, SOLD TO COMTE POTOCKI THROUGH MONSIEUR MOREAU IN ST. PETERSBURG ON 12 FEBRUARY 1809 FOR THE SUM OF 4,600 FRANCS
Patek Philippe. A superb, fine and extremely rare 18K gold massive openface minute repeating keyless lever two-train carillon grande and petite sonnerie clock watch with original certificate
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, RETAILED BY HAUSMANN, ROME, REF. 768, MOVEMENT NO. 97'903, CASE NO. 678'103, MOVEMENT MADE IN 1898 AND ENCASED IN 1953
Patek Philippe. An extremely fine and unique 18K gold openface minute repeating perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph keyless lever watch with moon phases, "The Mosque" enamel miniature by Suzanne Rohr
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 864, MOVEMENT NO. 866'515, CASE NO. 323'858, MOVEMENT MANUFACTURED IN 1964, CASED IN 1974
Patek Philippe. A fine and rare 18K gold openface World Time keyless watch with cloisonné enamel dial depicting a map of North America
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 605, MOVEMENT NO. 931'072, CASE NO. 683'457, MANUFACTURED IN 1950
Daniel Vaucher. A probably unique, impressive and magnificent, large and heavy 18K two colour gold, enamel, diamond, emerald and ruby-set verge watch with fitted box, made for the Turkish Market
SIGNED VAUCHEZ EN LA CITÉ A PARIS, NO. 1021, STAMPED WITH PARIS DATE LETTER FOR 1783
Patek Philippe. An exceptional, unique and historically important platinum openface one minute tourbillon watch with Guillaume balance, original fitted wooden presentation box and Bulletin d'Observatoire
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE & CO., GENÈVE, MADE FOR HENRY GRAVES JR., NEW YORK, MOVEMENT NO. 198'311, CASE NO. 417'380, MANUFACTURED IN 1932
William Ilbery. An exceptional 18K gold and enamel openface centre seconds duplex watch with enamel by Jean-François-Victor Dupont, made for the Chinese market
SIGNED ILBERY, LONDON, NO. 6044, ENAMEL SIGNED DUPONT F. 1815, CIRCA 1815
François Nicole. An exceptionally fine, early and possibly unique 18K two gold two-train openface quarter repeating musical watch with musical alarm and polychrome enamel and varicoloured gold automaton scene
SIGNED FRANÇOIS NICOLE FECIT À GENÈVE, NO. 22, CIRCA 1800
Breguet No. 1135 "Petite montre à répétition quarts, échappement libre à levées naturelles". A unique and historically important 20K gold openface quarter repeating watch with free escapement with natural lift
SIGNED BREGUET, NO. 1135, SOLD ON 13 JANUARY 1806 TO MONSIEUR LE DUC DE L'INFANTADO FOR THE SUM OF 4,200 FRANCS
Samuel Roi & Fils. An impressive and historically important 18K pink gold openface astronomical watch with virgule escapement, sunrise, sunset and sectorial-type equation
SIGNED SL ROI & FILS, NO. 5363, CIRCA 1810
Patek Philippe. A highly i mportant and probably unique 18K pink gold openface keyless lever perpetual calendar watch Guillaume balance and equation of time
Signed Patek Philippe & Cie., Genève, movement no. 80’772, case no. 215’215, manufactured in 1890
Breguet, Paris, No. 2903, "Montre à répétition à minutes, mécanisme de Secondes d'un Coup". A fine and rare 18K gold minute repeating watch with jump centre seconds mechanism, in a shagreen fitted box
SIGNED BREGUET, NO. 2903, SOLD ON 13 FEBRUARY 1817 TO THE DUKE OF MAILLÉ FOR THE SUM OF 3,600 FRANCS
Charles Ducommun. An extremely fine, rare and important 18K gold and enamel openface quarter repeating watch with varicoloured gold automaton depicting Moses hitting the rock
SIGNED CH. DUCOMMUN DIT BOUDRIT, CASE NO. 5329, CIRCA 1820
Piguet & Meylan. An exceptionally fine and rare 18K gold, enamel and pearl openface quarter repeating centre seconds cylinder watch with enamel miniature attributed to Lissignol, made for the Chinese market
SIGNED PIGUET & MEYLAN, NO. 10044, CASE STAMPED FO FOR FRÈRES OLTRAMARE, CIRCA 1820
Dürrstein & Co.; Glashütte Uhrenfabrik Union; Audemars Piguet. An exceptional, historically important and most certainly unique 18K pink gold openface minute repeating, perpetual calendar, split seconds chronograph keyless lever watch with moon phases, instantaneous minute recorder, flying fifths of a second, grande and petite sonnerie clockwatch
SIGNED DÜRRSTEIN & CO., DRESDEN & GLASHÜTTE I.SA AND GLASHÜTTE UHRENFABRIK UNION, MOVEMENT BY AUDEMARS PIGUET, NO. 47'373, MANUFACTURE STARTED IN 1891, SOLD IN 1893
PATEK PHILIPPE. A UNIQUE, IMPORTANT AND STUNNING 18K GOLD POCKET WATCH WITH HAND-PAINTED MINIATURE ENAMEL BY SUZANNE ROHR DEPICTING "PROMENADE EN BAC" PAINTED BY SALOMON VAN RUYSDAEL
REF. 865⁄92, MOVEMENT NO. 933'296, CASE NO. 2'831'065, CIRCA 2000
PATEK PHILIPPE . AN EXTREMELY FINE AND IMPORTANT, VERY LARGE AND UNIQUE 18K GOLD OPENFACE HIGH-PRECISION KEYLESS LEVER WATCH WITH ONE-MINUTE TOURBILLON REGULATOR BY HECTOR GOLAY, MADE FOR OBSERVATORY COMPETITION, REGULATED BY FRANÇ OIS MODOUX, WITH CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN AND ORIGINAL BOX
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 944/1, movement no. 197'914, case no. 2'815'972, the movement constructed between 1924 and 1930, completed and cased circa 1984
PATEK PHILIPPE. A UNIQUE AND VERY FINE 18K GOLD OPENFACE KEYLESS LEVER WATCH WITH ENAMEL MINIATURE OF "BOAT RACES AT SEA" BY G. MENNI
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 652/20, MOVEMENT NO. 933’237, CASE NO. 2’816’301, MANUFACTURED IN 1986
Patek Philippe. A very fine and rare 18K gold openface minute repeating perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph keyless lever watch with moon phases and ivory-coloured enamel dial
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE & CIE., GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, NO. 174'893, MOVEMENT NO. 174'893, CASE NO. 406'809, MANUFACTURED IN 1918
GIDEON & CO. A MAGNIFICENT HIGHLY COMPLICATED AND IMPORTANT 18K GOLD, ENAMEL AND DIAMOND-SET GRAND COMPLICATION EIGHT-DAY GOING TWO-TRAIN GRANDE AND PETITE SONNERIE STRIKING, TRIP-MINUTE REPEATING KEYLESS LEVER CLOCKWATCH WITH TRIPLE DATE CALENDAR, CHRONOGRAPH, CENTRAL PROGRESSIVE MINUTE REGISTER HAND, MOON PHASES AND LUNAR CALENDAR
SIGNED GIDEON & CO., LOCLE, SWISS MADE, NO. 86825, THE MOVEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO LOUIS-ELISÉE PIGUET, MADE FOR THE INDIAN MARKET CIRCA 1900, BY TRADITION FORMERLY THE PROPERTY OF THE SIXTH NIZAM OF HYDERABAD
Patek Philippe. A Very Rare And Impressive 18k Gold Minute Repeating Perpetual Calendar Split-Seconds Keyless lever Chronograph Clockwatch With Grande And Petite Sonnerie And Moon Phases
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, GRAND COMPLICATION MODEL, REF. 939/3, MOVEMENT NO. 866'774, CASE NO. 2'807'786, MANUFACTURED IN 1990
A. Lange & Söhne. A highly important and unique 18K pink gold hunter case minute repeating perpetual calendar single button double chronograph keyless lever watch with moon phases, original box, the dial with Arabic 13 - 24 calibration
SIGNED A. LANGE & SÖHNE, GLASHÜTTE B/DRESDEN, NO. 28'218, MANUFACTURED IN 1889
Jacques-Frédéric Houriet made for Berthoud Frères, No. 96. A highly important extremely rare and large 18K pink gold high-precision one-minute tourbillon watch with spring detent chronometer escapement, spherical balance spring, regulator dial and Réaumur thermometer
Signed F. Berthoud, no. 96, “Chronomètre Echappement Libre à Ressort Spiral, Sphérique Isochrone Levée, Dégagement, Repos et Dix Trous en Rubis Régulateur à Tourbillon“, circa 1830
Patek Philippe. A very fine and unique 18K gold openface keyless lever watch with enamel miniature after Jean-Philippe George-Julliard by Suzanne Rohr
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, REF. 866/88, MOVEMENT NO. 933'174, CASE NO. 433'716, MANUFACTURED IN 1981
PATEK PHILIPPE. A POSSIBLY UNIQUE, STUNNINGLY ATTRACTIVE AND RICHLY JEWELLED 18K GOLD, DIAMOND, RUBY AND PEARL-SET SKELETONIZED KEYLESS LEVER WATCH WITH RED HANDS
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENeVE, REF. 912, MOVEMENT NO. 937’024, CASE NO. 2’789’966, MANUFACTURED IN 1980
Patek Philippe. A fine and rare 18K gold openface minute repeating perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph keyless lever watch with phases of the moon
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 658, MOVEMENT NO. 861'185, CASE NO. 680'489, MANUFACTURED IN 1950
PIGUET & MEYLAN. AN EXTREMELY RARE 18K GOLD, PEARL AND ENAMEL-SET QUARTER REPEATING ‘ BARKING DOG ’ AUTOMATON OPENFACE WATCH , MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET
SIGNED I.D. PIGUET ET P. MEYLAN, GENÈVE, NO. 146, THE ENAMEL PAINTING ATTRIBUTED TO JEAN-FRANÇOIS-VICTOR DUPONT, CIRCA 1815