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Lot Essay
Christie’s is delighted to offer the present Franck Muller Master Banker Rosé, formerly owned by Elizabeth Taylor.
This special wristwatch was limited to only 5 examples in which Miss Taylor's was exclusively designated as number '01'. Featuring an 18k pink gold tonneau-shaped case with a heavy and deluxe solid 18k pink gold bracelet, the watch impressively features three time zones and a date complication. The dial is a vibrant pink silvered guilloché with 'exploding' luminous numerals that wonderfully complement the gold case and bracelet.
A note from Christopher E. Wilding, the son of Elizabeth Taylor
'I received this watch as a gift from my mother, Elizabeth Taylor, not long before she died in 2011. Captivated by its elegant design and the combination of the rose gold case and the pink guilloché dial with its purple accents - a color combination that would have appealed to her - she bought it for herself a number of months before it was actually manufactured, based on a 'coming soon' brochure of the watch that Theo Fennell's of London sent to her in the spring of 2001. Commissioned by Fennell, this was an exclusive edition by Franck Muller entitled 'Rosé', and my mother's watch was number 01 of 05 examples made with a pink gold case and bracelet.
She had the bracelet sized to hang quite loose on her wrist, and she wore it often when she was at home, usually in tandem with a cluster of simple gold wire bangles of which she was equally fond of (the contact between the watch and these bangles accounts for the light scratches on the non-crown side of the case). She knew that I admired the watch for its meticulous craftsmanship in which I would compliment her on her good taste whenever I saw it on her wrist. I was very touched that she thought to give it to me, and since her passing, I’ve worn it once a year on our shared birthday in February.
Never known for being punctual, I think my mother wore this watch more as a beautiful piece of jewelry than as a practical timepiece, and she was probably so taken by its alluring details that she didn’t notice when it showed her that she was once again running late'. - Christopher Wilding, the son of Elizabeth Taylor
The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York 2011
In 2011, Christie's New York was honored to sell the legendary collection of Elizabeth Taylor's world-class jewelry that was amassed over her lifetime of collecting. This world renowned sale is often regarded as one of celebrated jewelry auctions of all time and combined, reached an astonishing $156.75 million dollars spread across numerous sales from December 3rd to the 17th. Incredibly, one-hundred percent of the lots sold with 26 items individually reaching over a million dollars. This was also the first-ever online auction at Christie's. Many world record prices were set at the time including a record for a pearl jewel that was a 16th century pearl on a necklace designed by Cartier for Taylor (known as 'La Peregrina') reaching $11.8 million dollars, a record for a colorless diamond per carat, a 33.19-carat Asscher-cut D color potentially flawless diamond (known as the Burton-Taylor Diamond) selling for more than $8.8 million dollars, or $265,697 per carat, and the world auction record for an emerald jewel and an emerald per carat, a emerald and diamond pendant brooch by Bulgari reaching $6.5 million dollars or $280,000 per carat, to name a few.
This special wristwatch was limited to only 5 examples in which Miss Taylor's was exclusively designated as number '01'. Featuring an 18k pink gold tonneau-shaped case with a heavy and deluxe solid 18k pink gold bracelet, the watch impressively features three time zones and a date complication. The dial is a vibrant pink silvered guilloché with 'exploding' luminous numerals that wonderfully complement the gold case and bracelet.
A note from Christopher E. Wilding, the son of Elizabeth Taylor
'I received this watch as a gift from my mother, Elizabeth Taylor, not long before she died in 2011. Captivated by its elegant design and the combination of the rose gold case and the pink guilloché dial with its purple accents - a color combination that would have appealed to her - she bought it for herself a number of months before it was actually manufactured, based on a 'coming soon' brochure of the watch that Theo Fennell's of London sent to her in the spring of 2001. Commissioned by Fennell, this was an exclusive edition by Franck Muller entitled 'Rosé', and my mother's watch was number 01 of 05 examples made with a pink gold case and bracelet.
She had the bracelet sized to hang quite loose on her wrist, and she wore it often when she was at home, usually in tandem with a cluster of simple gold wire bangles of which she was equally fond of (the contact between the watch and these bangles accounts for the light scratches on the non-crown side of the case). She knew that I admired the watch for its meticulous craftsmanship in which I would compliment her on her good taste whenever I saw it on her wrist. I was very touched that she thought to give it to me, and since her passing, I’ve worn it once a year on our shared birthday in February.
Never known for being punctual, I think my mother wore this watch more as a beautiful piece of jewelry than as a practical timepiece, and she was probably so taken by its alluring details that she didn’t notice when it showed her that she was once again running late'. - Christopher Wilding, the son of Elizabeth Taylor
The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York 2011
In 2011, Christie's New York was honored to sell the legendary collection of Elizabeth Taylor's world-class jewelry that was amassed over her lifetime of collecting. This world renowned sale is often regarded as one of celebrated jewelry auctions of all time and combined, reached an astonishing $156.75 million dollars spread across numerous sales from December 3rd to the 17th. Incredibly, one-hundred percent of the lots sold with 26 items individually reaching over a million dollars. This was also the first-ever online auction at Christie's. Many world record prices were set at the time including a record for a pearl jewel that was a 16th century pearl on a necklace designed by Cartier for Taylor (known as 'La Peregrina') reaching $11.8 million dollars, a record for a colorless diamond per carat, a 33.19-carat Asscher-cut D color potentially flawless diamond (known as the Burton-Taylor Diamond) selling for more than $8.8 million dollars, or $265,697 per carat, and the world auction record for an emerald jewel and an emerald per carat, a emerald and diamond pendant brooch by Bulgari reaching $6.5 million dollars or $280,000 per carat, to name a few.