Courtesy of Christie’s
Exceptionally rare Patek Philippe watches, including many fresh-to-market pieces, will be available for purchase between 13 and 23 July at Christie’s in New York — with prices ranging from $5,000 to well over $5 million.
Christie’s Patek Philippe selling exhibition in New York — which runs from 13 July to 23 July and features more than 300 vintage watches — includes many exceptionally rare and fresh-to-market pieces available for immediate purchase. It will run concurrently with Patek Philippe’s official The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition at Cipriani in New York over the same period. We asked John Reardon, International Head of Watches at Christie’s, to tell us more.
Christie’s International Head of Watches John Reardon Examines a Rare Patek Philippe
What was the inspiration for the exhibition?
John Reardon: ‘The concept is quite simple. With thousands of Patek Philippe collectors and enthusiasts converging on New York in July, this is the perfect time to celebrate all things Patek Philippe, while also offering collectors the chance to see and acquire exceptional museum-quality watches. The demand for vintage watches has never been greater, and this exhibition offers buyers the opportunity to own a piece of Patek Philippe’s history.
‘Imagine visiting the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, being allowed to try on some of its pieces — and then to leave with a few treasured acquisitions. Of course, this is pure fantasy, but Christie’s New York galleries offer the next best thing: the chance to assess a large selection of vetted and authenticated Patek Philippe vintage watches from the mid-19th century through to the late 20th century, and to potentially take something home.
‘The goal of this exhibition is to educate new collectors on how to assess the condition of vintage watches, how to understand the market and how to collect vintage watches. A series of tours, lectures and watchmaking classes will complement the official Patek Philippe exhibition at Cipriani.’
What excites you most about the event?
JR: ‘I have always wanted to see complete verticals of Patek Philippe watches presented in a way that allows one to compare the development of key complications. The ability to see first-hand the ‘family tree’ of Patek Philippe complicated watches is something that many collectors only dream of — our exhibition makes it possible.
‘In the field of chronographs, visitors are able to trace the development in the 20th century from the 130 to the 530, 533, 591, 1579, 1463 and the split-seconds 1436. Regarding perpetual chronographs, we have four 1518s and a wide selection of 2499s, with examples in each series.
