Last year every auctioneer marked the 50th anniversary of Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak in some way or another. This year, we can expect the same for Rolex Daytona's 60th anniversary.

Sotheby’s banks on Rolex Daytona

Sotheby’s has probably made the best preparations for this big date. The Important Watches: Part I auction was held on May 14 in Geneva. Out of all the listed Rolex lots, one that piqued attention was a chronograph on a gold bracelet: Ref. 6241 Daytona "John Player Special" with a "Paul Newman" dial circa 1969.

Its dial really is unusual: black with exotic champagne-colored counters. The tobacco company John Player sponsored the F1 paddock's victorious Team Lotus in the 1970s. Nods to the sponsor's livery are made with the black counters and bezel with its unusual tachymeter scale. A total of just 3000 Ref. 6241 watches are believed to have been produced.

Only 300 of them have a case and bracelet in yellow gold, and only a small fraction sport the "John Player Special" dial. So bidding for this model looked set to be intense, even though the organizers gave it a rather modest estimate of CHF 600,000 - 1,200,000.

Let's not forget that this model is equipped with the self-winding chronograph caliber 722-1, housed in a case measuring 37.5 mm in diameter. The Daytona Paul Newman Ref. 6240 is another Rolex in a steel case measuring 37 mm in diameter with an interesting dial that runs on a 722-1 movement.

It's a reverse Panda: everything that's normally white on a Panda dial is black here. Ref. 6240 was only produced for a four-year limited run from 1965 through 1969 as an experimental model to trial different dial designs.

Another thing that makes this reference interesting is that it was the first to be equipped with screw-down chronograph pushers. So this also makes it the first water-resistant Cosmograph Daytona.

This watch's future owner is in for another pleasant surprise: the name of their previous owner. The name would be revealed in the lot details if they wanted, of course.

But the current owners mustn't have wanted to, which is more than strange. Sellers are normally keen to maximize PR to promote their offerings. These mysteries are estimated to be worth within the range of CHF 150,000 – 250,000.

The second highest estimate was assigned to the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow Ref. 116598RBOW circa 2012. This model is already equipped with a new automatic manufacture Rolex 4130 movement.

The case measuring 40 mm in diameter and bracelet of this Daytona Rainbow are made of yellow gold and encrusted with multicolored sapphires and diamonds. The model was made in very limited numbers. It's interesting how the Rainbow was included in the catalog for Baselworld 2012. The Daytona section depicts multicolored sapphires as a subtle hint: place an order and we'll make it.

That's clearly what the first owner must have done. It's particularly interesting as it's one of the first to be listed at a major auction. Current owners prefer to keep Ref. 116598RBOW in their collections for now. Its estimate amounts to CHF 300,000 - 500,000.

Another strong player was F. P. Journe Ruthenium Chronomètre à Résonance No. 1 circa 2001. This model from the first batch of the already iconic chronometers has a platinum case and a caliber 1499 ruthenium-plated movement made of ordinary brass as opposed to the rose gold ones used in later models.

And do you know what number it is in the series: 01/99-01R! It's hard to even comprehend how the organizers capped this model's potential estimate at just CHF 200,000 – 400,000.

Christie’s for modern Patek Philippe

Christie’s probably compiled the most diverse catalog, you could even call it a mashup. The Rare Watches auction held on May 13 mainly centered around modern models by Patek Philippe. The top thirteen most expensive lots feature no less than eight watches by this great watchmaker.

The organizers pick for first place was an interesting yet questionable choice: the fabled Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A-018 with a "Tiffany Blue" dial, auctioned off as a sensational finale to 2021 by Phillips in New York for USD 6,503,500 (including buyer's premium), just a few days after the edition was launched.

Christie’s was confident that one of the last 170 models with this reference number would sell for CHF 2,000,000 – 4,000,000, and that the buyer would pay standard Swiss VAT of 7.7% charged on the hammer price and buyer’s premium.

This model's number unforetunately wasn't disclosed, protecting the privacy of 170 happy owners. Many Nautilus fans will find the fate of Ref. 5711/111P-001 no less interesting. This stylish platinum model from 2020 with its bezel and hour markers encrusted with blue baguette-cut sapphires was estimated to go for CHF 400,000 – CHF 600,000.

The watch in second place was a timeless reference number from 1953: Philippe Philippe ref. 2499 (perpetual calendar in yellow gold), estimated at CHF 1,000,000 – CHF 2,000,000. Third place was occupied by Patek Philippe Ref. 3974G: a white-gold minute repeating perpetual calendar that houses the automatic caliber 27 RQ.

It's worth pointing out here that Ref. 3974 is very rare in and of itself, as it was launched in 1989 to celebrate Patek Philippe's 150th anniversary and was later only made for special orders.

For instance, the case for this perpetual repeater was actually outsourced to the famous Genevan master casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann, which is confirmed by his master mark "JPH" stamped on the back of the lower left lug. The organizers gave this watch an appraisal of CHF 1,200,000 – CHF 1,800,000.

The exclusive Rolex Daytona "Jack of Diamonds" Ref. 6269 made in 1985 for an order placed by the Sultanate of Oman is in fifth place, estimated to go for CHF 800,000 – CHF 1,400,000.

It's interesting that Christie’s decided to get clients nicely warmed-up ahead of Rare Watches with a personal auction called the Art Of F. P. Journe. And these warm-up exercises could get bidders ready for a decent fight. Among the 40 lots, organizers showcased an extremely rare platinum F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain Souscription.

The model numbered 2/20 from 1999 is the second ever example of the model to be made in small series and sold officially to one of the watchmaker’s friends. The history of the brand F. P. Journe Invenit et Fecit is considered to have started with this particular watch.

And as for the tourbillon itself, historians are already heralding it a masterpiece of haute horlogerie, comparing it to the finest creations by the late Abraham-Louis Breguet. The hosts gave the masterpiece a cautious estimate: CHF 1,800,000 - 2,800,000.

Phillips upholds standard

Leading watch auctioneer Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo presented the most diverse, solid collection of rarities for the two-day Geneva Watch Auction: XVII at Hôtel La Réserve from May 13-14. There were so many unique models that the organizers took the decision to sell one later at an auction in Hong Kong on May 23.

This prominent offering is a watch which once belonged to the last emperor of China, Aisin-Gioro Puyi: Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 96 Quantieme Lune. It's one of only eight known examples, and only three of them have a similar dial, encircled by a pink-gold roulette ring. Sure, this piece is in a condition that could be described as worse than terrible.

Nevertheless, Puyi who was sent to a Soviet gulag (an acronym from the official Soviet designation of its system of labor camps) gave the watch to his interpreter Georgy Permyakov, who had no idea how much it was actually worth. The watch was simply subjected to daily wear and tear in harsh Siberian conditions.

So the watch's condition significantly lowered the estimate to USD 3,000,000. But it's more than likely that this watch's fate has actually been sealed by those at Patek Philippe. When Chinese billionaires decide to throw their hats in the ring, the final price can exceed the most daring expectations.

As for the models which were ultimately offered by Phillips in Geneva, the ones that attracted the greatest interest predictably included the "Holy Grail" for watch collectors: the perpetual calendar chronograph Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 that arrived in 1950 to replace Ref. 1518. A question people ask quite often these days is: what's so special about this watch that makes people pay that kind of money?

The thing is, Ref. 2499 is to the world of watchmaking what the Mona Lisa is to fine art. That's one point we can start with. The model was manufactured for 35 years from 1950 through 1985. And throughout that entire period, a total of just 349 pieces were made, i.e., the output was around ten pieces per year.

The level of technology available at the time and the complexity of the watch prevented the watchmaker from increasing production. In those years, Audemars Piguet was the only one to compete with Patek Philippe's production of perpetual calendar wristwatches. But their production volume was even less industrial at four pieces per year.

So the top lots at the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction: XVII include no less than three Ref. 2499 watches which represent an extremely rare selection of pieces from the first, second and third series.

The estimate given to the piece from the first series was CHF 800,000 – 1 600 000, the second was estimated to go for CHF 1,500,000 – 3,000,000, and the third was estimated at CHF 350,000 – 500,000. There was bound to be no shortage of bidders eager to bag the full set.

Another extremely rare model is the Patek Philippe Ref. 5531R-012 unveiled just three years ago. The watch combines two of the watchmaker's iconic complications: a minute repeater and world time.

It's made on an extremely rare basis, as its components are even hard to make using modern machinery, not to mention the fact that the R 27 HU movement is assembled and decorated by hand. It goes without saying that the watch has never been worn.

It must have initially been bought as an investment with the intent purpose of reselling, fresh from the manufacture to an official auction. The organizers assigned an estimate of CHF 900,000 - 1,800,000.

Plenty of Rolex Daytona chronographs were listed as well. We've already mentioned the exclusive Rolex Daytona "Jack of Diamonds" Ref. 6269 offered at Christie's. It was made for an order placed by the Sultanate of Oman to later be given to someone else as a gift.

But a watch made for the Sultan is being offered here: the yellow-gold Ref. 6270 for Oman's late Sultan Qaboos bin Said (1940-2020). That's why its potential was given an unusually high appraisal: CHF 1,200,000 - 2,400,000.