S otheby’s New York continues our exceptional Luxury Week sales with Fine Watches, open from 8-22 June.
This season’s sale offers a wide selection of both modern and vintage timepieces from a plethora of seasoned collectors and newcomers alike. The sale is spearheaded by the final segment of The X Collection, the largest single owner collection of Audemars Piguet brand watches to come to market.
Celebrating the world of Rolex, we are pleased to present a fine Paul Newman Daytona, Reference 6241, one of the rarest and most desirable variants of the Daytona series. This watch was made in very limited quantities of approximately 2,700 to 3,000 pieces and are seldomly found in condition such as the model we are offering.
We are pleased to present the final selection of The X Collection, a comprehensive and prolific curation of over 170 wristwatches amassed by a single owner.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak Jubilee reference 14802 as a limited edition in 1992. Only 1,000 pieces were made in total, including different case metals such as stainless steel and yellow gold.
The reference 14802 stays true to its predecessor with an attractive slim case and 39 mm diameter. Its main difference is the sapphire crystal display back, enabling the wearer to gaze into the movement and admire the specially designed 21k gold rotor featuring various design elements from Gérald Genta including the iconic octagonal bezel of the Royal Oak as well as the hexagonal bolts used to secure the bezel to the case. There were likely around 700 pieces made in stainless steel and 300 in yellow gold. The yellow gold versions fitted with yellow gold or gray dials.
The avant garde creations of Genta, earned him the nickname the “Picasso of Watchmaking”. His imaginative, forward-thinking designs – such as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, 1972, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, 1976 – are considered among the most collectable wristwatches of the 20th century. But beyond the case, Genta offered a mastery of dial design as well.
In 1984, Genta debuted his eponymous collection at Montres et Bijoux in Geneva, showcasing a plethora of designs including the Wonderful World of Disney.
Indeed, the whimsical Mickey Mouse, Pink Panther, and Popeye dials which graced his exhibit caused such a commotion that he was pressured to leave the fair!
Today, Genta's Disney watches are revived and celebrated through Bulgari, who purchased the watch company in 2000. The 2021 Gérald Genta Arena Retro Smiling Disney Mickey Mouse sold out immediately upon release just last year.
