Important Watches

Important Watches

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 34. A white gold square shaped wristwatch, Gifted to Joe DiMaggio from United Cerebral Palsy, Circa 1957.

Audemars Piguet

A white gold square shaped wristwatch, Gifted to Joe DiMaggio from United Cerebral Palsy, Circa 1957

Auction Closed

December 6, 09:17 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 20,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Dial: silvered

Caliber: cal. 2003 mechanical, 17 jewels

Movement number: 67’073

Case: 18k white gold, snap on case back engraved 'with Sincere Appreciation & Gratitude to Joe Dimaggio from United Cerebral Palsy Telethon Jax. Fla. - 5 - 27 - 57'

Case number: 9'477

Closure: 18k white gold Audemars Piguet buckle 

Size: 29 mm x 27.5 mm  

Signed: case, dial and movement 

Box: yes

Papers: no

Accessories: Audemars Piguet presentation box, accompanied by photographs of Joe DiMaggio and a Letter of Provenance signed by the grandchildren of Joe DiMaggio confirming the watch to be from his personal collection

Hunt Auctions Inc. New York, The Joe DiMaggio Collection, 19-20 May 2006, lot 808

Although telethons are mostly a thing of the past, in its heyday they used to be star-studded affairs, typically broadcasted to raise money for a charity, and drew big name talents such as Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, and Joe DiMaggio.


The Greatest Hitter of All-Time was gifted this Audemars Piguet wristwatch to thank him for participating in the United Cerebral Palsy telethon in 1957.

This present lot is accompanied by its fitted presentation box and a letter of provenance from the Bronx Bomber's family. Cased in 18k white gold with its case back engraving beautifully preserved and in immaculate condition, the watch also houses one of Audemars Piguet's most legendary movements, the caliber 2003.


In 1938, Audemars Piguet released the thinnest wristwatch movement in the world, the 9ML. At just 1.64mm in thickness, it followed the brand’s record-breaking 1.32mm-thick pocket watch movement. While it was a technological marvel, the hand-wound caliber 9ML wasn’t terribly robust. Determined, Audemars Piguet together with Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin worked to design an ultra-thin movement that would rectify this flaw in durability. The result was caliber 2003.


The caliber 2003 will go on to power many beloved watches in Audemars Piguet's lineup such as the ultra thin Disco Volante and the Reference 5043BC, and it remained in limited production until 2003.


We are pleased to offer this watch, which captures the intersection of sports and horological history.