O ur New York Watches auction offers our collectors a fine selection of vintage and modern timepieces and accessories. Highlights include a Patek Philippe Reference 5004P-001, a masterful piece of understated elegance, offering the wearer a perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, moon phases, day/night and leap year indications. This modern marvel is offered by the original owner and is complete with box, papers, and its coveted secondary case back.
We are also pleased to celebrate a beautiful selection of wristwatches from a special collection titled, The Passion of American Collectors: Property of Barbara and Ira Lipman. Mr Lipman’s collection, which nourished his never-ending curiosity and investigative spirit will be offered in an array of sales across Sotheby’s including our upcoming December Important Watches auction. Previous highlights were offered in our recent Important Prints and Multiples Evening Sale, Contemporary Art Day Sale, and Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale.
Ira Lipman, the founder of Guardsmark, one of the world’s premier private security companies, had a rich personal life dedicated to exploring new subjects and collecting significant works of art by boundary-breaking makers such as Chaim Soutine and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. His passion for collecting spanned many areas ranging from printed and manuscripts Americana to timepieces. His desire to collect the best of the best extended to his watch collection where he heavily focused on pieces by Patek Philippe. We are pleased to offer pieces from noted brands such as Patek, Cartier, and LeCoultre in our November sale, and look forward to presenting several exciting timepieces in our December sale, including Patek Philippe’s iconic Reference 2499.
Exemplifying the true art of watchmaking, the Ref. 5004 is the ultimate example of understated horology. The production of the Ref. 5004 commenced in 1994 and had a long run until it was finally retired in 2009. The reference also had the distinction of employing the last non-Patek Philippe in house chronograph calibre which was produced for them by Nouvelle Lemania.
The present example belongs to the first series of this model, with the movement numbers between 879501-879999, placing the present example at the earliest half of the first series production range.
Composed of 407 parts, the watch houses a caliber CHR 27-70Q, and ingeniously combines a split seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar functions. The split seconds chronograph allows the simultaneous measurement of multiple events beginning at the same time and employs Patek Philippe's patented split seconds disengagement mechanism, accurate within a fraction of a second. The perpetual calendar function features a 24-hour display, leap year indication and precision moon-phases device.
For an example of the reference see, M. Huber and A. Banbery, Patek Philippe, Wristwatches, p. 312, Vol. II, Second Edition.
This early Rolex Daytona 6239 is set apart from other examples by several characteristics. First, it retains its original bezel, graduated to 300. Only examples manufactured to 1967 had this type of bezel. Further, it retains its original dial in excellent condition and a case that is thick and even. Lastly, this iconic model, launched in 1963, is one of the earliest examples featuring a 923XXX serial number. As the astute collector will know, this is the serial range of the coveted Mark I 6239s. This model’s case back is also marked 6238, as all the earliest 6239 models had. This is a stunning example of a very early Daytona.
For almost a decade (circa 1997-circa 2007), Patek Philippe lithographs were offered to subscribers of the Patek Philippe magazine. When one received their magazine in the mail, they raced to return the card found on the last page of the magazine to order their complementary lithograph available first come first serve in limited numbers. The exceptional custom illustrations often featured details of Patek Philippe's latest offerings and technology. Officially called "Patek Philippe Limited Art Editions", these lithographs are now highly sought after by Patek Philippe collectors today who missed the original opportunity to assemble a complete collection.
