A Rolex ‘John Player Special’ yellow gold chronograph wristwatch sold for HK$6.1m (US$779,580) at Phillips watch auction in Hong Kong, realising the highest price at the sale, in which the remaining of the top ten lots fell to Patek Philippe.
A ref 6241 yellow gold chronograph wristwatch
Reference 6241 was manufactured from approximately 1966 to 1969. It is among the rarest Daytona models ever produced. Research indicates that less than 300 examples were cased in 18K yellow gold. The so-called ‘John Player Special’ is a rare variant of the ‘Paul Newman’ model. The present one offered is notably one of a few handful of known “John Player Specials” cased in 18K yellow gold.
Rolex ‘John Player Special’ Daytona
John Player & Sons sponsored the Lotus Formula One team in 1972
In 1972, John Player & Sons sponsored the Lotus Formula One team, which emblazoned the cigarette maker’s logo on its cars. Clad in black and gold livery to match John Player & Sons’ corporate colours, the Formula One car became an instant hit and icon.
Donning the same colours, the “John Player Special Paul Newman” shares its name with the Formula One vehicle. While the watch was conceived some years before the car and has no relation to the sporting event, the similarities between the two are uncanny, from the contrasting black and gold graphics, to the intricate trim and details.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5004A stainless steel chronograph wristwatch
The second top lot of the sale was Patek Philippe ref. 5004A stainless steel chronograph wristwatch, manufactured in 2013. Estimated at HK$3.2m-5m, the watch sold for HK$4.3m (US$549,540) at the sale. Reference 5004 is an epitome of Swiss horological prowess, technological mastery and breathtakingly beautiful design. In production between 1994 and 2009, the reference 5004 is one of the scarcest Patek Philippe models in the market, as only approximately 12 examples were created per year due to its technical difficulty.
Production of the reference 5004 was halted in the midst of its 15-year run to allow the watchmakers to concentrate on a separate split-second movement. The reference 5004 embodies some of the most significant features in the history of horology, including perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph, moon phases, as well as 24-hour and leap year indication.
Patek Philippe yellow gold open face one-minute tourbillon pocket chronometer
Another highlight of the sale was a Patek Philippe yellow gold tourbillon pocket chronometer from 1929. The present watch was twice at the Geneva Observatory winning the first-class prize in 1929, and an honourable mention again in 1931.
In order to win first class, the watch had to be of exceptional quality and while from the outside the pocket watch looks classic and sublime, the movement is a mechanical marvel with a one-minute tourbillon carriage with Guillaume balance and Breguet balance spring. Very few Patek Philippe watches carry the “Extra” designation and it would be for such a “timing contest” that the manufacturer would use such movements.
Patek Philippe is believed to have made approximately 100 tourbillon regulator watches like the present example. Because of their importance, these watches were typically kept by the firm and therefore it is a rare occasion when one of these exceptional watches is made available to the public. Due to its rarity, it is not surprising to see the watch sold for HK$3.28m (US$419,184), far exceeding the presale estimate of HK$1m-1.5m.
Top ten watches at the sale
Rolex Ref. 6241 yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with black “Paul Newman” dial
Lot no.: 876
Created in: 1968
Estimate: HK$3,900,000 - 7,800,000
Price realised: HK$6,100,000
Patek Philippe Ref. 5004A stainless steel chronograph wristwatch
Lot no.: 888
Created in: 2013
Estimate: HK$3,200,000 - 5,000,000
Price realised: HK$4,300,000
Patek Philippe yellow gold open face one-minute tourbillon pocket chronometer
Lot no.: 840
Created in: 1929
Estimate: HK$1,000,000 - 1,500,000
Price realised: HK$3,280,000
Patek Philippe Ref. 5020P platinum perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch
Lot no.: 1049
Created in: 2000
Estimate: HK$1,800,000 - 4,000,000
Price realised: HK$3,280,000
Patek Philippe Ref. 3448 white gold perpetual calendar wristwatch
Lot no.: 834
Created in: 2000
Estimate: HK$1,600,000 - 3,200,000
Price realised: HK$3,220,000
Patek Philippe Ref.1518 yellow gold perpetual calendar chronograph with moonphrases
Lot no.: 1059
Created in: 1944
Estimate: HK$1,600,000 - 3,200,000
Price realised: HK$3,100,000
Patek Philippe Ref.5004J yellow gold perpetual calendar split seconds chronograph wristwatch
Lot no.: 1022
Created in: 2008
Estimate: HK$2,500,000 - 4,000,000
Price realised: HK$2,920,000
Patek Philippe Ref.130 stainless steel chronograph wristwatch
Lot no.: 871
Created in: 1939
Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 4,000,000
Price realised: HK$2,740,000
Patek Philippe Ref.5079J-001 yellow gold ‘cathedral’ minute repeating wristwatch
Lot no.: 919
Created in: 2004
Estimate: HK$2,000,000 - 4,000,000
Price realised: HK$2,620,000
Patek Philippe Ref.1463 yellow hold chronograph wristwatch
Lot no.: 844
Created in: 1949
Estimate: HK$1,200,000 - 2,350,000
Price realised: HK$2,250,000
Auction summary
Auction house: Phillips Hong Kong
Sale: The Hong Kong Watch Auction: Seven
Sale date: 27 November 2018
Lots offered: 259
Sold: 241
Unsold: 18
Sold by lots: 93%
Sale total: HK$110,320,000