Phillips presents million-euro watches from the 80s and 90s

Rolex’s very first Daytona Rainbow Cosmograph (pictured), Ref. 16599, is expected to fetch over $3.5 million at Phillips’ upcoming neo-vintage watch auction, “Reloaded: The Rebirth of Mechanical Watchmaking, 1980-1999.”

The watch auction is scheduled for November 8 in Geneva. A joint statement from Alexandre Ghotbi, watch head for Europe and the Middle East, and Tiffany To, sales manager, explains why Phillips is highlighting this period in watch history: “The 1980s-1990s were one of the most creative periods for watchmaking, with the rise of independent watchmakers, the birth of multi-complication wristwatches and the desire to create movements that had never existed before.”

“The 1980s and 1990s were a time of intense change and experimentation. They were the decades of superstars and indie music, blockbusters and experimental cinema, the dawn of the internet and the personal computer. The world was never the same after that,” the statement said. “With the introduction of quartz watches, mechanical watchmaking was at a turning point – change or perish. But the watch industry showed its resilience and spirit of innovation… The watch industry reinvented itself and laid the foundations for the luxury, precision and craftsmanship we see today.”

In the 1990s, Rolex originally made the Cosmograph Daytona Rainbow as a one-off. The white gold watch was revolutionary for its time, featuring a bezel set with degradé sapphires that mimic the shades of a rainbow. Today, it is one of the watchmaker’s (and the world’s) most exclusive pieces, and Phillips has a pre-sale price of 3 million Swiss francs (CHF) for it.

Another notable lot is the first wristwatch sold by François-Paul Journe, which quickly made FP Journe a well-known watchmaker. It features the hand-engraved ink inscription 15/93which represents the number in Journe’s production (it was the 15th watch he made) and the year (1993) in which it was made.

Also being auctioned by Phillips is a pocket watch made by Derek Pratt for the Danish company Urban Jürgensen, which is a testament to the precision-oriented watchmaking of the period. Pratt, technical director at Urban Jürgensen, handcrafted this piece under the supervision of Kari Voutilainen.
to honor the legacy of 18th century watchmakers AL Breguet and John Arnold through attention to detail.

Phillips is offering a previously unknown watch for sale: a 1996 Philippe Dufour Duality watch that disproves the belief that only nine examples of this type were made. A certificate of origin confirms that it is the 10th and that it is being offered by its original owner.

“Without the pioneering spirit of the era, watchmaking as we know it today would not exist,” Phillips said in a statement. “Reloaded will be one of the most exciting auctions – not only because of the top lots, which we are incredibly excited about, but also because of the carefully curated selection, offering a diverse range of brands, styles, complications and price points. This is truly an auction for watch lovers, curated for other watch lovers.”

(Photos courtesy of Phillips)

Follow me on Instagram: @anniedavidsonwatson

Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine

Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine

Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine