Tag Archive for: watch auction

Vintages Watches and Timepieces with Bold Design

From Cartier to Rolex, world-class Swiss, French and American timepiece manufacturers have created watches with bold designs and precision movements. Take a look at some of the beautiful pieces featured in this week’s watch auction.

Ranking at the top of the auction estimates is a rare Tiffany & Co. Piaget model 924-C4, in an 18K gold and bracelet. It is one of the thinnest movements made by Piaget. This stunning watch carries a $10,000-$12,000 estimate.

Piaget Tiffany & Co. 18K gold watch, model Piaget/924-C4, serial no. 88490. Estimate: $10,500-$12,000. Jasper52image

Piaget Tiffany & Co. 18K gold watch, model Piaget/924-C4, serial no. 88490. Estimate: $10,500-$12,000

 

A LeCoultre eight-day desk clock  has attracted much attention. This handsome gold-plated timepiece from the 1960s has a $900-$1,200 estimate.

LeCoultre eight-day desk clock, manual movement, 1960s. Estimate: $900-$1,200. Jasper52 image

LeCoultre eight-day desk clock, manual movement, 1960s. Estimate: $900-$1,200

 

Also by LeCoultre, the renowned Swiss luxury watch and clock maker, is a Memovox alarm watch in a gold-filled case, estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

LeCoultre Memovox alarm watch, circa 1960, gold-filled case. Estimate: $1,000-$1,500. Jasper52 image.

LeCoultre Memovox alarm watch, circa 1960, gold-filled case. Estimate: $1,000-$1,500

 

One of the earliest items in the auction is a Zenith wristwatch with bold radium numerals and hands and a sterling silver case. This stylish antique from 1918 carries a $2,000-$2,500 estimate.

Zenith Swiss-made wristwatch, sterling silver case, 1918, porcelain dial. Estimate: $2,000-$2,500

Zenith Swiss-made wristwatch, sterling silver case, 1918, porcelain dial. Estimate: $2,000-$2,500

 

For a modern look, consider the Movado 14K gold watch that has a dial design by Bauhaus-influenced artist Nathan George Horwitt. The watch dial has a simple design defined by a solitary dot at 12, symbolizing the sun at noon. The dial was selected for the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1960. The single dot dial now appears in many of Movado’s watches.

 

Movado 14K gold watch with antique white texture dial, original bracelet and buckle. Estimate: $1,000-$1,250. Jasper52image

Movado 14K gold watch with antique white texture dial, original bracelet and buckle. Estimate: $1,000-$1,250

Also noteworthy is a Cartier 18K gold curved case watch, model 0211, which was manufactured in 2006. Certain to be a classic, this ladies watch is estimated at $3,500-$4,000.

Cartier 18K gold curved case watch, Model 0211, circa 2006. Estimate: $3,500-$4,000

Cartier 18K gold curved case watch, Model 0211, circa 2006. Estimate: $3,500-$4,000

 

View the full catalog of vintage watches and timepieces here. Your wrist deserves some new jewelry.

Vintage Watches: How to make a statement

Wristwatches have become a staple in a man’s wardrobe, and the practice of collecting these unique items has exploded. While many vintage wristwatches hold sentimental to the owner and are passed down from generation to generation, the practice of collecting and trading vintage watches is quickly growing. Reyne Gauge shares everything you need to know about collecting vintage watches. Read on below.

IWC Stainless Steel White Dial Chronograph Watch and Chanel Stainless Steel Ceramic Automatic Wristwatch featured in Jasper52 Auction on Sept. 18, 2016

IWC Stainless Steel White Dial Chronograph Watch and Chanel Stainless Steel Ceramic Automatic Wristwatch featured in Jasper52 Auction on Sept. 18, 2016

Wristwatches date back to the late 1800s, a time when they were thought of as jewelry for women only. Originally, they were worn by a clasp on a woman’s lapel. Later, a silk cloth was wrapped around a pocket watch for ladies to wear on their wrists.

The wristwatch as we know it today was first designed by Patek Phillipe in 1868. It wasn’t until World War I that wristwatches became a timepiece for men. Pilots found it too difficult to reach into their  pocket to retrieve their pocket watches, therefore, wearing a timepiece on their wrist made more sense.

It wasn’t until World War I that wristwatches became a timepiece for men.

Ironically, what was once thought to be “women’s wear” is now predominately collected by men. Men often collect wristwatches because they offer more than just a way to tell time.

For the traveler, there are watches offering numerous time zones. For the athlete, chronographs are the preferred option. Divers must have watches that are waterproof.

Not only are there different mechanical options, but you can also collect by maker or time period; or, you can collect different types of movements, such as manual wind, automatic, or electric.

Girard Perregaux Stainless Steel Chronograph featured in Jasper52 Auction on Sept. 18 2016

Girard Perregaux Stainless Steel Chronograph featured in Jasper52 Auction on Sept. 18 2016

Watches are small, meaning you can accumulate many without requiring a lot of space to house them, and they also come in a variety of price ranges. Early manual-wind watches can be purchased for as little as $40-50. Asymmetrical Hamilton Electrics can be bought for a few hundred dollars.

It’s not just the lower-end brands that are affordable. If you’ve been eyeing the latest Rolex watch, chances are you can buy one for a lot less if it’s “pre-owned” or vintage. The current “DATEJUST” model in gold and stainless retails for about $4,500. However, a pre-owned model can be had for as little as $2,800.

Regardless of how much you invest in a watch, it’s an opportunity to make a statement about your unique sense of style while investing in a collectible that boasts both form and function.

Click to view the full catalog of this week’s Jasper52 auction of vintage and luxury watches.

Adapted from original piece by Reyne Gauge on Auction Central News.