At Sotheby’s Important Watches & Clocks auction in New York, the Duc d’Orléans Breguet Sympathique reached $6,802,500 which is the highest price for any clock sold on an auction. In general, just one timepiece has ever achieved the higher auction price. With the total of $11,672,988, this December’s auction is the most successful various-owners sale of watches and clocks at Sotheby’s New York. Beside the Breguet’s clock, Patek Philippe’s watches were the absolute highlights of the event.
Duc d’Orléans Breguet Sympathique Clock
As the very rare version from the renowned Sympathique family of French watchmaker Abraham- Louis Breguet, the Duc d’Orléans clock went high above its estimated $5 million. This piece of art has also held the previous record with the price of $5,777,500 that it achieved at the Sotheby’s 1999 sale of ‘Masterpieces from theTimeMuseum’. As I have already mentioned, the Sympathique clock is now the second most expensive timepiece ever, according to its auction price, right behind Patek Philippe’s Supercomplication Henry Graves pocket watch that was sold at the Sotheby’s Auction in 1999 for amazing $11 million.
Besides the Sympathique clock, Patek Philippe’s vintage and modern wristwatches reached the highest prices. Thus, a true legend among collectors of Patek, fine and extremely rare massive 18K Yellow Gold Center Seconds Wristwatch from 1955 (ref. 2512/1) was sold for $962,500 which is more than five times higher that its estimated price of $150,000. This rare timepiece with the unique diameter of 46mm was last time sold at Sotheby’s auction in 1988, after it had been a part of the same private collection until the latest sale inNew York.
Patek Philippe 1955 Watch (ref. 2512/1)
A fine and rare large 18 karat Yellow Gold Automatic Perpetual Calendar timepiece with moon-phases from 1978 (ref. 3448 mvt) also went over its estimated price ($ 80,000 – 120,000), reaching $170,500. Finally, a watch from 2003, an extremely fine and rare 18 karat White Gold Automatic Astronomical Watch with a sky chart, phases and the position of the moon and the time of meridian passage of sirius and the moon, reached $194,500.
