French auction house Aguttes has manifested its passion and expertise in the field of fine watchmaking through a catalogue of the most refined timepieces. The selection of 123 lots is adorned with old models as well as rare clocks, modern timepieces and sports watches. Here are the highlights:
A legendary motor sport watch, the Rolex Daytona is the one that all racing enthusiasts dream of acquiring. The crown brand has been, since 1963, the official timekeeper of the 24 hours of Daytona, the legendary Florida endurance race renamed Rolex 24 at Daytona. It was notably Paul Newman, actor and amateur racer who came out second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1979 and wearing his Rolex Daytona 6239, helped write the legend of the model. Newman's own Rolex Daytona 6239, which his wife had engraved with an intimate dedication to bring him luck on the circuits, sold for for US $17.8 million (£14.18 mil) at auction.
The copy presented here, a reference 6241, has a 'Paul Newman' dial and dates to 1968. According to experts, only 3,000 pieces were produced with a very small part of the 'Paul Newman' dial. Mounted on an Oyster 6635 bracelet from 1962, this watch appears for the first time on the market and ranks among the top models of the brand to collect.
A remarkable GMT Master from 1959 will also be offered: this reference 6542 includes a steel case, a mechanical self-winding movement, as well as an Oyster 7206 bracelet. It will be presented with its original box and documentation.
In 1946, the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, announced the birth of the brand's little sister: Tudor. These watches pride themselves on having the same quality as Rolex watches but at a slightly lower price. Ten years after its creation, the brand already equipped divers in the French Navy, and at the end of the 1970s, the Tudor Submariner Snowflake was the watch tool used in most sections of the navy, the diving school to mine clearance divers, via the Hubert commando. As indicated by its engraving on the back, this beautiful Tudor 'Marine Nationale' 94010 copy is from 1980.
Very rare on the market, this Omega timepiece from 1940 has a spectacular original copper dial. This 2393 Chronograph is powered by the original Lemania caliber 33.3, a calibre of exemplary precision that has raised the watch to the rank of the most beautiful and important in Omega production. Before the birth of the famous Speedmaster, the brand produced chronographs for professionals and, from the interwar period, designed this watch-tool with the aim of foolproof timing precision.
There are also two other superb models of the brand, a Space Compax produced around 1960 and a Speedmaster from 1962.
This Hermès watch has a unique and poetic complication. Named Arceau, this watch was born in 1978 in the Parisian luxury house and with a simple press on the pusher, stops the passage of time: the hands come to a stop forming a narrow V and no longer indicate the 'hour, while the mechanism continues to operate inside. If the button is pressed again, the hands (and metaphorically, time) resume their course. This Arceau is a limited edition of 2010 produced in 110 copies for the second edition of the Hermès jump at the Grand Palais.
This beautiful chronograph pocket watch from the end of the 19th century. Designed by Paul Garnier, a marine watchmaker, it is adorned with a gold case and a mechanical movement with manual winding. Garnier, born in the Vosges at the beginning of the 19th century, is reputed to have designed several patents for the French Navy. One of the most popular craftsmen of his time, Garnier helped make watchmaking more precise and accessible.
This watch is in the form of a quarter repeater ring from the 18th century, a true marvel of engineering. It is signed by the Geneva watchmaker Georges Achard et Fils, a brand specialising in the production of enamel watches and one of Breguet's suppliers. The history of the house came to an end in 1796, when the founders, the brothers Georges and Jean-François Achard, separated and continued on their own journey. This very rare ring watch with a gold case set with rubies is a fine example of the Geneva watchmaker's expertise.
It should be noted, within the catalogue, a pendulum in the shape of Lyre Duchene Fils made around 1850. It has a brass case, a manual winding movement, a calendar complication and a marvelous enamel decoration painted with an ancient theme.
