A Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Calibre 89 pocket watch, the world's most complex timepiece as mentioned by my colleague Ariel Adams last month, just sold for a world record price of CHF 5,120,000, or $5.068 million at Antiquorum's 35th Anniversary Sale in Geneva. "The incredible result realized for the Calibre 89 in our 35th anniversary auction indicates that the market for the most complicated and important watches in the world remains exceptionally strong," notes Antiquorum Chairman Robert Maron. "We are extremely honored to have sold this exceptional and unique timepiece for the second time in Antiquorum's history and are thrilled that we have once again achieved a world record price at auction." With a staggering 33 complications, the watch weighs nearly 2.5 lbs. and has an 18k yellow gold case. It was made to honor the 150th anniversary of the famed Swiss watchmaker.

Patek Philippe has asserted a new found dedication to women's watches. As such, this new "Ladies First Chronograph" is a completely new type of direction for them when it comes to making watches for women. What is different? Well, for one, it isn't a jewelry piece. It is haute horology at its finest, but in a package for a modern sophisticated woman. It is handsome and mature, not girly and cute. For some, the design has missed the mark. They feel it is perhaps too retro and odd in design. That may be, but you can't deny the incredible legibility and uniqueness of the look. The cushion shaped case is 39mm wide (big for a women's watch) in 18krose gold, while the entire watch is meant to be a testament to classic French Art Deco design aesthetics.

The name of the watch itself is a shout to manners and respect. "By all means madam, ladies first..." It places women's watches on the same step as men's watches, especially in terms of functionality. It is often the case that women's watches house quartz movements. Not here. The Ladies First has an in-house made Patek Philippe manually wound chronograph movement. Above that, the movement is the brand new Caliber 29-535, and can be seen beautifully displayed in the caseback.

I find that there are a growing number of women who appreciate not only fine design, but also traditional watch mechanics. For those women, they can appreciate the high-end features of the chronograph movement such as a special system to ensure a high power reserve of almost 70 hours, a hack seconds function when resetting the time, and a special design to make this new movement appear much like how movements in the 1930s were presented.

No high luxury women's watch would be complete without a requisite number of diamonds. As such, the round dial is surrounded with a buffer zone of 136 diamonds between it and the cushion shaped bezel of the case. The watch dial comes in black or white, with various reptile strap colors. Price is heavy at 51,000 euros. But hey, it is a Patek Philippe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

A watch like this is almost the quintessential classic Patek Philippe watch. A svelte looking gold watch with the iconic triple calendar and chronograph feature set. It is in 18k yellow gold - small for today - 36m wide case. The movement has the seal of Geneva and is top Patek Philippe quality. Functions include windows for the day and month, and the date is shown around a dial with the integrated moon phase indicator - it is a perpetual calendar by the way, making it even more desirable. There is a subsidiary seconds hand, along with a thirty minute chronograph, as well as the time of course.

The Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 is often regarded as one of the best watches in the world. This particular model was made in the early 1980s, but the 2499 watches entered production literally decades before in various model generations. Despite the popularity of these models, they are very rare, and very valuable. A Patek Philippe 2499 watch from the early 1960's recently sold for $1.7 at auction. Thus, I believe that Antiquorum's estimate of $250,000 - $350,000 is intentionally conservative. They like being able to say that a watch "beat estimate," so they set it up that way pretty often. This Patek Philippe 2499/100 watch will be at Antiquorum's auction on September 17th in New York City.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Antiquorum's catalog of watches and clocks to be auctioned off in September is over 300 pages long, and there are some cool ones this time around. Nevertheless, Patek Philippe is bound to be the most desirable brand if past auctions this year have been any indicator. Going for an estimated $400,000 - $600,000 this Patek Philippe Ref. 3939HP watch might be the star of the auction. These conservative estimates will likely be beat.

This watch was uniquely made per a customer request to have a black dial, and a silver dial is also included (not exactly user changeable). The platinum cased watch hides the most desirable elements which are a tourbillon based movement as well as a minute repeater complication (operated with the lever on the left side of the watch). Aside from that the dial is very simple, with elegant Arabic numerals and pomme hands. The subsidiary seconds dial tells most of the story. The watch was originally sold in the year 2000. We will wait until next month to see what the final bid will be for this collectible Patek Philippe.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Patek Philippe collectors will want to pay attention to this unique watch that has been produced specially for the Only Watch 2009 charity watch auction taking place in Monaco in September. The watch furthers the growing line of celestial themed watches that Patek Philippe is known for. This watch has a few unique touches that you'll want to know about. The about 44mm wide case is done in 18k rose gold while the bezel is done in 22k rose gold which is not standard for watches that often use 18k rose gold for the whole case. 22k rose gold is often regarded as being too soft for a watch exterior, but Patek Philippe knowing the likely life of this watch (in a case) opted for the more pure gold in order to enhance the look of the guilloche engraving on the bezel. The mini rotor in the automatic 240 LU CL C movement is also in 22k rose gold. For all its complications the movement is thin at about 6.4mm thick - making for an overall thin watch. The strap is dark blue alligator.

So what does the watch do? It is funny as the watch is very Geneva-centric - in that the frame of reference for looking at the sky is how the sky appears while in Geneva. Basically the watch tells you what the night sky looks like from Geneva - as opposed to other positions on Earth. It has a lot of information about the sky, as well as the time and date. Looking at the dial you can tell what the sky (position) of the stars looks like as well as the phase of the moon and the position of the moon in the night sky. This tells you the solar time, the passage of Sirius, what is going on with the moon, and shows you a nice sky chart. Most of this information will just look pretty because you can go online to figure out all this information in a more readable manner. This is lovely novelty for novelty's sake, and is just what collectors like - you don't get to look at a delicate golden rendition of the Milky Way online the way you do while gazing at this beauty.

With the fine decoration, complex automatic movement, and unique nature of a one-off Patek Philippe model, I have a feeling that this Ref. 5106 watch from Patek Philippe will go for a hefty price at auction in September, and will likely increase in value a few years from now if recent Patek Philippe watch auction results are any indication.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

I bet you've never seen this Patek Philippe watch before. That is because it was not known to exist, and is a one of a kind made in 1936. Earlier this month in May, this watch sold for just over $1.7 million dollars at a Christie's auction in Geneva. The buyer was a private Swiss museum, and they recognized the special watch for its value, especially as a unique Patek Philippe. The watch is chrome-plated nickel being large at 55mm wide and has some unique navigational complications and an hour hand that operates on a 24 hour scale (not 12 hour scale). I don't claim to understand the functions entirely, as I am no pilot, but the watch is set to measure a 360 degree circle. The minute hand makes a full rotation each 4 hours, and the two seconds hands rotate each 4 minutes. Really not sure about what that all does, but it has something to do with directional angular navigation. The time can still be read though, but on the 24 hour scale. This goes to show that no matter how peculiar they are, the watch collecting world simplly loves a rare Patek Philippe timepiece.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Via WatchTime.

Why Patek Philippe watches are such consistent "gold" at auctions is sort of a mystery to me. The brand is highly prestigious, the watches (both new and old) are of high quality, and they certainly have rarity on their side, but what else? Does a good looking watch with a hell of a reputation really take you that far? In this case, it does - and it is possible that buyers are looking to receive investment grade timepieces for future sales when the demand is even higher. The price achieved for this watch set a record, plus this particular watch has never been up for auction before.

This Patek Philippe Ref. 1436 rattrapante (double) chronograph watch sold for about $1.12 million at an Antiquorum auction. Incredible price for a steel watch. Granted, they are highly rare with just two known to exist, the price indicates a clear resilience to the economy for passionate collectors of Patek Philippe and other fine watch brands. In all, Patek Philippe watches are always strong at auction so expect to be surprised again.

Via National Jeweler.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Auction revenues in general may be in decline but the price of rare classic Patek Philippe watches seems to be holding steady. At Christie's Important Watches sale in Geneva on May 11 an exceptionally fine and rare 18K rose gold perpetual calendar chronograph Patek Philippe wristwatch with moon phases and baton numerals from 1960 is expected to fetch a record price, with a pre-sale estimate of $880,000 - $1.3 million. The watch, which has never before been offered at auction, is one of only seven examples of the highly-coveted second series reference 2499 in rose gold known to have appeared in public to date.

[via JustLuxe]

Most of the time when a watchmaker creates a timepiece with a tourbillon complication in the movement, the tourbillon is literally the centerpiece of the dial, with everything swimming around it. Why? Because the major allure of the expensive complications is watching them operate. The concept behind the tourbillon (or spinning balance wheel) is that it helps improve the rate of watches - but for the most part it really doesn't. Thus, for a consumer to go to the expensive of buying a tourbillon movement based watch means that he or she is going to want to visually see their investment all the time.

Patek Philippe is going just the opposite of this with the new Ref. 5101R 10-Day Tourbillon movement. Really "stealth wealth" here, the amazing manually wound caliber 28-20/222 mechanical tourbillon based movement has a power reserve of 10 full days, with a corresponding indicator on the front of the watch. However, the viewable tourbillon on the face of the watch is totally absent! Instead, you'll have to flip the watch over to the transparent sapphire crystal caseback to check out your investment operating. This is the first watch for Patek Philippe with 10-days of power (in two barrels) and a tourbillon movement. All you get on the dial of the watch in reference to this is a simple reminder in the subsidiary seconds dial that a "Tourbillon" is laying right beneath it.

The 51.7mm x 29.6mm rectangular case is made of 18k rose gold, with corresponding hands and Arabic hour markers (Breguet style) on the face. Attached to the art deco inspired case are brown crocodile straps. A lovely looking Patek Philippe watch with its true value hiding under the hood. Well over $100k.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

I hope that the new women's version of the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch is a sign of future updates for the men's version. No I don't mean the diamonds, but rather the bolder looking face. A few years ago the Rolex Submariner got the "Maxidial" treatment that increased the size of the hands and hour indicators making it easier to read and more pronounced. It looks like Patek Philippe might be taking this same direction with the Nautilus watches (if this Ladies Nautilus is any evidence).

For Baselworld this year the new female Nautilus helped solidify this watch as a true classic that always looks fresh. The 18k rose or white gold case has been enlarged to 32mm wide and is available with or without the the 46 diamond studded bezel. Inside is a quartz Calibre E 23 S C movement that makes more sense than an automatic movement for most women. The hands and hour indicators are also in gold with applied lume for easy night viewing. The watch has always been a sporty timepiece, but retains a signature Patek Philippe elegance that cannot be shaken. This new reference 7010, 7011 Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus watch should be available by Fall 2009.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

While there is a lot of appeal in this watch, is it OK that I am simply not taken with the design? For me, it looks too much like those sunray wall clocks from the 1950s and 1960s. This is of course just my personal opinion in regard to this Patek Philippe Calatrava Officier (Officer's) ref. 5153 watch that was just unveiled at Baselworld. The watch itself is meant to look retro ("traditional"), so the look is done on purpose and will inevitably appeal to at least some fans of the watch brand that 'can do no wrong.'

The 38mm case is in 18k yellow gold with a hinged caseback (in salute to pocket watches). Open the back and you get a view through the sapphire crystal into the Patek Philippe in-house Caliber 324SC automatic movement. The added date function does help modernize the look of the watch a bit, but just not enough for me. From a mechanical and refinement standpoint, this ref. 5153 has everything in the right place, but the design is just to antiquated to evoke that lusty feeling of desire that you should have when looking at a Patek Philippe timepiece. Price will likely be $30,000 - $50,000 when it is commercially available soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Next month marks the first anniversary of the Patek Philippe Salon at Tiffany's famed NYC flagship, and to celebrate the two storied brands are producing a new limited edition diamond and gold ladies' wristwatch. Only 100 of the $21,800 timepieces are being made, half with a white lacquered dial with black external minute railroad, and half with a black lacquered dial with white external minute railroad (right).

The Art Deco-esque "Gondolo" design was inspired by Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. watches from the 1930s and features a curved, tonneau-shaped case in 18 karat white gold accented with 164 round brilliant-cut diamonds, a lacquer dial with classic guilloche pattern, Arabic numerals and a black, hand-stitched alligator strap.

The timepiece is double-signed Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. and will be sold exclusively through Tiffany's Patek Philippe Salon in NYC. The Salon showcases current collections as well as timepieces on loan from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva that "embody the tradition and innovation for which Patek Philippe is renowned."

[via JustLuxe]

The watch community gets really excited when Antiquorum has one of their highly publicized watch auctions. To garner a lot of attention they find a combination of 'celebrity' and rare watches. In addition to the exciting watches such as Gandhi's Zenith pocket watch, there are ultra rare 'investment grade' watches such as this Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon. Why investment grade? Because it retailed for a few hundred thousand dollars just a few years ago in 2005, and was recently sold in a Hong Kong auction for $1.7 million. Talk about appreciation!

This Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002P is special for a number of reasons. Other than being exceedingly rare, it is the most complex wrist watch ever made by Patek Phillipe. Look in the image gallery and you will notice that it actually has two faces. The front side is opaline white with small embossed Calatrava crosses and gold hour indicators. Complications there include a perpetual calendar, retrograde date, equation of time, time with hours and minutes, and the moon phase. Turn the watch around for a remarkable celestial view. There you have the sidereal time, a skychart showing the placement of the stars, phase and orbit of the moon, as well as a 24 hour hand.

I have to say that I prefer the celestial side of the face, but no one is really going to be wearing this watch are they? Antiquorum projects a sale price of 1-1.3 million dollars at the March 4 - 5, 2009 auction. Their estimates are typically shy, and I've seen prices go higher than estimates. We will wait and see.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

40 years ago Patek Philippe released the first Ellipse watches to an appreciative audience who enjoyed the simple, yet slightly avant garde minimalist looks of the Ellipse watch line. Since then, the Ellipse watches have held a position of idle distinction in the Patek Philippe watch family. It is easy to not be impressed by their looks at first, but the easy to read design of the watch grows on you quickly. For their 40th anniversary, Patek Philippe has released a his and hers box set of two Ellipse watches complete with accessories. Finally, the cuff link shaped watch now comes with actual cuff links.

The larger version is 39mm x 34mm in size, while the smaller version is 35mm x 31mm in size. Both watches have highly polished platinum cases with 18k white gold hands and hour markers, and blue gold dials. The best part is that the watches are very thin (5.6mm high), but still contain automatic Patek Philippe built caliber 240 movements (2.5mm in height for the movement itself). The beautiful watch box includes settings for the two watches as well as cuff links for him, and a necklace for her. If I know anything about Patek Philippe, I imagine that the cost for each set will be between $50,000 and $100,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

In Geneva on Monday, Christie's is staging a stunning sale of Important Watches. Top of the timepiece heap is a fine, large and rare stainless steel chronograph by Patek Philippe made in 1941, one of Patek's rarest chronograph models, which could fetch up to $1 million. There are several extremely precious Patek Philippes in the sale, including an 18K gold dual crown world time wristwatch made for Tiffany & Co. in 1963, est. $500,000 - $760,000; and a large and rare 18K pink gold chronograph with a pink dial from 1941, est. $425,000 - $850,000.

Also included are several superlative Rolexes, including a very fine and rare stainless steel automatic triple calendar wristwatch with moon phases from 1953, est. $127,000 - $212,000; a stainless steel chronograph with pulsometre scale and a black dial from 1941 (above), est. $127,000 - $212,000; and an atimagnetic stainless steel triple calendar chronograph from 1960, est. $100,000 - $150,000. See the gallery for pix.