Ineichen Zurich is hosting an ‘October Time’ auction with a selection of collectible watches, vintage watches and especially modern vintage watches. We believe that watch collecting has never been as exciting as it is today. The classic themes that have always interested collectors – major brand’s watches, technical and military watches, designer models and complicated timepieces – are joined by a wide variety of creations from the 1990s to today. Many outstanding examples of design imagination and profound technical developments from this period are no longer available today. This brings them to the attention of discerning collectors who can compare their own ideas of the value of certain timepieces with what is currently available on the market. We invite our customers and all connoisseurs of fine watchmaking to view our selection from this perspective, but to form their own judgment. We wish you an exciting hunt!
Among the watches of A. Lange & Söhne, the extraordinary Lange 1 with its characteristic asymmetrical dial and the complicated models always evoke a warm reaction. Nevertheless, among the watches of this brand there are also dark horses, whose attractiveness and prospects seem to us beyond any doubt. This circle includes the Grand Arkade Ref. 106.032 (Lot 01), which is distinguished by two extremely remarkable features: an unusually large date display for a watch of this size (the Grand Arkade would be among the best in this respect) and a high-end L911.4 caliber in a rare ‘arcade’ shape, housed in a case with the same contours. This is an exceptional combination that is incredibly rare compared to a round movement in a round case, and even compared to a rectangular movement in a rectangular case.
Grand Langematik (lot 02) is also interesting for two features. This rare, short-lived reference features an unusual dial design for A. Lange & Söhne, the appearance of which greatly surprised observers at the time. The minute track is divided into two parts with different diameters, which gives the model a fresh, dust-free look, especially in the version presented at the auction with contrasting black dial, from which the indexes, double large date frame and hands in rose gold stand out clearly. Connoisseurs of refined A. Lange & Söhne watch mechanics should also pay attention to the outstanding automatic caliber L921.4 Sax-0-Mat with its exquisitely crafted three-quarter rotor. This caliber is one of the very rare A. Lange & Söhne movements and appears in a more complicated version only in a few Langematik Perpetual references in the current collection.
The selection of five watches of the modern brand Arnold & Son makes a very pleasant impression. Although this Swiss brand, registered in 1995 (the first watches of the brand were launched in 1998), has almost nothing in common with the great English watchmaker John Arnold and his dynasty, except for the name. Nevertheless, in the twenty-five years of its existence, as a modern reincarnation of Arnold & Son, it has created its own interpretation of what a contemporary Arnold wristwatch can be, with many watches that deserve the attention of collectors. In particular, this is a series of three models in the Hornet collection, released in limited editions around 2010: Hornet ‘James Cook Death in Hawaii’ No. 17/25 (Lot 05), Hornet ‘James Cook The Landing at Botany Bay in Australia’ No. 21/25 (Lot 06) and Hornet ‘Royal Nelson’s Death’ No. 06/25 (Lot 07) Here you’ll find a very attractive combination, characteristic of 2010s watchmaking, of a decorative dial and an unusually complex triple GMT function built into Arnold & Son’s proprietary automatic caliber. In the Instrument Collection DBG Skeleton No.18/30 (Lot 04), we discover a double independent hand-wound caliber with double independent time display designed for GMT indication. This dual movement design is also found in the much more complex Instrument Collection DTE Anniversary 20/28 (Lot 03), launched in 2014 in honor of the 250th anniversary of the original Arnold & Son brand. There is a double independent hand-wound caliber, but instead of two balances appear two tourbillons, which determines the high rarity and therefore the attractiveness of these watches for collectors.
Audemars Piguet watches are a highlight of any auction. In the ‘October Time’ auction, the Ineichen Auctioneers is offering a very unusual selection with three Royal Oaks, three Royal Oak Offshores and the rare collector’s watch Millenary. Yes, the Royal Oak and the Royal Oak Offshore rightly enjoy all the attention of the collector community, but we would like to focus first on the Millenary ‘Maserati Anniversary’ Limited Edition No. 150/450 (Lot 14), which represents a brief period in the history of the Audemars Piguet brand when it entered into a partnership with the Maserati automobile brand. This limited edition was issued to celebrate Maserati’s 90th anniversary in 2005, along with several other limited editions. It is a magnificent and highly desirable watch with a second-generation oval Millenary case and caliber 2329/2846 based on a self-winding Jaeger-LeCoultre ébauche with GMT, date and power reserve.
The Royal Oak Offshore collection, launched exactly thirty years ago in 1993, is represented by reference 26470OR.OO.1000OR.03 (Lot 09) in 18k rose gold with a black dial and rose gold-colored counters and 18k rose gold bracelet, reference 26405CE.OO.A030CA .01 (Lot 10) with an incredibly impressive combination of black and blue ceramics and a black and blue gradient dial, and a representative of the latest generation of Royal Oak Offshore with a new in-house caliber 4404 – reference 26238TI.OO.A056CA.01 (Lot 12) in titanium with a khaki dial and rubber strap.
The Royal Oak selection represents a wide range of this collection, from the extremely rare Royal Oak Lady ‘Tantalum and Rose Gold’ Ref. 66270TR.OO.0722TR.01 (Lot 08) and 15402OR.ZZ.D003CR.01 (Lot 13), the jewelry version of the Royal Oak 41 in diamond-set rose gold with strap, to the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Ref. 26347TI.OO.1205TI.01 (Lot 11) in titanium with the incredible skeletonized caliber 2936.
The Cartier brand, which combines the ability to mass produce attractive watches with the production of collector’s watches and masterpieces of haute horlogerie, is represented by five lots in the ‘October Time’ auction. Classic Tank Française ‘Roman Numerals’ Ref. 3217 (W51008Q3, Lot 23) in stainless steel from the Tank Française collection launched in 1995, and the Santos de Cartier in yellow gold (lot 21) with an unusual date aperture position at 5 o’clock and a delicate cream patina on the dial that creates an almost salmon-colored effect. Both are equipped with quartz movements and clearly belong to mass production, but that doesn’t detract from their appeal as worthy examples of a private collection with definite appeal. The same can be said about the Tank Obus Mecanique Ref. 2380 (Lot 20), with its ultra-thin Piaget 430P tailored for Cartier, and the Tank Basculante Ref. 2390 (Lot 22), which was launched in the second half of the 1990s and was the first Cartier Tank watch with a reversible design made entirely of stainless steel. Of particular note is the rare and coveted ‘CPCP’ Rotonde de Cartier Night & Day Ref. 2873 I (Lot 19), whose complication was designed by independent watchmaker Svend Andersen for the Cartier brand. This is one of the most impressive Cartier watches with ‘only’ two functions: the display of hours and minutes.
Chopard L.U.C Quattro 8 Day Limited Edition Ref. 16/1863-0001 (Lot 24) is a very rare example of a thin, fine, elegant and stylish watch with 8-day winding. The hand-wound caliber 1.98 is one of the best in Chopard’s stable, at least when it comes to movements without major complications. The caliber 1.98 is marked with the prestigious Hallmark of Geneva, which further increases the value of the lot. The auction offers 18k white gold watch with a dark blue dial, which undoubtedly enhances the feeling of elegance and makes this collector’s watch attractive even as an exclusive everyday companion.
The Chronoswiss brand is represented by two lots at the auction: Delphis Jumping Hour Ref. CH1421W (lot 25) in 18k white gold with jumping hour and retrograde minute – this complication is undoubtedly crafted in the unmistakable Chronoswiss style conceived by the brand’s founder Gerd-Rüdiger Lang (his initials adorn the movement’s rotor and strap buckle) – and Répétition à Quarts ‘Salmon Dial’ Ref. CH 1643 (Lot 26) in stainless steel, a very rare self-winding quarter repeater – here is an extremely attractive version with salmon dial. Also featuring a rare and delicious salmon dial is the Daniel Roth Masters Chronograph ‘El Primero, Salmon Dial’ Ref. S247. ST.04 (Lot 28) in stainless steel, the first Daniel Roth self-winding chronograph.
The diamond-set Corum Golden Bridge Lady Limited Edition (Lot 27) has a baguette movement with a unique linear layout, whose plate and bridges, like the watch itself, are made of white gold. Golden Bridge is the flagship of the Corum collection, which was born in 1980 from the collaboration with independent watchmaker Vincent Calabrese. The diamond-set design forces us to consider this example as a ladies’ jewelry watch, but it is something much more, because for a connoisseur of exquisite watch mechanisms, the rare caliber CO113, made for Corum by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, is of much greater value.
A rare bird is an early De Bethune DB25 Ref. DB25svAWS1 ‘Single Fan’ (Lot 29) in white gold numbered 003. It is one of two references in the brand’s collection made since 2013, where the minute hand has no counterweight in the characteristic Neo-Breguet style developed and widely used by De Bethune, while the hour hand has a skeletonized fan-shaped counterweight. This is quite remarkable, because on other De Bethune models, both ‘Neo-Breguet’ hands have such a ‘fan’.
Omega Speedmaster is a popular watch among collectors and connoisseurs. In the ‘October Time’ auction, three Speedmaster lots are offered with the dials in the so-called ‘Ed White’ design. Ref. 105,003 ‘Ed White’ (Lot 43) represents the historic ‘Ed White’ version, the last Speedmaster with straight lugs, while the other two lots belong to the modern vintage period. Speedmaster Professional ‘Apollo 11 50th Anniversary’ Ref. 310.20.42.50.01.001 (Lot 41) has the No. 6308/6969 and comes from an unusual 2019 limited edition with a ‘moonshine’ yellow gold bezel (which has nothing to do with illegal alcohol) and dial details in the same material, as well as a caseback with a reproduction of Buzz Aldrin’s historic footprint on the lunar surface, while the Speedmaster Professional ‘Snoopy Award’ Ref. 3578.51.00 (Lot 42) , also with a dial of ‘Ed White’ type, looks like a guest from the time when the brand first acquired a taste for limited collector’s editions. The ‘Snoopy’ was introduced in 2003 and has lost none of its charm in these 20 years.
The Panerai Luminor Submersible Chrono 1000m Slytech PAM202 (lot 45), together with its white dial reference PAM225 (which is not offered at this auction), is an extremely rare product from the brand’s collaboration with Sylvester Stallone. These watches are also the last to have the Slytech logo and Stallone’s signature engraved on the caseback. It is known that Sylvester Stallone has not supported Panerai in any way since around 2017, which adds a good dose of ginger to one of the last two Slytechs, making this lot a desirable buy. After all, this is part of the story of Panerai and Sylvester Stallone, whether they like it or not. How remarkable it is will be decided by our client, or rather the one who makes the highest bid.
A selection of six Patek Philippe watches in the ‘October Time’ auction looks extremely attractive. Of course, the Nautilus or other ‘blue chip’ chronographs and perpetual calendars would look more straightforward and compelling at any auction, but our aim with this sale was to show once again how diverse this brand can be. This is one of the pillars of its appeal, and we’re sure that Patek Philippe is not just a Nautilus watch, even if the Nautilus is an important part of its heritage. Gondolo Ref. 5010 (Lot 50) in yellow gold and Gondolo Ref. 5111G-001 (Lot 51) in white gold show how good and interesting the brand is as a modern interpreter of the Art Deco style, and it’s hard to resist the charm of these two lots – Jaeger-LeCoultre could have chosen both as prototypes for the dials on either side of the Reverso watch. It’s also hard to resist the allure of an absolutely non-boring classic: the Calatrava Ref. 3590 (Lot 48) with the self-winding and, shall we say, legendary calibre 28-255 (based on Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ébauche 920), which gives this reference a stunningly thin case – a pure pleasure to try and wear. The blue sunburst dial and Clous de Paris bezel are the cherries here, believe us, very tasty.
Patek Philippe World Time Ref. 5230G-001 (Lot 46) in white gold is the successor to the 5130, and they are all the legacy of Louis Cottier, the Geneva watchmaker who introduced the practical world time function to wristwatches. This Ref. 5230 is interesting as a new embodiment of Louis Cottier’s design ideas, who did not like to give the same hour and minute hands to the Patek Philippe watches he made. Moreover, the Ref. 5230 is equipped with the ultra-thin version of the Caliber 240 for the world time complication, which nevertheless has a slim, elegant case, making the Patek Philippe World Time watches perceived as the best in their class. And we should also note the appealing guilloche pattern in the center of the dial, which undoubtedly adds to the appeal of the lot.
Patek Philippe Annual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5960P-001 (Lot 47) attracts us because this complicated watch is stylistically closest to the Calatrava collection. Moreover, the steel models with the same functions have been called the most complex among Calatrava models because they have two complications, a self-winding chronograph and an annual calendar (the latter is a Patek Philippe invention from 1996). The Ref. 5960 is very professionally designed because of the arrangement of the dial, which created a unique style (IWC has tried to replicate similar arrangement), and a very practical combination of the displays of two complications that do not overlap or interfere with each other. We consider this Ref. 5960P-001 one of the most attractive among the 5960s, thanks to the platinum case that features a diamond marker at 6 o’clock. This small detail makes a big difference.
And yes, we have the Patek Philippe Nautilus – that’s Ref. 5712G-001 (Lot 49) in white gold and with a fine, ultra-thin self-winding caliber 240 with ‘small’ complications. It allowed the brand to create a very thin, elegant case, as we always expect from the Nautilus watch. Here it is even more pleasant, because there is a charismatic set of three functions: the date, moonphase and the power reserve. Thanks to the slate grey sunburst dial with horizontal embossed pattern, we think this is one of the most appealing images of the complex Nautilus ever.
We are very pleased to present at ‘October Time’ a selection of Rolex watches dominated by technical models that are currently the focus of the collector community. Kicking things off is a selection of Submariners, starting with cornerstone 5512 and 5513 references (Lots 52, 53 and 54), with Lot 52 having the ‘Ghost Bezel,’ Lot 53 being the chronometer-certified Ref. 5512, and Lot 54 having Rolex’s ‘Bart Simpson’ crown logo. The Submariners selection ends with the modern superhit, the Submariner ‘Hulk’ Ref. 116610LV (Lot 56).. Two Sea-Dwellers look like the right addition to the Submariner selection – a vintage Ref. 1665 Mk1 (Lot 55) and a rare, short-lived modern Oyster Perpetual Sea-Dweller 4000 Ref. 116600 (Lot 57), as well as a pair of the rare two-tone Yacht-Master 40 watches of two generations – the earlier Ref. 16623 (lot 58) in yellow Rolesor with gold-colored sunburst dial and the later Ref. 126621 (Lot 59) in pink Rolesor with black dial. The series of Rolex technical references at the ‘October Time’ auction is completed by the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II Ref. 116710LN (Lot 60) in black design with green accents.
The Rolex Daytona is always a special subject, and we are pleased to offer two lots that provide an alternative take on Daytona chronographs in the modern vintage category: These are rose gold and stainless steel models, the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona Ref. 116515LN (Lot 61) in rose gold with chocolate brown dial and Ref. 116500LN (Lot 62) in stainless steel with white dial and black sub-dial outlines. Rounding out the Rolex selection is the glamorous yet rare and collectible Datejust ‘Tiger Eye’ Ref. 1601 (Lot 63) with its attractive stone dial and complete lack of hour and minute markers (except for the gold Rolex crown at 12 o’clock) and the rare and cool Cellini Ref. 782 (Lot 64) with diamond-set yellow gold case and bracelet with ‘octopus’ round- and baguette-cut diamonds setting. Interestingly, this distinctive diamond setting technique continues in the modern high-grade Rolex Pearlmaster jewelry models.
Among the three Vacheron Constantin watches presented at ‘October Time’, the exceptional 222nd anniversary model ‘222’ stands out, which the brand launched 46 years ago, in 1977. This is two-tone steel and yellow gold ‘222’ Ref. 46003 (Lot 66) with ultra-thin self-winding caliber 1120 (again, this is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 920 ebauche). It is worth noting that this design is becoming increasingly popular with collectors and at auction and, in our opinion, can rival the strength and popularity of the Royal Oak and Nautilus in the auction market.
