In a little bit over two weeks, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers here in Chicago will host their most important fine timepieces auction ever with 91 lots. We have already shown you the star of their auction, the Patek Philippe 18K yellow gold Perpetual Calendar with Moon Phases ref. 3448 with Tiffany & Co. dial here, as well as a very interesting Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 'Freccione' a.k.a Steve McQueen here; however, there are at least twelve other lots —out of a total of 86— that are quite exceptional and that also caught our wandering eyes while we previewed them last week. These timepieces are definitely worth talking about and previewing on site before April 8th. Among our favorite timepieces to be auctioned, there are a wide variety of vintage and modern Patek Philippe watches, several vintage Vacheron Constantin, a couple Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars, two Rolex Submariners ref. 6536/1 and two chronographs we really liked. Now, let's show you these twelve exceptional watches we really liked.
In the auction, there are three Patek Philippe Pagoda ref. 5500 that were released in 1997 as limited edition watches to commemorate the opening of the new Patek Philippe manufacture. The watches were produced in the following quantities: 1,100 in yellow gold, 500 in rose gold, 250 in white gold and 150 in platinum. During the auction, all models with the exception of the white gold reference will be offered in individual lots all accompanied by their boxes, papers, certificates and even a commemorative silver coin mint by Patek Philippe to commemorate the occasion. Interestingly enough, the yellow gold model still has the 'Poinçon de Genève' —Geneva Seal— tag attached to it. Our favorite Pagoda ref. 5500 is the rose gold model. Estimates range all the way from $12,000 to 50,000 USD depending on the metal. UPDATE: Platinum fetched a hammer price of $32,500, 18K Pink Gold $27,500 and Yellow Gold $21,250.
Another interesting timepiece is a Patek Philippe ref. 5015 with moon phase, subsidiary seconds and power reserve indicator that is being offered with box and papers including the certificate. The Patek Philippe ref. 5015 is one of the most iconic Patek references and a watch equipped with a hinged solid case back that can be opened like on vintage pocket watches to admire the movement. The estimate for this piece is $15,000-20,000 USD. UPDATE: Hammer Price before Buyer's Fees $25,000.
The Patek Philippe ref. 5100 was released in 2000 as a limited edition watch —1,500 pieces in yellow gold, 750 in rose gold, 450 in white gold and 300 pieces in platinum— to commemorate the arrival of the new millennium. The watch fitted with a case that recalls the lines of a manta-ray in 18K yellow gold, houses a 10-day power reserve manual wound movement. A beautiful silvered dial with power reserve indicator at 12 and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock rounds out the elegant look of this watch. This watch is also accompanied by box, papers, certificate and a commemorative silver coin. Estimate $30,000-50,000 USD. UPDATE: Hammer Price $35,000 USD.
These two vintage Vacheron Constantin manual wound watches circa 1950 —in individual lots but why not getting them as a pair. One of them in 18K rose gold with matte silvered dial and Arabic numerals and the other in 18K yellow gold with a so called 'tuxedo' dial have very fair estimates and feature extremely appealing dials with subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock. Frankly, it really doesn't get more classic and elegant than with a pair like this. Estimates ranging between $3,000-6,000 USD.
Now, let's talk about one of our favorite Vacheron Constantin watches to be auctioned. We are talking about a vintage 18K rose gold Vacheron Chronograph circa 1949. The watch features rectangular chrono pushers, silver dial with applied markers and Roman numerals at 12 and 6 o'clock, a running seconds register at 9, a 30-minute chrono register at 3 o'clock and a telemeter scale on the perimeter of the dial. Estimate $15,000-20,000 USD.
Another amazing timepiece and likely to be a heavy hitter in this auction, will be a skeletonized Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Quantieme Perpetuel in 18K yellow gold. This perpetual calendar watch is a perfect example of the attention to detail and craftsmanship from our friends from Le Brassus. The estimate —somewhat low in our opinion— has been set between $15,000-20,000. The other Audemars Piguet that we liked, is a Jules Audemars Day and Date circa 1990 fitted with a gorgeous white ceramic dial with black Roman numerals chapter ring and accompanied by its box, leather case and instruction booklet. This is a perfect first Audemars Piguet watch for any young collector wanting to avoid breaking the bank. Estimate $3,000-5,000 USD.
At the beginning of our post, we told you about two Rolex Submariners ref. 6536/1, well, here you have them. While these two Rolex Submariners ref. 6536/1 might not be in the best condition, they might still fetch some interesting dollar amounts because of their cases and bezel inserts. One of them, an example circa 1957 is fitted with a red triangle 12 o'clock marker bezel insert and a refinished dial —a collector's disgrace. To make matters worse, the dial on this watch is no longer a gilt dial —as it should've been—, but a dial with the sloppiest refinishing job we've ever seen. As you can see in the pictures even the hands got painted white and everything else on the dial looks really off, but if you can get past that then it might be a good opportunity. Estimate for the first watch $2,000-4,000 USD. UPDATE: Hammer Price $8,750 USD.
The second Rolex Submariner ref. 6536/1 circa 1956 features a beautiful ghost bezel insert, a dial that appears to be correct for the time period, riveted oyster bracelet marked 7-62 and hands that to our trained eyes seem to be off. Estimate for this one $8,000-12,000 USD. UPDATE: Hammer Price $10,625 USD.
Lastly, we have two favorite chronographs. The first one, a vintage 18K yellow gold Longines Flyback Chronograph 13ZN circa 1945 and the other, a mint Girard-Perregaux Ferrari Edition Chronograph in Titanium with Carbon Fiber dial. While the Longines is a two-pusher example of the 13ZN Flyback chronograph with a very nice silvered dial with applied gold Arabic numerals and blue telemeter scale with an estimate of $3,000-5,000 USD, the Girard-Perregaux is an exceptional example of their collaboration with Ferrari in the late 90s and early 2000s with an estimate between $1,000-2,000 USD.
Ladies and gentlemen, you now have a good idea of what's in store for you at the upcoming Leslie Hindman fine timepieces auction. If nothing here sparked your interest, there are more timepieces in their catalog that you might fancy so make sure you download your copy. Now, if after that you still don't feel like bidding on anything, at least you will have fun guessing what some of these watches will end up fetching. We will for sure update you with the results from the auction.
Disclaimer: Please do not use our images or content as your buying guide or condition report for these watches. Only Leslie Hindman Auctioneers can provide you with such information.
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