A Day at Christie’s
June 2nd, 2024
Text: Bryan Law
Text: Bryan Law
Last week I had the privilege of attending the preview of Christie’s Hong Kong auctions - more specifically the fine watches auction.
Walking around in that big ass room that seemed to be draped in dark velvet throughout and probably had a collective monetary value of $100 million within it - was a crazy experience. What’s crazier was being able to wear these pieces on the wrist - my hands were straight up glistening from over-perspiration due to slight nerves.
In the auction preview there was a selection of heavy hitters from the usual suspects: Cartier, Patek, Rolex, with some VC, Breguet, JLC, and IWC peppered in there. Real nice seasoning on an already robust well-marbled tomahawk steak. Below are some highlights I managed to get on the wrists.
Rolex “Pre-Daytona” 6238
No this is not the Paul Newman you heathens.
I was texting a friend of mine, Arka, the other day about the allure of the Pre-Daytona from Rolex. He boldly exclaims that this is the watch he would willingly sell everything for. I would now agree to that statement.
The name comes from… well it’s pretty self explanatory isn’t it? It was the last chronograph launched by Rolex before they stamped DAYTONA on the dials. This particular model doesn’t necessarily exhibit the same old-timey feel of Rolex’s initial chronographs due to the brilliant sunburst dial and typefaces of the numerals on the subdials. I would say this watch is the perfect marriage of both vintage aesthetics and modern flashy appeal. Gyat… As they would say.
Patek Philippe “Nautilus” 3800/001JA
No matter how many bozos, nouveau-riche, douchebags prance around in their Aquanauts or Nautiluses - this watch still retains its position as an absolute Gerald Genta masterclass. This is especially true with the two-tone bracelet with gold dial.
A smaller case size at 37.5mm, it was the perfect fit for my slender-ish wrists. Because no matter how many dead hangs or farmer’s walks I do, it’s evident that they’ll remain the same size.
Patek Philippe “Golden Rule” 2526
When a big wig politician or a person of royalty puts in an order at the Patek or Rolex factory - people really start paying attention. In this particular example, there is not a sign of Patek Philippe anywhere on the dial. Instead you’ll find the brand’s signature sub-seconds dial at the 6 and curiously, the phrase “Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You” in a semi-circle at the top. And then even tinier, a Tiffany and Co. stamp above the 12 at the tippy top. In typical Patek fashion, everything is achieved in the utmost elegance and symmetry, the spacing between the letters, hour markers etc. all equidistant from one another.
I won’t delve into the details and historical significance of this watch - just that a pretty important American politician put in a personal order for this and had Tiffany’s in New York mess around with the dial a bit.
I feel like we’re now collectively moving towards appreciating quirkier examples of horology. What began as the “Crash-mania”, with the Crash fetching millions of dollars in auction - has now evolved into people looking into both dressier and more interesting references of watches. Call it the Mike Nouveau effect. Cartier is definitely at the forefront of this, as certain references have experienced an increase 2-3x in value almost overnight.
I now see the Tank everywhere on my feed. It has become absolutely mandatory for moodboards to regurgitate to the masses. Moodboard mods be like - if I see a Tank, I screenshot. That being said, we’re in a time where trends come and go within the span of months. Insert metaphor of information traveling faster than ever in 2024. People’s attention spans are shorter than ever and most will move on to the next thing. Also, as a result of this uptick interest in dress watches - sports watches have taken a dip in value. That’s good, because I’m about to BUY LOW 🤑.
But here’s the thing. If you’re buying a watch because it’s trendy or popping, you’re really in it for the wrong reasons. Watches can be very fucking expensive - you might as well get something that’ll last ya for a few decades.