Upcoming Sale by Leonard Auction Showcases Gio Ponti Furniture, Rolex ‘Pepsi’ Watch

The end of World War II increased demand for new furniture designs in the United States. To meet these design expectations and bring modern furniture to America, makers Singer & Sons collaborated with designer Gio Ponti. This partnership introduced Italian design to the American furniture market. The upcoming Leonard Auction sale will present a Singer & Sons double dresser by Gio Ponti. The featured luxury wood dresser features smooth shapes and a fine finish— Ponti’s signature style.

Also showcased is a Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’ wristwatch featuring a jubilee bracelet and a black dial. This Rolex sports watch includes a 24-hour multi-color Cerachrom bidirectional bezel. Due to the red and blue color of the bezel, which resembles Pepsi’s logo, it became popularly known as a ‘Pepsi watch.’ However, the two-color bezel was only designed to tell the time of day. Red symbolized daytime and blue signaled night.

The auction also highlights a Georg Jensen Caravel sterling silver flatware service. Designed by Henning Koppel in 1957, the Caravel silver pattern is famous for its style and expression. Other notable lots include a Japanese Meiji-period Kinkozan Satsuma jar and oil paintings by Lewis Henry Meakin. The auction also features George Nakashima furniture, Vacheron Constantin timepieces, gold and diamond jewelry, and Lalique Crystal items. Interested collectors can explore the entire catalog and register to bid online on Bidsquare.