Timing Is Everything: NY Elizabeth’s Late Spring Fine Watches Sale

NY Elizabeth of Beverly Hills, CA is presenting its 400-lot Fine Watches sale on May 26, 2024. This breathtaking event features a selection of the world’s finest and most prestigious timepieces for men and women. The list of manufacturers featured in the sale includes Patek Philippe, Rolex, Cartier, Jaeger‑LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, and others. Here are some remarkable offerings from this event that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team.

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar

The top lot in top lot in this event is #26, a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar watch. It has a presale estimate of USD 250,00 to $275,000. This 18-karat rose gold example has a 41mm case, smooth gold bezel, day and month windows, two pushers, and three subdials– including a phase of the moon date marker. The watch has a brown leather band that closes elegantly with a coordinating rose gold buckle.

Perpetual calendar watches are an engineering marvel and can display numerous calendar metrics in a concise and precise manner. These timekeeping details usually include the day of the week, the date of the month, the month, and even the lunar phase. Astonishingly, they are accurate regardless of the number of days in a month or if it is a leap year. Patek Philippe is the recognized leader in producing these marvels and was the first to create a perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925.

F. P. Journe Elegante

Timepieces by F. P. Journe are well represented in this elite sale. Lot #21, an F. P. Journe Elegante model, is estimated at $140,000 to $154,000. The case measures 48mm by 40mm and features a dark gray round dial, coordinating bezel, light gray hands, and a subdial to track seconds. It is made from Titalyt, which is titanium that has been treated with electro-plasma oxidation. This process greatly increases the material’s strength and durability. This example is on an orange rubber band detailed with three band loops, including two orange and one grey one featuring the company’s motto. 

F. P. Journe is one of the newer fine watch manufacturers in the industry today. It was founded in 1999 and only makes about 800 timepieces per year. The company is based in Geneva and designs and builds every element of its watch production. The company’s tagline– which appears on the gray loop of this example– is “Invenit et Fecit.” This translates roughly to “He invented it and made it,” which accurately reflects the way F. P. Journe does business.

Cartier Tank Asymetrique

This sale includes several exceptional watches by Cartier. Lot #29, a Cartier Tank Asymetrique watch, is estimated at $133,000 to $146,300. This 47mm example is made from 18-karat rose gold and has a manual movement. It has a visible or skeleton-style movement. This offset timepiece features a prominent blue sapphire crown and blued-steel sword-shaped hands. It is on an alligator band finished with a matching rose gold buckle.

The eye-catching proportions of this intriguing watch have roots that go back to 1936. That year, Louis Cartier debuted the first example of this asymmetrical design. It featured a diagonally oriented dial and was considered avant-garde for its time. Cartier reintroduced this design in 2020 as part of its Privé Cartier Collection. This elite grouping includes reinterpretations of the company’s most important watches over time; they are produced in very limited numbers and small editions.

Rolex Daytona

Rolex watches are another important category in this NY Elizabeth sale. Lot #31, a Rolex Daytona on a black rubber band, is estimated at $104,000 to $114,400. Made from 18-karat white gold, this stunning and functional example with an automatic moment has a 44mm case. It is detailed with a mother-of-pearl dial, black bezel, diamond hour markers, three subdials, and two pushers. 

Rolex’s Daytona watches were designed and produced for racecar drivers and have features targeted towards that sport’s needs. These include dials to measure elapsed time and calculating average speed. They were named as a nod to Daytona, Florida, a mecca of racecar-related history and world-class events since the turn of last century. Daytona watches have been a mainstay of the Rolex line in one form or another since 1963. 

Grönefeld Remontoire

Watches by Breitling, Tudor, Omega, Longines, TAG, Zenith, IWC, and other premier brands round out this up-to-the-minute event. Lot #27, a Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire Limited Edition for Hodinkee on a leather band, is estimated at $196,000 to $215,600. It features a 39.50mm stainless steel case, a salmon-colored dial, and a minute subdial. This example is one of 12 made by a company that only produced about 70 watches per year.

For more information on NY Elizabeth’s May 26, 2024 Fine Watches Sale, visit Bidsquare. Find further coverage of this sale on Auction Daily.