Antiquorum Auctioneers’ sale of important collectors’ wristwatches, pocket watches and clocks on March 4 and 5 realized the impressive sum of $8,707,724. The auction room was unusually overflowing with collectors, enthusiasts of horology and members of the press †curious to see the outcome of the bidding on Mahatma Gandhi’s pocket watch and personal belongings.
The excitement and anticipation was felt around the world and started to build as soon as Antiquorum announced the highlights of the sale a month ago. More than 500 online bidders, in addition to room and telephone bidders, bought modern and vintage watches at 142 percent of their low estimate, resulting in 75 percent of all lots sold.
“Our March 4 and 5 auction confirms the continuous enthusiasm on behalf of collectors for watches with historical significance and exceptional timepieces. Despite continued global economic concern, we have achieved tremendous results for our first auction of 2009,” said Evan Zimmermann, president and chief executive officer of Antiquorum.
The star lot was indisputably Gandhi’s pocket watch, sandals, glasses, bowl and thali, which sold for an astounding $2,096,000. The sale of the spiritual and political leader of India’s possessions has stirred worldwide interest and has been closely covered by the press, as well as collectors and supporters of Gandhi worldwide. Ultimately, the lot went to a prominent Indian businessman who intends to bring the items back to India for permanent public display.
“Antiquorum is pleased that the objects attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest spiritual and political leaders of the Twentieth Century, will be returning to India. We know that this was the hope of the Indian people, as well as many others around the world. As the world’s premier horological auction house for the past 35 years, Antiquorum safeguards the interests of all involved †consignors and buyers, alike,” said Robert Maron, chairman of Antiquorum.
“In the case of the high-profile auction of Gandhi’s pocket watch and personal artifacts, our commitment to this process and our reputation as auctioneers has insured a fair, and we believe, positive outcome,” he said.
Another extremely significant political leader’s watch, that of President John F. Kennedy, America’s 35th president, which not only belonged to JFK, but also to the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, fetched a notable $120,000. The “Kennedy Onassis” watch is the only known item connecting JFK, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Aristotle Onassis.
Another watch of great significance in the sale was the Patek Philippe Henry Grave’s unique platinum minute repeater, which sold for an impressive $630,000. The watch belonged to the late Henry Graves Jr, who inspired Patek Philippe to create some of their most complicated watches to date.
Furthermore, the “Giuseppe Bonanno” 1950s Patek Philippe watch drew considerable attention from collectors and “Godfather” aficionados. Bonanno was an original member of the “Commission” whose purpose was to establish rule by consensus among the New York crime families and is thought to be the inspiration for the character of Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo’s The Godfather . The watch, which sold for $36,000, was given to Bonanno by “Lucky” Luciano in 1957 in Sicily.
In addition, several other Patek Philippe timepieces achieved excellent results. The Ref 5016 in yellow gold fetched $494,000. The “TV Watch” in white gold, Ref 5020, sold for an incredible $180,000. Also, the Ref 3970 in white gold attained $108,000. Finally, the yellow gold Celestial wristwatch achieved the significant sum of $ 186,000.
Audemars Piguet also realized exceptional results; the “End of Days” sold for a notable $2,000. Cartier also fared well in the auction; its the Art Deco desk alarm clock sold for $32,400, three times its presale estimate
Prices reported include the buyer’s premium. For information, www.Antiquorum.com or 212-750-1103.
