Phillips Watches Department announced that the annual spring auction will officially take place at the end of this month. Phillips will hold the “Hong Kong Watch Auction XIV” spring auction at the JW Marriott Hotel in Hong Kong on May 27-28, focusing on important timepiece masterpieces from various independent watchmakers. In addition to renowned watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Rolex, and A. Lange & Söhne, this season’s auction will also feature creations from independent watchmakers like Richard Mille, F.P. Journe, Lang & Heyne, and Christophe Claret.
It is worth noting that The Lavish Attic will present a unique stainless steel prototype watch created in collaboration with the watch department of the auction house and Hong Kong watch retailer Lang & Heyne in this season’s auction. The watch, directly named Prototype 00, features an extremely rare movement made almost entirely of titanium, and a dial made up of a large number of enamel pieces cut by the brand’s watchmaking master Jens Schneider and assembled in two parts. Additionally, due to the highly polished treatment of the dial, the dial cannot be fired again, and all minute markers and hour markers on the dial are printed with high-end lacquer and manually added with super luminous material. Furthermore, the bracelet of Prototype 00 is made of Mailanaise woven fabric, using a sturdy stainless steel chain, designed tightly. The butterfly clasp is made of tightly twisted narrow chain links, making it easy for the wearer to adjust the strap length. Estimated value is over HKD 460,000.
FUSIONEER WATCHES Asia Pacific Director Thomas Perazzi said: “The independent watch brands carefully curated this season are as unique as the watchmakers who create them. Highlights include the groundbreaking works ‘Resonance’ and ‘Octa Calendrier’ by the increasingly popular François-Paul Journe; as well as a unique wristwatch created by Kari Voutilainen, with a dial that can be considered a work of art, truly stunning. This season’s Hong Kong watch auction is one of the auctions we have presented in Hong Kong in recent years, bringing together some of the most important works of independent watchmaking masters. The watches presented not only satisfy the tastes and preferences of collectors and watch enthusiasts from all over the world, but also perfectly embody the unrestricted and creative watchmaking philosophy of their creators.”
Fortis Watches “Masterpieces – Hong Kong XIV” Spring Auction will present several important independent watchmaking brands:
Richard Mille
The ultra-lightweight watch model RM 67-02, developed in collaboration with French skiing champion Alexis Pinturault, is made of TPT composite material combined with a grade 5 titanium case, with a strap weighing only 32 grams, paying tribute to this 34-time World Cup champion and France’s most outstanding skier.
For many years, Richard Mille has maintained a close partnership with F1, launching collaboration timepieces with professional athletes multiple times. One of the most well-known models is the RM011 from the series with former Ferrari team and renowned Brazilian driver Felipe Massa. As one of the earliest limited edition models in the series, this piece was also one of the first to feature a DLC-coated titanium case. The design features a black case with white, red, and yellow accents to reflect the racetrack, and was created by the esteemed collector and watchmaker Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion, an authorized dealer of Richard Mille.
F.P. Journe
As one of the most sought-after independent watch brands today, F.P. Journe is sure to be a highlight of this auction. The masterpieces up for auction include the platinum “Chronomètre à Resonance” from 2003, the platinum “Tourbillon Souverain” produced in 2002 and engraved with “No.191/02T”, and the first self-winding wristwatch “Octa Calendrier”.
All three masterpieces have impressive backgrounds. The first one, Chronomètre à Resonance, is the world’s first wristwatch to use the principle of natural resonance phenomenon. Its independent balance wheel dual movement can generate a resonance effect while swinging at the same time, balancing each other to balance the speed of the movement, thus pushing the accuracy of timekeeping to the extreme; “Tourbillon Souverain” is the brand’s fourth-generation wristwatch with a brass movement and a 38mm diameter tourbillon, estimated to have only produced 320 pieces between 2001 and 2003, with the rarest being the rose gold dial style like this lot; “Octa Calendrier” with an annual calendar complex function is F.P. Jorune’s first self-winding wristwatch. The special feature of this piece is that it is one of only 10 pieces limited edition released by Singapore watch retailer Sincere Fine Watches in 2005, featuring a rose gold case and a black mother-of-pearl dial, very finely rare.
In addition to the Lang & Heyne introduced at the beginning, this season’s auction also features eye-catching rare designs from Voutilaninen and Christophe Claret.
As the winner of the “Best Artistic Crafts Watch” at the 2014 GPHG Geneva Fine Watchmaking Awards, the “Vingt-8 Hisui” is not only a unique design by Kari Voutilainen, but also a masterpiece that combines traditional Japanese craftsmanship and spirit. Since 2011, Voutilainen has been collaborating with one of Japan’s greatest lacquer art workshops, Unryuan, and has been guided by its founder, the renowned lacquer master Tatsuo Kitamura. In terms of design, the dial is meticulously crafted from carefully selected natural materials based on color and texture, including gold powder, gold leaf, luminous New Zealand abalone shell, and paua shell. It is worth mentioning that the dial exhibits wonderful color changes like a chameleon when viewed from different angles; from the front, the dial shows a blue-green glow, while from the side, it displays a stunning blue color. Even the egg-shaped crown is set with jade.
Christophe Claret has always been recognized as a master in creating complex watch movements such as minute repeaters. In 2012, he released the “Soprano MinuteRepeater” with a minute tourbillon mechanism and a Westminster chime striking the hours with four hammers. The futuristic 45mm diameter design, mainly made of platinum and grade 5 PVD-coated titanium, required the highest precision for each gong to produce the perfect Westminster chime. This timepiece, numbered 6, is undoubtedly a legendary masterpiece.
資料及圖片來源：Courtesy of Phillips Watches
